Potassium is an essential mineral that is needed by the human body for the heart to beat properly and for other muscles to contract normally. Potassium also helps to regulate blood pressure. It is commonly referred to as an electrolyte when you get your lab results back from the doctor.
The medical term for low potassium in the body is hypokalemia. Low potassium can be quite dangerous and can even cause cardiac arrest or life-threatening drops in blood pressure. Most causes of low potassium involve dehydration or lower than normal hydration levels. These include:
All of the causes of low potassium listed above make the body lose more water than is healthy. When the body loses too much water, it loses too much potassium in the process. Other causes of low potassium include:
If you are only slightly low in potassium, the symptoms can be so mild you may not make the connection that they are linked to low potassium. You may urinate more frequently, have a slight tingling in your muscles, experience nausea, mild to moderate constipation, bouts of depression, increased thirstiness, abdominal bloating, and you may feel light-headed or slightly dizzy at times. You may also experience a general feeling of fatigue and irritability.
If your potassium is moderately low, the three main symptoms are the following:
If your potassium is severely low, you may have cardiac arrest, mental confusion, delirium, psychosis, muscle paralysis, and you may pass out.
Low potassium is very serious. You can take potassium supplements or a good multivitamin to avoid low potassium. You can also increase your potassium by eating foods high in potassium. These include beans, fish, nuts, yogurt, and dark green leafy vegetables. Fruits also have high levels of potassium, especially apricots, figs, and bananas.
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