hyperkalemia

Hyperkalemia is a condition in which you have high potassium levels in your blood. You may not have any symptoms, or they may be easy to dismiss. Severe symptoms may cause muscle weakness or affect your heart. Treatment includes a low-potassium diet, medications that lower your potassium levels and, in severe cases, dialysis. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy Hyperkalemia symptoms may be mild and easy to ignore. Severe hyperkalemia symptoms may affect your heart and muscles. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy Potassium is a positively charged electrolyte . Electrolytes are minerals that have a natural positive or negative charge when they dissolve in water or other body fluids, such as blood. It helps carry an electric charge through your body, which helps your body function. Potassium helps: Muscles in your body expand and contract. Nerves send signals between your brain and the rest of your body. Move waste products out of your cells and nutrients into your cells. Offset sodium’s (salt’s) effects on your blood pressure. You get potassium through the foods and drinks you consume. Normally, your kidneys remove extra potassium, which leaves your body through your urine (pee). But if you have too much potassium in your body, your kidneys may not be able to remove all of it, and it can build up in your blood. Too much potassium in your blood can damage your heart , make you feel palpitations and even cause a heart attack . You can’t always tell when your potassium levels are high. A typical potassium level for adults is between 3.5 and 5.0 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). Hyperkalemia occurs when potassium levels go above 5.5 mmol/L. A potassium level above 6.5 mmol/L can cause heart problems that require immediate medical attention. In the general U.S. population, hyperkalemia is rare. Medical experts estimate 2% to 3% of people have high potassium levels. However, you’re up to three times more likely to have hyperkalemia if you have chronic kidney disease (CKD). Over half of those who have CKD but don’t need dialysis eventually develop high potassium levels. If you have mild hyperkalemia, you may not have any signs, or your signs might be easy to dismiss. Symptoms often come and go or may gradually develop over weeks or months. Mild hyperkalemia signs may include: Dangerously high potassium levels affect your heart and cause sudden, life-threatening problems. Severe hyperkalemia symptoms may include: Chest pain . Heart palpitations. Arrhythmia (irregular, fast or fluttering heartbeat). Muscle weakness or numbness in your limbs. The most common cause of hyperkalemia is kidney disease. Kidney disease damages your kidneys, which means they don’t filter wastes (including excess potassium) from your blood as well as they should. A high-potassium diet, including potassium supplements. Medications that block your kidneys’ ability to secrete potassium, including certain drugs that treat high blood pressure . In very rare cases, genetic disorders may cause high potassium levels. These include: Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 1 (PHA1) . A genetic mutation that helps your body regulate sodium causes PHA1. Pseudohypoaldosteronism type 2 (PHA2) . A genetic mutation that helps regulate your blood pressure causes PHA2. Another name for PHA2 is Gordon’s syndrome. Addison’s disease . Alcohol use disorder . Burns over a large part of your body. Congestive heart failure . Diabetes . Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Chronic kidney disease or a family history of CKD. Abnormal kidney structure. Severe hyperkalemia can come on suddenly. It can cause life-threatening changes to your heart that cause a heart attack. Without treatment, even mild hyperkalemia