An overview of Hyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia is the medical term that describes a potassium level in your blood that's higher than normal. Potassium is a chemical that is critical to the function of nerve and muscle cells, including those in your heart.

Your blood potassium level is normally 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Having a blood potassium level higher than 6.0 mmol/L can be dangerous and usually requires immediate treatment.

Your kidneys filter potassium from the foods and drinks you consume. Your body gets rid of excess potassium when you pee. With hyperkalemia, your body has too much potassium for your kidneys to remove. As a result, potassium builds up in your blood.

In addition to conditions like kidney disease, these factors also contribute to hyperkalemia:

1. A high-potassium diet, which can result from potassium supplements and salt substitutes.

2. Medications that contain potassium, such as certain high blood pressure medicines.

Many people with mild hyperkalemia have no signs or ones that are easy to dismiss. Symptoms often come and go and may come on gradually over weeks or months. Dangerously high potassium levels affect the heart and cause a sudden onset of life-threatening problems. Hyperkalemia symptoms include:

1. Abdominal (belly) pain and diarrhea.

2. Chest pain.

3. Heart palpitations or arrhythmia (irregular, fast or fluttering heartbeat).

4. Muscle weakness or numbness in limbs.

5. Nausea and vomiting.

Because most people don’t have symptoms, you might not know you have high potassium until you get a routine blood test. A serum potassium test measures potassium levels in blood. Your healthcare provider may also order an electrocardiogram (EKG). This test shows changes in heart rhythm caused by hyperkalemia.

Treatment varies depending on the potassium level. Options include:

Diuretics : Also called water pills, these drugs make you pee more often. Your body gets rid of potassium mainly in urine.

Intravenous (IV) therapy : Extremely high potassium levels need immediate treatment. You’ll receive an IV infusion of calcium to protect your heart. Next, you get an infusion of insulin that helps move potassium into the blood cells. You may also inhale an asthma medication called albuterol to further lower potassium levels.

Medication management : Many people see improvement after stopping or changing certain blood pressure medications or other drugs that raise potassium levels. Your healthcare provider can determine what medication changes to make.

Potassium binders : A daily medication binds to excess potassium in the intestines. You pass the potassium when you poop. Your provider may recommend binders if other treatments don’t lower potassium levels. Potassium binders come in oral and enema form.

Dialysis : If potassium levels remain high, or you experience kidney failure, you may need dialysis. This treatment helps your kidneys remove excess potassium from blood.