What are the effects of low potassium on the human body?
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010 at
10:47 AM
My nan had a fall recently and broke her hip. She is bening released from hospital today, but staff have stated that she has low potassium levels. What would the effect be on someone in their 80’s?
Filed under: Low Potassium
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Mild hypokalemia (low potassioum in blood) is often without symptoms, although it may cause a small elevation of blood pressure, and can occasionally cause heart fluttering (palpitaion).
Moderate hypokalemia, with serum potassium concentrations of 2.5-3 mEq/L, may cause muscular weakness, myalgia (pain in muscle), and muscle cramps, and constipation.
With more severe hypokalemia, flaccid paralysis, and the heart can stop.
I guess your grandmother is taking medicine for high blood pressure including water tablets. They are the most common cause of low potassium at this age. They can also have low potassium after diarrhoea.
She can have oral potassioum supliment tablets that has to be prescribed by GP. She can also be benifitted with some diet rich in potassioum. Banana is rich in potassium.
she needs to eat go monkey bananas…