Suggestions for Low Potassium Level in PKD

2014-09-29 03:50

It is common to hear kidney disease patients complain about high potassium level in blood, but for some PKD patients, they may experience low potassium level in blood due to impaired kidney function. Here are the suggestions for PKD patients with low potassium level in blood. If you have any related questions please feel free to consult our online doctor for answer.

Causes of low potassium level in PKD

To give suggestions for low potassium level in blood associated with PKD, let’s firstly understand why potassium level decreases in some cases of PKD.

1. Renal tubule is one of the kidney tissues that helps to reabsorb useful substances like potassium, protein and calcium. For some PKD patients, their renal tubules are damaged severely and as a result, potassium that should be reabsorbed back to the body will be lost through urine. This can cause low potassium level in blood.

2. In normal condition, adrenal glands secrete a hormone named aldosterone which helps to increases sodium and water reabsorption into the body and to increase potassium secretion into the urine. For PKD patients, if they have hyperaldosteronism, large amounts of potassium will be removed through urine, which can lead to low potassium level in blood.

Suggestions for low potassium level in PKD

For PKD patients who have low potassium level in blood, the following suggestions are helpful:

1. High potassium diet

High potassium diet is helpful for PKD patients with low potassium level in blood, so foods high in potassium like banana, spinach, nuts, white beans, salmon, avocados and white mushroom can be included in dinning-table.

2. Taking potassium supplements orally and receiving potassium intravenous at direction of a doctor are also available ways to increase potassium level in blood for PKD patients.

3. Taking medical treatment to treat PKD, so as to alleviate the condition of low potassium level. For PKD patients, potassium level becomes lower due to kidney damage caused by large kidney cysts, so by shrinking kidney cysts and repairing injured kidney tissues, kidney function can be improved. When the real cause of low potassium is brought under control, potassium level in blood goes up to the normal range naturally. This is the most effective and fundamental way to deal with low potassium level in blood for PKD patients. Here you can consult our online doctor for the medical treatment that can shrink kidney cysts in PKD and repair kidney damages. it  is free of charge. 

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