A blood test can find the level of potassium in your blood. High potassium is usually found by chance during a routine blood test. Your healthcare provider will also give you a complete physical checkup. You will be asked about your medical history, your diet, and the medicines you take.
If high potassium happens suddenly and you have very high levels, you may feel heart palpitations, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, or vomiting. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate medical care. If you have these symptoms, call 911 or go to the emergency room.
If you have low potassium levels, you may have a heart problem, such as an irregular heartbeat. If you have high potassium levels, your heart muscle activity may be reduced. Both situations are serious and can be life threatening.
Can I take the test at home? You can take a potassium test at home, either with a blood or urine sample. If using a 24-hour urine test, you will need to collect your urine wherever you are during the day. For blood tests, you often need to visit a local laboratory to have your sample collected.
Potassium levels can be tested with a blood test or a urine test. Urine potassium can be checked in a single urine sample. But it is more often measured in a 24-hour urine sample. Your doctor will decide if a urine or blood sample is needed.
Water pills (diuretics), which rid the body of extra fluids and remove potassium through urine. Sodium bicarbonate, which temporarily shifts potassium into body cells. Albuterol, which raises blood insulin levels and shifts potassium into body cells.
Who Should Take The Potassium Blood Test? Assess normal kidney function and indicate kidney damage using a home finger-prick blood test kit. You get the convenience of home testing with the reassurance of professional clinical analysis. Your results are delivered quickly & securely online.
You may have this test to diagnose or monitor kidney disease. The most common cause of a high blood potassium level is kidney disease. Potassium is important to heart function. Your provider may order this test if you have signs of high blood pressure or heart problems.
Increasing the amount of potassium in your diet and decreasing the amount of sodium might help lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of stroke. Getting too little potassium can deplete calcium from bones and increase the amount of calcium in urine.
Potassium, also, draws water out of the body. So when potassium is in your colon it attracts water and pulls it into the fecal matter. This makes your fecal matter softer and easier to move along the colon.
Having too much potassium in your blood can be dangerous. It can even cause a heart attack. If you do feel symptoms, some of the most common are: Feeling tired or weak.
The most common cause of genuinely high potassium (hyperkalemia) is related to your kidneys, such as: Acute kidney failure. Chronic kidney disease.
Avoid black-eyed peas, dried beans, cooked greens, spinach, yams, and sweet potato pie. All are high in potassium.
Lower potassium choices: Tea, herbal tea, squash or cordial, water, fizzy drinks. Spirits are lower in potassium than other alcoholic drinks. High potassium foods to limit: Limit milk to ½ pint per day (300ml).
Have no more than 1 serving of potato/ starchy vegetable per day. Other lower potassium carbohydrate options include pasta, rice, noodles, bread. Protein foods Nuts and seeds. Aduki beans, pinto beans, soya beans.
A large drop in potassium level may lead to abnormal heart rhythms, especially in people with heart disease. This can cause you to feel lightheaded or faint. A very low potassium level can even cause your heart to stop.
Increasing potassium intake can help decrease your blood pressure if you have high blood pressure. By lowering blood pressure, increasing potassium intake can also reduce your risk for heart disease and stroke. In contrast, consuming too much sodium can raise your blood pressure.