Potassium Deficiency
Potassium deficiency is a medical condition where the human body does not get the necessary potassium it needs to function properly. Known as hypokalemia, it can be fatal if there is no action taken against the deficiency. Understanding its importance, though, will help create a sense of urgency in getting the necessary amounts.
What Does Potassium Do?
Potassium is one of those minerals that are absolutely necessary to sustain a healthy life. It plays a role in nerve transmission, cardiovascular function, in the conversion of glucose into glycogen, in the building of new muscle and cellular function. Without potassium, it is obvious that more harm would be done to the body than good. Because of this, it is important to notice the symptoms so treatment can be given.
Symptoms of Potassium Deficiency
There are quite a few different symptoms of deficiency of potassium. Some of them might seem like other issues; however, by going to the doctor, he/she will be able to run tests to diagnose potassium deficiency. Here are the symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Muscle Weakness
- Blistering, dryness of skin, etc.
- Temporary Memory Loss
- Heart deterioration
- Anxiety
- Etc…
Treatments for Potassium Deficiency
The typical treatment for potassium deficiency is to treat the symptom. If the person has fatigue, they work on the fatigue. At the same time, though, the doctor will push for an increase in the amount of potassium that you are bringing into your body.
One of the things that the doctor will do is gauge how severe the potassium deficiency is. If it is not very severe, they might just suggest just taking in more potassium. However, if it is severe, they will work on getting rid of each symptom, find the case of it and then tackle it with much more intensive treatments. Because potassium deficiency can turn fatal, it is incredibly important that the doctor figure out what is causing it and tackle the problem.
In the end, though, the best way to ensure that a patient doesn’t have potassium deficiency is to eat a healthy diet with potassium in it. Foods such as bananas, beans, dates, apricots, meat, grapes and milk are exceptional sources of potassium. If these aren’t foods that are big in your diet, there are potassium supplements that are available. Regardless of the route taken, it is important to get a healthy amount of potassium every day. Otherwise, the body will begin to weaken.