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Overview

Hypokalemia is when blood’s potassium levels are too low.Potassiumis an important electrolyte for nerve and muscle cell functioning, especially for muscle cells in the heart. Your kidneys control your body’s potassium levels, allowing for excess potassium to leave the body through urine or sweat.

Hypokalemia is also called:

  • hypokalemic syndrome
  • low potassium syndrome
  • hypopotassemia syndrome

Mild hypokalemia doesn’t cause symptoms. In some cases, low potassium levels can lead to arrhythmia, or abnormal heart rhythms, as well as severe muscle weakness. But these symptoms typically reverse after treatment. Learn what it means to have hypokalemia and how to treat this condition.

Mild hypokalemia usually shows no signs or symptoms. In fact, symptoms generally don’t appear until your potassium levels are extremely low. A normal level of potassium is 3.6–5.2 millimoles per liter (mmol/L).

意识到低钾血症状可以帮助。调用your doctor if you are experiencing these symptoms:

  • 弱点
  • fatigue
  • constipation
  • muscle cramping
  • palpitations

Levels below 3.6 are considered low, and anything below 2.5 mmol/L is life-threateningly low, according to theMayo Clinic。在这些水平，可能存在迹象和症状：

  • paralysis
  • respiratory failure
  • breakdown of muscle tissue
  • ileus (lazy bowels)

In more severe cases, abnormal rhythms may occur. This is most common in people who take digitalis medications (digoxin) or haveirregular heart rhythm conditionssuch as:

  • fibrillation,atrial要么ventricular
  • 心动过速（心跳太快）
  • bradycardia (heartbeat too slow)
  • premature heartbeats

Other symptoms include loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.

You can lose too much potassium through urine, sweat, or bowel movements. Inadequate potassium intake and low magnesium levels can result in hypokalemia. Most of the time hypokalemia is a symptom or side effect of other conditions and medications.

These include:

  • Bartter syndrome, a rare genetic kidney disorder that causes salt and potassium imbalance
  • Gitelman syndrome, a rare genetic kidney disorder that causes an imbalance of ions in the body
  • Liddle syndrome, a rare disorder that causes an increase in blood pressure and hypokalemia
  • Cushing syndrome, a rare condition due to long-term exposure to cortisol
  • eating substances like bentonite (clay) or glycyrrhizin (in natural licorice and chewing tobacco)
  • potassium-wasting diuretics, such as Thiazides, loop, and osmotic diuretics
  • long-term use of laxatives
  • high doses of penicillin
  • diabetic ketoacidosis
  • dilution due to IV fluid administration
  • magnesium deficiency
  • adrenal gland issues
  • malnutrition
  • poor absorption
  • hyperthyroidism
  • delerium tremens
  • renal tubular acidosis types I and 2
  • catecholamine surge, such as with a heart attack
  • 药物如胰岛素和β2用于COPD和哮喘的激动剂
  • barium poisoning
  • familial hypokalemia

Your risks for hypokalemia can increase if you:

  • take medications, especially diuretics known to cause potassium loss
  • have prolonged illness that causes vomiting or diarrhea
  • have a medical condition like the ones listed above

People with heart conditions also have a higher risk for complications. Even mild hypokalemia can lead to abnormal heart rhythms. It’s important to maintain a potassium level of around 4 mmol/L if you have medical condition such as congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, or history of heart attacks.

Your doctor will usually discover if you’re at risk for or have hypokalemia during routine blood and urine tests. These tests check for mineral and vitamin levels in the blood, including potassium levels.

Read more about taking a potassium test »

由于低钾血症和心脏异常普遍挂钩，您的医生还将命令ECG测试检查您的心跳。

Someone who has hypokalemia and shows symptoms will need hospitalization. They will also require heart monitoring to make sure their heart rhythm is normal.

Treating low potassium levels in the hospital requires a multi-step approach:

1.删​​除原因：After identifying the underlying cause, your doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment. For example, your doctor may prescribe medications to reduce diarrhea or vomiting or change your medication.

2. Restore potassium levels: You can take potassium supplements to restore low potassium levels. But fixing potassium levels too quickly can cause unwanted side effects like abnormal heart rhythms. In cases of dangerously low potassium levels, you may need an IV drip for controlled potassium intake.

3. Monitor levels during hospital stay: At the hospital, a doctor or nurse will check your levels to make sure the potassium levels don’t reverse and causehyperkalemiainstead. High potassium levels can also cause serious complications.

After you leave the hospital, your doctor may recommend a potassium-rich diet. If you need to takepotassium supplements, take them with lots of fluids and with, or after, your meals. You may also need to takemagnesium supplementsas magnesium loss can occur with potassium loss.

低钾血症是可治疗的。治疗通常涉及治疗潜在条件。大多数人学会通过饮食或补充来控制钾水平。

Make an appointment with the doctor if you’re showing symptoms of hypokalemia. Early treatment and diagnosis can help prevent the condition from developing into paralysis, respiratory failure, or heart complications.

About20 percent医院的人员将会体验低钾血症，而只有1％的成年人不在医院内有低钾血症。医生或护士通常会在您入住期间监控您，以防止低通血症发生。

Seek medical attention if you are experiencing vomiting or diarrhea for more than 24–48 hours. Preventing prolonged bouts of illness and loss of fluids is important to keeping hypokalemia from occurring.

Potassium-rich diet

Eating a diet that is rich in potassium can help prevent and treat low blood potassium. Discuss your diet with your doctor. You’ll want to avoid taking too much potassium, especially if you’re taking potassium supplements. Good sources of potassium include:

  • avocados
  • bananas
  • figs
  • kiwi
  • 橘子
  • spinach
  • tomatoes
  • milk
  • peas and beans
  • peanut butter
  • bran

While a diet low in potassium is rarely the cause of hypokalemia, potassium is important for healthy body functions. Unless your doctor tells you otherwise, eating a diet rich in potassium-containing foods is a healthy choice.

What happens when you have too much potassium? »