Method 1: Identify common signs.
1, the initial symptoms of mild potassium deficiency are muscle pain, spasm and abnormal physical weakness. If the potassium content is low, nerve cells can't store energy quickly, so they can't exert their strength, which means that muscle contraction is difficult.
2. Understand the effects of potassium deficiency on the heart and muscles. Potassium deficiency will affect their normal operation. Specifically, it includes irregular heartbeat, which can lead to arrhythmia in severe cases.
3. If you have symptoms such as dysentery, dehydration, vomiting and weakness, you should go to the hospital to take blood for basic metabolic examination (BMP), including electrolyte examination (sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, hydrogen phosphate, bicarbonate? )。 Comprehensive metabolic examination (CMP) adds liver function examination, mainly for people with advanced diabetes, alcoholism or acute hypertension.
Method 2: Diagnose the cause
1, check the potential causes of potassium deficiency. For example, hypertensive patients who take diuretics sometimes lack potassium due to the loss of a large number of body fluids. Diuretics are drugs containing diuretics sulfanilamide and dihydrograms of urine plugs. Diuretics relieve hypertension by increasing urination. But this will easily lead to the loss of minerals like potassium, which can not meet the body's demand for minerals.
Method 3: Check.
1, do electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG). This can monitor the heart function and see if there is any abnormality. When necessary, the patient's skin will be depilated, and 12 lead will be placed on the arm, chest and legs. Each lead transmits the collected heart information to the monitor. The whole process takes about 5 to 10 minutes. The patient should try to keep stable, or he will have another ECG.
2. Check the potassium content in the blood. Serum potassium content below 3.7 mmol/L is low. Blood tests also check the levels of other electrolytes, such as calcium, glucose, magnesium and phosphorus. Blood test results may also include blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatine levels. Patients taking digitalis also need to check the level of digoxin. Because this medicine will affect the heart rhythm.
Warm reminder that mild hypokalemia does not need to take prescription drugs without obvious symptoms. Patients only need to adjust their diet and body to naturally return to normal potassium levels. Eat more potassium-containing foods including dark vegetables, tomatoes, citrus fruits and bananas.
You can also increase the potassium content in the blood by taking liquid or tablet potassium supplements.
Severe hypokalemia can be treated by direct injection into blood vessels.
Potassium is a naturally occurring chemical element, which exists in salt. For example, potassium chloride can be used instead of salt, but it is not very popular. It tastes different from salt (sodium chloride). Common in seawater and many minerals, it is an indispensable element for all living things.
Source and citation http://www.nlm.nih.gov/MEDLINEPlus/ency/article/000479.htm # symbol
http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/handouts/hyperglycemia.htm