Potassium deficiency causes a variety of symptoms. And the health risk is real when the deficiency is severe.
Do you suffer from potassium deficiency, also called hypokalemia? This mineral is essential for muscle contraction and is therefore involved in the proper functioning of the muscles of the heart, intestines, bronchi or even the bladder. It is present in some vegetables (broccoli, spinach, avocado, cabbage), in some fruits (bananas and citrus fruits in particular), in legumes (dried beans, peas, lentils), in fatty fish, in whole grains, in wheat, in cocoa or oily fruits such as almonds or walnuts.
Moreover symptoms may indicate a lack of potassium:
fatigue
muscle cramps
muscle weakness
constipation
nausea
intestinal swelling
heart rhythm disturbances.
What are the causes of hypokalemia?
Dietary deficiency is rare, as the diet is more than enough to cover the estimated requirement of 2 grams per day. A potassium deficiency is rather explained by a digestive pathology (a chronic bowel disease that interrupts the absorption of potassium for example), by prolonged diarrhea or vomiting or by the excessive use of laxatives.
A risk to the heart
In severe cases of potassium deficiency, there is a risk to heart health. Due to a lack of potassium, the heart has difficulty contracting and playing its role as a pump.
This dysfunction leads to palpitations, arrhythmia, low blood pressure, shortness of breath or chest pain. If these symptoms are not relieved, they can worsen and lead to death. Therefore, a medical consultation is necessary as soon as they appear. The doctor will make sure to identify the cause of the deficiency to treat it and prescribe an emergency intravenous potassium supplement.
