Beware, too much potassium in your blood can give you hyperkalemia

Though the name may sound serious and exotic, hyperkalemia is actually a common condition. Most people are diagnosed with mild hyperkalemia. This is not life-threatening and can be easily treated. This is in fact essential because if it get too severe, it can give you a cardiac arrest. In severe cases, it can be fatal. This condition occurs when you have too much potassium in your bloodstream. Though potassium is essential for the proper functioning of the muscles, heart and nerves, too much can be dangerous. At the same time, low potassium is also not a good thing. You need to maintain a balance for good health.

Now, according to a new study in American Journal of Emergency Medicine, correcting high potassium levels immediately in patients suffering from hyperkalemia can cut the mortality rate in the population by half.  Researchers say that tens of thousands of patients who suffer from diseases like heart failure, diabetes, renal failure, and hypertension have higher risks of developing hyperkalemia. In the future, many therapies that would be deduced to treat these conditions might also contain high potassium levels.

Symptoms of hyperkalemia

In most cases hyperkalemia does not cause any symptoms. But usual  signs to look out for are nausea, extreme tiredness, muscle weakness and a tingling sensation. In severe cases, you may experience a slow heartbeat and a weak pulse. Acute hyperkalemia can cause cardiac arrest and even death.

Causes of hyperkalemia

The major causes of hyperkalemia are renal diseases and adrenal gland disorder. It happens when potassium shifts out of cells into the blood circulation. Sometimes, it may also be the result of certain medication.

Treatment and prevention measures

Your doctor will ask you to stop taking any potassium supplements, salt substitutes that contain potassium and other medications that may can cause hyperkalemia. He will also ask you to keep your kidneys healthy. Treatment for mild hyperkalemia varies from person to person depending on health status and severity of the condition. But in severe cases it may require emergency intervention with heart rhythm monitoring.

If you have this condition, you will have to follow a low potassium diet, stop taking medications that increase blood potassium levels, intravenous administration of glucose, insulin, calcium to promote movement of potassium from the extracellular space back into the cells and to protect the heart and muscles from the effects of hyperkalemia. In severe cases, you may have to go in for dialysis in the event of renal failure.

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10 Severe Symptoms of Food Allergies

Many people think that if they didn’t develop a food allergy as children, they will probably manage to avoid one for the rest of their lives, but according to a study published in December 2017, nearly half of people with food allergies developed them as adults. This means that food allergies aren’t only developed in childhood, but also in adulthood in people who have had no problem eating anything up till then.

Living with allergies requires dietary and lifestyle adjustments to avoid the ingredients or food that trigger an allergic reaction, but first, it is important to know whether the allergy is present in your body. To do this, it is important that you know the 10 symptoms of food allergies that we tend to diagnose as momentary or disease-related reactions, thus improving the quality of your life and the lives of those closest to you.

1. Rash/redness of the skin

Food allergies vary from person to person, and while some may develop symptoms immediately, others may take a long time to develop a response. One of these symptoms is a rash, redness or bumps on the skin that are mainly found on the area of the hands, feet, and joints. These rashes don’t always itch, so people tend to think they may have developed a sensitivity to a particular cosmetic product or have come into contact with a component that has stimulated skin irritation.
Therefore, if you’ve noticed rashes in different areas of the body more than once, there is a reasonable chance that this is an allergy, and it is important to consult your doctor for advice and treatment, especially if the reaction comes immediately after eating a meal.

2. A weak pulse

Changes in blood pressure are another sign of developing allergies to some foods, so if you experience a sudden drop in blood pressure and your heart rate slows down, you may have developed a food allergy to something you’ve eaten. Many people attribute this drop in pulse to a mental or emotional state, but even if it is weak and occurs only "sometimes", it is important not to ignore this symptom and contact your doctor for treatment.

3. Dizziness

As a result of a sudden drop in blood pressure, another symptom can appear - that is a feeling of dizziness. This unpleasant feeling may even cause some people to feel that they are going to faint. Do not ignore this problematic symptom as it can interrupt daily life and indicates a health problem that requires ongoing treatment.

4. Difficulty swallowing

This symptom, known as dysphagia, indicates a problem in the throat or esophagus. People who experience this symptom feel as if there is a large lump in their throat that constricts the esophagus and interferes with food and fluids passing through it. This symptom is typical of other physical problems, so it should not be ignored whether it is a food allergy or something else.

5. Swollen tongue

This is a pretty obvious sign of a food allergy that needs to be checked by a professional to diagnose accurately. When the body comes into contact with allergens, one of the reactions is swelling of the throat and tongue, which can lead to difficulties in speech, swallowing and even breathing. This reaction requires immediate treatment to open the airways, therefore, don’t hesitate to call emergency services.

6. Chest tightness

The difficulty in swallowing discussed in the previous section results from an immune response that sends large amounts of white blood cells into the esophagus, causing it to be inflamed and narrow. The same reaction causes some people to feel a pressure in the chest that is similar to an anxiety attack or emotional stress. This inflammatory response can be prevented by taking anti-allergy drugs, or by avoiding the allergens that cause it. Your doctor should be informed if you experience any chest tightness. 

7. A cough, wheezing, and shortness of breath

We tend to think about them mainly in the context of colds and flu, but these symptoms may also characterize a food allergy and cause real problems if ignored. 
The severity of these symptoms varies from person to person, and in many cases, the cough is particularly severe and requires epinephrine. This prescription drug is especially important for people with allergies who suffer from seizures, coughs, wheezing, and shortness of breath.

8. Pale or bluish skin

When the skin starts to become pale or bluish, it is a sign of cyanosis - a condition in which insufficient oxygen-rich blood reaches the skin and mucous membranes. When you notice this sign, do not conclude that you’re just cold and your body is responding accordingly, as it may be an allergic reaction which is preventing the proper transfer of oxygen to the different tissues in your body. If you notice cyanosis occurring in your body again and again even when you are not particularly cold, it is important to consult your doctor to see if it is an allergic reaction or another problem that requires treatment.

9. Vomiting

As mentioned, there are allergic reactions that are immediate and those that develop after a certain period of time, following contact with an allergenic food. In addition, allergic reactions develop differently in everyone, take for example vomiting, which can occur half an hour or more after eating an allergenic food. This symptom is typical, among other things, of sensitivity to gluten, but as noted, people with different food allergies also suffer from it.
If you find yourself vomiting after a meal, it is important that you contact your doctor. If vomiting is accompanied by some of the above symptoms, it is important to contact emergency services to prevent further deterioration.

10. GI problems

Gastrointestinal problems are also common to food sensitivity, so there are many people who just ignore them and continue to eat foods that harm them thinking that if it's a sensitivity, then it's not so bad. If you experience abdominal pain, need to go to the bathroom shortly after a meal or feel nauseous, do not diagnose yourself with food poisoning or food sensitivity without thoroughly checking it out. Allergies may worsen over time, and what may have started as stomachaches and gastrointestinal problems may worsen and include other symptoms that endanger your life, so do not hesitate to seek specialist treatment and diagnosis.

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