Potassium is an essential electrolyte, which is a mineral your body needs to function correctly. Potassium is especially important for your nerves and muscles, including your buy blood oranges. While potassium is important to your health, getting toomuch of the nutrient can be just as bad as — or worse than — not getting enough. Normally, your kidneys keep a healthy balance of potassium by flushing excess potassium out of your body.
But for many reasons, the level of potassium in your blood can get too high. This is called hyperkalemia, or high potassium. A low potassium level can be determined with a blood test. Small variations in ranges may be possible depending on the laboratory. Whether you have mild or severe hyperkalemia, you should get prompt medical attention to prevent possible complications. Several things can cause hyperkalemia, including health problems and the use of certain medications.
They’re unable to remove extra potassium from your body, so it builds up in your blood. High potassium levels affect 40 to 50 percent of people with chronic kidney disease. This breakdown can release a high amount of potassium from your muscle cells into your bloodstream. In these cases, extra potassium leaks from your body cells into your bloodstream. Burns or crush injuries where a large number of muscle cells are injured can cause these effects. One possible cause may be the medications used for treating CHF, like angiotensin II receptor blockers, beta-blockers, and diuretics.