Hello there, [name]! How are you feeling today? I hope you’ve had a good day so far :) Every day, we wake up to new challenges and new problems to solve. But no matter what obstacles we may be facing in our life—kidney related or otherwise—we’ve got to get up, go, and begin to work towards a solution. We’ve got to act! Alan Cohen, an inspirational writer and contributor to the bestselling Chicken Soup for the Soul series, (one of my favorite books!) once said, “Do not wait until the conditions are perfect to begin. Beginning makes the conditions perfect.” I’m sharing this to you because I believe that each of my emails to you represents a beginning—the beginning to your journey of kidney dieting and working towards a healthier, better …show more content…
One of the substances I mentioned for you to monitor was potassium (on pages 37 and 51). Today, I’ll be getting into more detail on this vital mineral. We’ll discuss: • how much is too much • what high potassium foods to avoid, and • what to eat to lower potassium levels Sounds good, yes? I’m ready whenever you are, so if you want to know more, go ahead and read on. Potassium is a vital mineral that your body needs in order to keep your muscles and nerves in tip-top condition. It maintains the pH level and fluid and electrolyte balance of your body. It also helps maintain the normal rhythm of your heartbeats. Long story short, potassium is good for you. However, as with all things, moderation is key. When your potassium levels are too high, your heartbeat can become irregular and you could get a heart attack, or your heart could stop beating altogether. We certainly DO NOT want that to happen. Other less severe signs of high potassium in the blood (we call that hyperkalemia in the medical profession) include slow pulse, numbness, weakness, and …show more content…
The amount of potassium your body can handle can be affected by the following factors: the medications you are taking, how well your kidneys are functioning, how well your dialysis is working (if you do happen to be on dialysis), and even your body size. Okay, so we’re done with that. You now know the normal range of blood potassium levels. Are you ready to learn more? Yes? Great! If you’re potassium level is too high, you definitely need to start making changes in your diet. Even if isn’t, I advise you to begin monitoring your potassium intake anyway. After all, prevention is better than cure. I know, I know, you’ve heard that one a million times before. But you know why people keep saying it? It’s because it’s true :) In any case, let’s get to it! In order to maintain a normal blood potassium level, a healthy adult should take in about 3500 to 4500 milligrams of potassium per day. If your current potassium level is elevated, you can go as low as 2000 milligrams a day. I do not advise you to try to completely eliminate potassium from your diet, because while taking in too much can have complications, taking in too little can give you problems as
1. ECF potassium levels affect resting membrane potential. Hyperkalemia (excessive levels of potassium in the blood) and hypokalemia (abnormally low blood potassium levels) both affect the function of nerves and muscles.
Potassium works with sodium to regulate the body’s water balance. The kidneys help to control the blood pressure by controlling the amount of fluid stored in the body. Therefore, the more fluid then the higher the blood pressure is. The kidneys do this by filtering out the blood and extracting any extra fluid, which then is stored in the bladder as urine. This is done very delicately as both sodium and potassium pull the water across the wall of the cells from the bloodstream into a collecting channel that leads to the bladder. When eating to much salt, the amount of sodium in the bloodstream will be imbalanced compared to the amount of potassium and thus reducing the ability of the kidneys remove the extra fluid. Eating more fruit and vegetables, the potassium levels increase and can help restore the chemical imbalance. However, there is a possibility of too much potassium, also known as hyperkalemia, which can lead to other issues like renal failure.
I am concerned about potassium intake because it plays an important role in regulating heartbeat, lowering blood volume and blood pressure (Hammond, 2016d). The lack of potassium intake will lead to irregular heartbeat and life-threatened diseases such as hypokalemia (Hammond, 2016d). In order to increase my potassium consumption, animal foods and plant foods especial fresh vegetable and fruit are needed (Hammond, 2016d).
She is a member of the ANNA and NKF. She consistently gives blood per the Blood center requirements. This is her second year volunteering at the NKF for kidney screening offered annually at her local YMCA. She has also volunteered at the NKF at the “You’re Kidneys and You” presentation educating the community about kidney disease prevention.
First let me introduce myself, I’m Patrice Holmes founder and CEO of the A New Day Foundation. It was a pleasure meeting and speaking with you at the recent community event that you hosted in July. A New Day Foundation will be hosting our Annual Kidney Awareness Dinner this coming November, It would be a great pleasure to have as our special guest speaker this year. I would personally appreciate having you share some of your own a personal experiences throughout your own personal journey. I started A New Day Foundation some 10 years ago after my sister was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure. My goals then and now are not only to help those who suffer with Renal Failure but to focus on supporting the children of
It's an eye-opener to what transpires in the lives of people with a severe kidney condition, from the day of diagnosis, all through the period of dialysis, transplant, and after transplant. Exploring the themes of the outcomes of strength, hope, faith, and altruism, the narrative gives its readers firsthand information of what goes on in a dialysis unit, which includes the procedural details and the behavior of medical personnel and patients. Furthermore, the author gave an effective description of the characters. He offered crucial insight into their personalities and backgrounds, and consequently, I was able to connect with
One cup of navy beans contains 10% of your daily value of potassium, and 26% magnesium. Check labels on bags and cans, because some varieties provide even more!
Ryans current Potassium level was at a 2.9 mml/L. Adequate levels of Potassium compared to his age should be at 3.3-4.7 mmol/L. Too little Potassium affects the hearts frequency as well as contractions. His Digoxin levels were tested to see if the medication was becoming
Recent studies have proven that imbalances in feline potassium levels are directly related to certain health conditions and issues that older cats are prone to. Fortunately, the condition is treatable, and cats are not only healthier now, but they have longer life expectancies today than ever before. So let's take a look at the potassium issue from the perspective of what
When the body undergoes acidosis, meaning the pH drops below 7.35 it is trying to get rid of hydrogen ions by pumping them into the intracellular fluid while compensating by pumping potassium into the extracellular fluid (McCance, Huether, Brashers, & Rote, 2014). If too much potassium is released into the extracellular fluid this can
Patients with renal failure, tissue destruction, adrenal gland disease and certain medication can increase potassium levels in the body. High levels of potassium can lead to cardiac arrest. Potassium rich food should be avoided until potassium levels return to normal. Medication such as a water pill can be administered to remove excess potassium via the urinary track. High amounts of potassium can lead to life threatening heart changes and intake of potassium should be stopped until potassium is within normal range.
Potassium is an electrolyte of significant importance to normal functioning of the human body. Normal serum potassium levels range from 3.5 meq/L to 5.0 meq/L. When serum potassium levels fall below 3.0 meq/L the patient experiences symptoms which are life altering and life threatening. Thus, correction of hypokalemia requires immediate and efficient interventions to normalize serum potassium
Potassium is crucial to heart function, important for normal digestive and muscular function. It is the primary positive ion (cation) found inside body cells that it is essential for normal cell function. The proper function of the body requires 8% electrolytes in the bones,90% in skin intracellular fluid and 2% in extracellular fluid. Buttarro, et. al., (2017) mentioned that the human body average potassium is about 50 mEq/kg and normal blood potassium level is 3.5 - 5.0 milliEquivalents/liter (mEq/L). The decrease in potassium level is known as Hypokalemia; it profoundly affects the nervous system and heart, and when extreme may lead to sever complication or death (Buttarro et. al., 2017). Hypokalemia is a possible life-threatening imbalance that in some cases are acquired through inducing drugs (iatrogenic), genetic, endocrine, vascular and renal disorders (Butarro et. al.,