High Potassium Level and Kidney Failure

2014-03-27 01:16

High potassium level is a common symptom for kidney failure patients, which is mainly caused by low kidney function. When people suffer from high potassium, they may suffer from some serious symptoms and complications, which will make a poor prognosis for kidney failure patients. In this article, we will answer some questions which are about the high potassium level and kidney failure.

What can cause high potassium level in kidney failure?

As we know, kidney has the function of regulating the electrolyte balance in body. However, when the kidneys are damaged, the excess potassium cant be excreted by kidneys, so the potassium level in blood will be elevated, which will cause high potassium level in blood.

High blood potassium level in blood is also called hyperkalemia, depending on the potassium ion in serum, we can divide hyperkalemia into 3 parts:

- Hyperkalemia serum potassium ion > 5 mEq/L

- Moderate hyperkalemia serum potassium ion 6-7 mEq/L

- Severe hyperkalemia serum potassium ion > 7 mEq/L

What are the symptoms of high potassium level in blood?

Kidney failure patients with high potassium level in blood will suffer from some serious symptoms. High potassium level can suppress the myocardial contraction, and kidney failure patients will have the symptoms such as slow heart rhythm, arrhythmia, or even ventricular fibrillation and heart arrest.

Besides, high potassium level in blood can also cause abnormal in neuromuscular, and the common symptoms are severe fatigue, sore muscles, limb pale. When potassium level is more than 7 mmol/L, patients may have the symptoms of limbs anesthesia, and even affect therespiratory muscle and cause asphyxia. When people suffer from high potassium level, it can also lead to metabolic acidosis.

How to treat high potassium level for kidney failure patients?

From above, we can know the main cause of high potassium level in blood is because of the kidney damage and high potassium is harmful for kidney failure patients and the complications will be life-threatening. So kidney failure patients need to have effective treatment to lower their high potassium level.

First, kidney failure patients need to limit the foods which are high in potassium, and this can help reduce the source of potassium in blood, and reduce the kidney burden.

Second, kidney failure patients need to have effective treatment to lower high potassium leve, and the treatment should have the function of repairing the damaged kidney tissues and improve the kidney function. Only the kidney function is improved, the potassium can be excreted fundamentally.

Since the illness condition will be different from case to case, so we will not introduce the detailed treatment here. If you want to get the specific treatment to lower high potassium level, you can send your test report to pkdtreatment169@gmail.com.

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