Hyperkalemia Excess Potassium Symptoms, Prevention, Diet, Risk Factors

My potassium levels are to high. Is this Hyperkalemia? What foods should I avoid to bring the levels down?

If your potassium levels are continuous high, the condition for this is called as Hyperkalemia. It means that the potassium is high in your blood stream. It happens when the potassium levels rise above 5.5mEq/L. This may be because the excess potassium might not have got excreted from your body.

What are the causes of excess potassium (or hyperkalemia) not getting excreted from the body?

1. Renal Insufficiency like end stage renal disease. Acute or chronic renal failure patients who are on dialysis.
2. Cushing’s Syndrome: it is excess secretion of cortisol (Hormone) by the adrenal gland. The cortisol helps in regulation of metabolism of the body.
3. Aldosteronism.
4. Diuretic medications
5. Diminished potassium excretion like decreased Glomerular Filtration Rate, defect in tubular secretion.
6. Use of Beta blocker drugs.
7. Insulin deficiency.
8. Tissue trauma like burns this causes the cells to release potassium.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Excess Potassium or hyperkalemia?

1. Nausea
2. Malaise, Palpitation and Muscle Weakness
3. Numbness and tingling
4. Irregular Heartbeat.
5. Absent Beat
6. Fatigue sense of tiredness.

What are the risk factors and Complications of hyperkalemia?

1. Arrhythmias
2. Cardiac arrest
3. Urine Ph high
4. Metabolic acidosis

Keep a regular check on you potassium levels.

Dietary Guidelines for Hyperkalemia

1. Do consult your dietitian.
2. As you have high potassium levels you (obviously) need to have potassium restricted diet.
3. You should avoid eating banana, orange, apricot, watermelon, grapefruit, dates, raisins. These fruits are high in potassium content. Juices like Tomato, orange and grapefruit should also be avoided.
4. Avoid vegetables like tomato, spinach, sweet potato, mushrooms, pumpkins, beets, baked potato with skin – these are rich sources of potassium.
5. In dietary products Skimmed Milk, whole milk, buttermilk, yogurt and cottage cheese contains high potassium avoid these stuffs also.
6. Nuts like pistachio, almonds, peanut are also high source of potassium also avoid them too.
7. Discard liquids form canned food and vegetables.
8. Avoid salt substitutes and other seasonings that contain potassium.
9. Keep an eye on serving size. Almost all foods have some amount of potassium so even a low potassium food can turn into high potassium food when eaten in large amounts.

Low potassium containing foods

1. Portion size of food is important because though you eat low potassium food eating it in large quantity can increase your potassium levels. So eat in small proportion.
2. Fruits like apple, berries, grapes, lemon, plums have low potassium content.
3. Vegetables like carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumber, onions, green beans have low potassium content.
4. Snacks like jelly beans, popcorn, red liquorice have low potassium contents.

Always remember to have a controlled diet to control your hyperkalemia and control excess potassium.

Related Topics
• What is Hyperkalemia | Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis of Hyperkalemia
• Low Potassium Diet Handout: High Potassium Foods To Avoid
• Psoriasis Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Prevention, Risk Factors
• Coronary Artery disease| Symptoms | Prevention | Risk Factors
• Epilepsy home remedies, causes, symptoms, prevention and risk factors