Recently, 62-year-old Grandma Yang has been feeling weak all over. At first, she thought it was due to not getting enough rest. However, after a period of adjustment, Grandma Yang’s symptoms did not improve at all. One morning, when she got up, Grandma Yang felt even weaker all over, to the point where she couldn’t even stand up. Her whole body went limp, and she collapsed on the sofa. Seeing that something was wrong, her family hurriedly took her to the hospital.
Initially, the family thought Grandma Yang had a stroke. However, after examination, the doctor found that Grandma Yang wasn’t experiencing a stroke at all. The culprit causing her weakness was actually hypokalemia, or low potassium levels in the blood.
Hypokalemia, in simple terms, means low levels of potassium in the blood, indicating a potassium deficiency.
When it comes to potassium deficiency, many people wonder about the role of potassium in the body.
Potassium ions are the main cations in intracellular fluid and are vital for maintaining normal heart and muscle function. Potassium ions can influence the excitability and conductivity of myocardial cells, regulate heart rhythm, and ensure proper contraction of the heart. Additionally, potassium ions are also involved in the excitatory conduction and contraction of muscle cells.
Like sodium, potassium is an essential electrolyte in the human body.
Due to the critical importance of potassium, low potassium levels can lead to a range of discomforts, and severe hypokalemia can even be life-threatening. The question arises: why does hypokalemia occur?
Take Grandma Yang, for example. Through examination, the doctor discovered that the main reason for Grandma Yang’s low potassium levels was actually a long-term use of a particular antihypertensive medication. The medication Grandma Yang was taking is called Indapamide, which belongs to thiazide-like diuretics with diuretic and calcium antagonistic effects, representing a new type of potent, long-acting antihypertensive drug.
Due to its diuretic effects, Indapamide can also easily lead to a side effect, namely hypokalemia.
Not only Indapamide can cause hypokalemia, but other drugs like Furosemide and Hydrochlorothiazide can also induce hypokalemia.
So, when taking these medications, it is essential to pay special attention to any abnormal symptoms the body may exhibit. If experiencing the following 5 symptoms, it might be a sign of “potassium deficiency”! Act promptly.
First, experiencing overall weakness should raise awareness of hypokalemia.
As mentioned earlier, potassium ions participate in the excitatory conduction and contraction of muscle cells. Therefore, a potassium deficiency can easily lead to abnormal conduction and contraction, resulting in generalized weakness.
Severe hypokalemia can also lead to periodic paralysis, a condition characterized by recurrent episodes of muscle weakness or paralysis, often occurring after meals, exercise, or upon waking in the morning.
Second, experiencing abnormal gastrointestinal symptoms should raise awareness of hypokalemia.
In the presence of hypokalemia, the patient’s gastrointestinal motility will decrease. Since there are many muscles in our digestive tract that also require potassium for function, a potassium deficiency can lead to symptoms like nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and bloating.
Third, experiencing abnormal central nervous system symptoms should raise awareness of hypokalemia.
If potassium levels are low, the patient’s central nervous system may also exhibit abnormalities, such as appearing listless, delayed responses, and in severe cases, drowsiness and coma.
Fourth, experiencing abnormal heart rhythm should raise awareness of hypokalemia.
As mentioned earlier, potassium ions can influence the excitability and conductivity of myocardial cells, regulate heart rhythm, and ensure proper heart contraction. In case of severe hypokalemia, patients may experience abnormal heart rhythms, such as tachycardia, atrial or ventricular premature contractions; in severe cases, ventricular flutter or fibrillation may occur, leading to sudden cardiac arrest and death.
Fifth, experiencing abnormal urinary system symptoms should raise awareness of hypokalemia.
If a person has excessive urine output, hypokalemia should be considered. Just like in patients taking diuretics for blood pressure management as mentioned above, the increased urine output can lead to a loss of potassium from the blood. Some diseases can also cause increased urine output, potentially resulting in hypokalemia, such as common kidney diseases, hyperaldosteronism, and diabetes insipidus.
