Hyperkalemia Facts

Hyperkalemia is one of the major complications of Renal Failure, which greatly affects one’s life. It can trigger ventricular fibrillation or heart arrest, which can be fatal. 
Hyperkalemia occurs more commonly in people with acute tubular necrosis causing by severe trauma. Other reason accounting for it is kidney dysfunction. Major kidney dysfunctions include the following causes: acute or chronic Renal Failure, glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, rejection from kidney transplant, or urinary tract obstructions.
From the symptoms of the complication, you can tell if one have suffered from this complication or not. Sometimes, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, tingling sensations, slow heartbeat, or weak pulse occurs as the symptoms of this complication. Unfortunately, it is usually asymptomatic, which makes the treatment even harder.
How to Treat Hyperkalemia?
Diet, of course, is a conservative but effective approach to prevent eating too many foods high in potassium. Foods high in potassium include tomato, potato, banana, lima beans, and milk, to name a few.
Avoid using medications high in potassium and taking certain medications that your doctor prescribed. Those medications can be used to lower the high levels of potassium and reduce the risk of death.
Stay away from stored blood. The serum potassium up to as high as 16mmol/L after keeping one week, patients with hyperkalemia should not be transfused stored blood in case of aggravating the condition. For people with this complication, fresh blood is better.
If taking all those measures and receives no effects, dialysis should be taken into consideration. By performing dialysis, it can be relieved and thus save their lives.