What is meant by Hyperkalemia?

Hyperkalemia is a medical problem which is popularly known as “high potassium” in your blood. The body requires Potassium – an important nutrient found in many foods that we eat on a regular basis. Potassium helps nerves and muscles, including our heart to work in the right manner. However, high potassium level in the blood can be dangerous and it can be the leading cause of many dreadful diseases. It can even cause serious heart problems too.

The leading cause of hyperkalemia is advanced Kidney Disease. If you’re suffering from kidney disease, you are at the risk of developing hyperkalemia. With herbal treatment, you can reverse kidney disease and reduce the risk of developing hyperkalemia. Kundan Kidney Care Centre’s carefully crafted alternative kidney disease medicines have good success rate in treating and even regenerating diseased kidneys, without affecting the level of potassium and other vital minerals in the body.

WHAT ARE THE LEADING CAUSES OF HYPERKALEMIA?

• KIDNEY DISEASE – If your kidneys do not function properly, then you’re at a higher risk for hyperkalemia. It is the function of your kidneys to balance the amount of potassium taken in through the foods you eat and the liquids you drink with the amount lost in urine. In the early stages of kidney disease, the kidneys can often remove high potassium. But as the kidney function gets worse, they may not be able to remove enough potassium from your body.

• A DIET RICH IN POTASSIUM – When people, suffering from advanced kidney disease, eat too much of foods that have the high levels of potassium, then it can also cause hyperkalemia. Foods such as cantaloupe, honeydew melon, orange juice, and bananas are high in potassium.

• DRUGS THAT PREVENT LOSS OF POTASSIUM – There are some drugs that decrease blood flow to the kidneys and prevent the kidneys from excreting normal amounts of potassium. This may also cause your blood potassium levels to rise.

• OTHER CAUSES OF HYPERKALEMIA: Addison’s Disease, alcoholism, destruction of red blood cells due to injury, type 1 diabetes, and use of potassium supplements may lead to hyperkalemia.

SYMPTOMS OF HYPERKALEMIA

The symptoms of mild hyperkalemia are very few and non-specific. The sufferer might feel some muscle weakness, numbness, nausea, tingling, and other unusual feelings. The symptoms develop slowly over a span of weeks or months, and are often mild and recurring.

Although hyperkalemia never pops up suddenly, if in case you have very high levels of potassium, you may feel heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, or vomiting. Sudden or severe hyperkalemia can be life threatening too. Thus, such condition requires immediate medical care.

NORMAL LEVEL OF POTASSIUM IN BLOOD – The normal level of potassium in your blood should be between 3.5 and 5.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).

CHOOSE THE RIGHT TREATMENT FOR HYPERKALEMIA

It is important for CKD patients to consult a doctor to get their potassium level tested and determine further on the basis of reports whether or not they need to follow a low-potassium diet. If CKD patients have high potassium level, then they should follow a low-potassium diet. Avoid taking salt substitutes, which are high in potassium.

Treatment of hyperkalemia is often directed at the underlying cause. If you have symptoms of hyperkalemia, consult your doctor immediately. Talk to your doctor about what your blood test results mean. Your physician will choose the treatment plan that’s right for you. However, if you have mild to moderate kidney disease or CKD, then opt for alternative kidney disease medicine to improve your kidney function and decrease the chances of developing hyperkalemia. In either case, with prompt intervention, hyperkalemia can be treated.