What is Hyperkalemia? Hyperkalemia is the medical term for when you experience high potassium levels in your blood. In terms of numbers, a healthy individual will have between 3.6mmol/L and 5.2mmol/L in their body. Anything higher than that is officially classified as hyperkalemia. Between 5.3mmol/L and 6.0mmol/L is mild hyperkalemia. Between 6.1mmol/L and 7.0 mmol/L is moderate hyperkalemia. Above 7mmol/L is severe hyperkalemia. Why is Too Much Potassium Harmful? Potassium is healthy for you in the right doses. Your body needs it to function properly. It is an incredibly important substance that plays a vital role in your nerves and muscle cells. This means that you need it for your heart to work. Like with anything else, too much of a good thing is not good. The more common form of hyperkalemia only rears mild to moderate symptoms. The most extreme severities of this condition can result in death. Symptoms of Hyperkalemia Generally, until your hyperkalemia is severe, you may not even experience or recognize any of the symptoms. As your levels soar to dangerous heights, you may experience one or more of the following symptoms: Muscle weakness or pain. Your muscles may feel tender or even painful. It may feel as though you just finished an intense workout. Fatigue. Despite getting adequate sleep, you may feel sluggish and tired the entire day or you may be too weak to function. Nausea. An upset stomach may or may not be accompanied by some vomiting. This is a common sign of hyperkalemia. Breathing problems. You may find it difficult to take deep breaths or find yourself forced to gasp for air. Irregular heartbeat. Your heart may beat funnily or feel weird in your chest. This is always a symptom to bring up to your doctor immediately. Chest pains. Chest pains ranging from mild to severe are a common result of hyperkalemia. In the most extreme cases, hyperkalemia left untreated can cause cardiac arrest and death. What Causes Hyperkalemia? There are several known causes of hyperkalemia, which range from medical disorders to lifestyle habits. Hyperkalemia is known to have many causes. These include: Kidney Disease The main function of a kidney is that it filters everything in your body. When there is something wrong with your kidneys, it can mess up all sorts of vitamin levels in your body. Potassium is just one of them. Heart Disease Heart disease results in a variety of factors that make it more likely to have problems with your potassium levels. Hormone Imbalances Having abnormally low amounts of aldosterone can result in potassium problems. This can happen due to a variety of conditions, including hypoaldosteronism and congenital adrenal hyperplasia. Diabetes A lack of insulin may be the culprit behind enhanced potassium levels. This is something that would be more likely to occur if diabetes is undermanaged (or undiagnosed). [youmaylike] Medications Side effects of certain medications could cause potassium levels to rise. You may be surprised to see that some common medications will do this. Non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen and naproxen, will do it. Some of the other medications that can do this are heparin, mannitol, beta-blockers, angiotensin inhibitors, calcium blockers, and cyclosporine. Diet Medications are not the only way to introduce potassium to the body. There are lots of foods that can lead to heightened potassium levels. Many of these foods are healthy, but to a person at risk for hyperkalemia, they can be dangerous if not eaten in responsible quantities. There is also the chance that you are a victim of pseudo hyperkalemia. As the name suggests, you do not have any potassium problems. Sometimes due to faulty equipment, you will get a wrong reading. Hyperkalemia Treatment To determine how to treat hyperkalemia, it is important that you first identify the cause of it in yourself. Getting advice from a licensed medical physician is the best way to determine your treatments. Diet Change Changing your diet can do wonders for your health. If you battle hyperkalemia, consider limiting your intake of foods rich in potassium like cucumbers, pumpkins, potatoes, bananas, grapefruit, oranges, eggplants and peas. Intravenous Calcium or Insulin and Glucose Medical injections are an efficient and fast technique to lower calcium levels. When diet alone is not enough, these can drop your potassium levels to a safer place in a pinch. Albuterol Doctors may also administer albuterol alone or in addition to other treatments. Unfortunately, this does not work for everyone. Changing Medications If a certain medication is causing dangerous, unwanted side effects, you may want to talk to your doctor about switching.
What is Gout?
To answer "what is gout?" you should know it is a relatively frequently occurring type of arthritis. The common condition is the result of having elevated levels of uric acid in your bloodstream. This excess of uric acid leads to uric acid crystal formation in the joints, notoriously the one on the base of the big toe. These crystals cause a number of alarming and uncomfortable symptoms.
Signs and Symptoms
Gout can manifest in several different ways depending on the patient. In general, gout can be characterized as episodes of joint pain, swelling, and redness.
The pain itself can occur out of nowhere, and either turn into a general discomfort or disappear. Episodes of gout can occur abruptly and it is not uncommon for them to start in the middle of the night.
The big toe is one of the most common appendages that is affected, although it can also affect the forefoot, knees, ankles, knees, elbows, and bones in your hand or wrist.
Types of Gout
Although these all refer to the same illness, there are “types” of gout, which indicate different stages of the illness.
- Asymptomatic hyperuricemia: This is the earliest stage of the disease. Some of the crystals may be causing some tissue damage, but symptoms may be mild to non-existent.
- Acute: This refers to a more extreme event. In acute gout, patients experience acute episodes of intense pain in a “flare” that lasts a couple of days. Different events can trigger the onset of symptoms, including stress or alcohol. They may also appear seemingly out of nowhere.
- Intercritical: When flares die down but you still have gout, your body is still depositing excess urate crystals into your joint tissue. These periods are called intercritical gout, where you may not really feel symptoms but the damage is still happening.
- Chronic tophaceous: This is the most extreme form of the disease. It is debilitating and can get to the point where permanent and extreme damage has been done to the joints and kidneys. Huge lumps and pain may be chronically present at this point.
There is also a condition that is referred to as pseudogout. This condition is not a form of gout, but it is very similar in terms of the symptoms someone might experience. These similar symptoms are not caused by urate crystals, but rather calcium pyrophosphate crystals. Generally, symptom expression is less severe in comparison to traditional gout.
Treatment Options
There are several different medications that may be prescribed to treat gout. Different medications may be used depending on the types of symptoms you are experiencing or expressing a desire to reduce.
These medications include some which may manage uric acid levels (aloprim, zyloprim, ulroic, or lesinurad), inflammation (colcrys), or painkillers. Talk to your doctor to find a solution which is best for you.
Natural Remedies for Gout
One of the best natural remedies for gout is making lifestyle changes. By making these tiny lifestyle changes, you will be able to minimize the flares of gout or even prevent it entirely. If you know that you have had a flare before or are at risk for developing gout, consider taking the following steps:
- Drink lots of water: Drinking the recommended amount of water a day can help keep your body in tip-top shape.
- Achieve a healthy body weight: Obesity puts a lot of pressure on your body. If you are overweight, try to achieve and maintain healthy body weight.
- Stay sober: Alcohol can be an especially big trigger for gout. Consider abstaining from alcohol use in order to keep your gout under control.
- Change your diet: To limit the about of uric acid coming into your body, make changes to your what you eat. There are some foods that will encourage very high levels of uric acid in your body, including: anchovies, sardines, mackerel, herring, lobster, shrimp, mussels, scallops, mushrooms, organs (especially liver and kidneys), fast food, soda, and alcohol.
Consider having healthier foods that encourage an overall healthy diet. Some of the best foods for managing gout include:
- Yogurt and skim milk
- Nuts and grains
- Fresh fruits and veggies
- Potatoes
Most importantly, be sure to practice moderation.
When to See a Doctor
As soon as you notice that your symptoms are interfering with your daily life, you should make an appointment with a medical professional. This is a good practice in general. Even if you do not have gout, alarming symptoms may be a sign of a more serious underlying condition.