High potassium content in blood

Potassium is one of the essential elements in the human body. It is essential for various muscles of the body, such as skeletal muscles, smooth and heart muscles, to function properly. It also plays an important role in the transmission of nerve impulses through nerve cells in the body. In the normal state, about 98% of the potassium is in the cells, and the rest is outside.

Potassium levels in the blood range from 3.5 to 5 mEq / L. Any increase in potassium should be treated even if it is mild, to prevent it from rising further. The arrival of these ratios of more than 7 mE / L is a significant risk to the patient’s life, This may lead to cardiac arrest and death.

Causes of high potassium content in the blood

High blood potassium levels are commonly observed when a blood test is performed, but luckily, the elevation in most cases is minimal and does not pose any risk to the patient’s life. The reasons for the high potassium content in the blood are as follows:

Kidney disease: As the responsible for the discharge of potassium out of the body, most of the cases of high blood levels are caused by kidney diseases, such as acute or chronic kidney failure, as well as inflammation of the glomeruli kidney, and systemic kidney inflammation of systemic lupus erythematosus, Such as the presence of gravel. In addition, patients with kidney disease are very sensitive to drugs and compounds that raise the proportion of potassium in the blood, such as drugs inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory, and blockers of the future of Angiotensin 2, Potassium preservatives for potassium.
Adison’s disease is a disease caused by adrenal insufficiency. This gland secretes the hormones of cortisol and aldosterone. The latter stimulates the kidneys to hold fluid and sodium and put potassium in urine. In the case of this disease, the secretion of aldosterone increases.
Diabetic ketoacidosis is one of the most serious complications of type 1 diabetes, which occurs when insulin is lost and hyperglycemia increases with high blood acidity, resulting in the release of fluids and potassium from cells to the blood.
Destruction of body tissues: Dead cells release potassium into the bloodstream. This may result from exposure to severe bruising, burns, major surgery, red blood cell breakdown, large cell degradation, Musculoskeletal cells that may be associated with excessive intake of alcohol or overdose of drugs.
Eat foods that contain large amounts of potassium, such as cantaloupe, orange juice, and bananas.

Symptoms of high potassium content in the blood

Symptoms associated with high potassium in the blood depends on the rate, and in most cases does not appear on the patient any of these symptoms; they appear only at high altitude, and the symptoms of high potassium content in the blood are as follows:

Feeling tired and tired.
Sensation of numbness or tingling in the body.
Nausea and vomiting.
Suffering from breathing disorders.
Feeling chest pains.
Feeling of heart palpitations, accompanied by skipping some heart beat.
High blood potassium levels may lead to paralysis and arrhythmia, and if left untreated, the heart muscle may be stopped.

Diagnosis of high potassium content in blood

Diagnosis of high blood potassium is difficult in many cases. It is not accompanied by any symptoms, and if it is found to be the result of other health problems, the doctor should perform heart tests, such as electrocardiogram for safety, in addition to taking full information about The patient, his or her suffering from previous illnesses, or medication, and his / her diet.

The percentage of potassium may be detected either by a blood test or a urine test. If the ratios are high, doctors usually repeat these tests because there are many reasons for their height.

Treatment of high potassium content in the blood

The treatment of high potassium levels in the blood depends on two steps: reduce this increase, and prevent the occurrence of damage to the heart, the most prominent methods of treatment are as follows:

Eat foods that contain low amounts of potassium.
Stop taking medications that increase your blood levels.
Give the patient glucose, or insulin through the vein; where they work to return potassium from outside the cell into the inside, thus reducing the proportion of potassium in the blood.
Give the patient calcium gluconit intravenously also; to protect the heart and muscle from the effect of high potassium.
Taking diuretics; all but potassium-containing diuretics work on potassium output, and are produced with urine, thus reducing potassium in the blood.
The substance of ricin: taken by mouth, and linked to potassium and thus contribute to the outside of the body.
Give the patient drugs that stimulate beta 2 adrenergic receptors, which return intracellular potassium.
Sodium Sulphonate Polystyrene, which removes potassium from the body through the digestive system.
Take Pateromir, which reduces the amount of potassium in the blood.
Dialysis; it is resorted to if the other methods of treatment, or when there is kidney failure.