What if you have been told that your potassium level is on the high side and that you should limit your potassium intake? It is very important to speak with a kidney dietitian and with your doctor to discuss ways to limit your potassium intake if your potassium level is high or your kidney function is becoming severely impaired.
Many fruits and vegetables, although otherwise healthy, are often high in potassium, and may need to be limited. Most people know that bananas and oranges are high in potassium, but other fruits that are high in potassium include: avocados, cantaloupe, papayas, honeydew melons and mangoes.
High-potassium vegetables include: potatoes, beans except green beans , spinach, tomatoes and winter squash.
Milk products and chocolate are also high in potassium. One problem with a low potassium diet is that many otherwise healthy foods such as fruits and vegetables are high in potassium. However, there are several fruit options that you can choose which are lower in potassium. If you are advised to lower your potassium intake, you can choose lower potassium fruit options such as: apples, berries, grapes, watermelons, peaches, plums or pineapples. Fruit drinks like apple, cranberry or grape juice are lower in potassium than orange juice.
Vegetable options that are lower in potassium include green beans, summer squash, onions and bell peppers. Vegetables, including potatoes, can be leached peeled, cut into small pieces, rinsed and soaked for at least four hours, then rinsed again to lower the potassium content. Hopefully, with additional research, we will have more answers to guide you!
This educational piece lists the potassium, phosphorus, sodium, protein and calories in more than commonly eaten foods. It is possible for kidneys to stop working completely, but this is rare. With proper treatment and dietary changes, people with CKD can lead healthy lives and avoid complications. There is no cure for CKD, but treatment can manage symptoms and keep the kidneys functioning. Most people manage their disease with a healthy lifestyle, management of underlying conditions, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol , and medications to treat symptoms.
In the early stages of kidney disease, a person may not experience any symptoms. As CKD progresses, it may cause:. Because CKD is a lifelong condition, it is vital to have regular check-ups to monitor kidney function.
People with CKD have an increased risk for cardiovascular events, including heart attack and stroke. Regular checkups can help discover problems early and prevent complications. When kidneys fail, they cannot remove excess potassium from the body. This allows the extra potassium to build up and cause problems. Having high levels of potassium in the blood is called hyperkalemia, which is common in people with advanced CKD.
High-potassium levels usually develop gradually. Symptoms of high levels of potassium include:. These symptoms can indicate a life-threatening situation, and a person should seek immediate medical attention. Potassium comes from the food you eat. Your body uses the potassium it needs. The extra potassium that your body does not need is removed from your blood by your kidneys. When you have kidney disease, your kidneys cannot remove extra potassium in the right way, and too much potassium can stay in your blood.
When you have too much potassium in your blood, it is called high potassium, or hyperkalemia. Having too much potassium in your blood can be dangerous.
High potassium can even cause a heart attack or death! If you have kidney disease, you are at risk for high potassium because your kidneys cannot remove the extra potassium in your blood. Instead of leaving your body through your urine, the extra potassium in your blood travels through your kidneys and back into your bloodstream.
Over time, more and more potassium can build up in your blood. Many people do not feel symptoms of high potassium. It can even cause a heart attack. If you have trouble breathing or think there could be a problem with your heart, call for emergency help.
When you have too much potassium, your heart may beat irregularly, which in the worst cases, can cause heart attack. The only way to know for sure if your potassium level is healthy is to have a blood test. The test measures how much potassium is in your blood. The blood test is like many other blood tests that you may be familiar with. A small needle is placed into a vein on your arm and your blood is drawn out into a tube. The blood is sent to lab to be tested.
Potassium may be called something else in your test results. A potassium of higher than 5. Talk to your doctor about what your test results mean. Because very high potassium higher than 6. In this case, they may ask you to go to an emergency room or hospital. Medicines for high potassium are called potassium binders. The medical name of this condition is hyperkalemia. Potassium is needed for cells to function properly.
You get potassium through food. The kidneys remove excess potassium through the urine to keep a proper balance of this mineral in the body. If your kidneys are not working well, they may not be able to remove the proper amount of potassium. As a result, potassium can build up in the blood. This buildup can also be due to:. There are often no symptoms with a high level of potassium. When symptoms do occur, they may include:. Your provider will likely check your blood potassium level and do kidney blood tests on a regular basis if you:.
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