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How does potassium affect your body?
Potassium is one of the most important minerals in the body. It helps regulate fluid balance, muscle contractions and nerve signals. What’s more, a high-potassium diet may help reduce blood pressure and water retention, protect against stroke and prevent osteoporosis and kidney stones.
What is the medical definition for potassium?
Potassium: The major positive ion (cation) found inside cells. The chemical notation for potassium is K+. The proper level of potassium is essential for normal cell function.
What does the word potassium means?
Definition of potassium : a silver-white soft light low-melting monovalent metallic element of the alkali metal group that occurs abundantly in nature especially combined in minerals — see Chemical Elements Table.
What is the used of potassium?
Potassium plays a role in the transmission of nerve signals, muscle contractions, fluid balance, and various chemical reactions. Potassium is most commonly used for treating and preventing low potassium levels, treating high blood pressure, and preventing stroke.
What is the dangerous level of potassium?
Definition and Causes of High Levels. In a healthy adult, the level of potassium should be between 3.5 and 5.0 mEq/L, which is a measurement of the concentration in a given amount of blood. Levels higher than 5.1 are considered dangerous, and levels higher than 6.0 constitute an emergency that requires immediate medical treatment.
What does too much potassium do to a person?
High potassium levels can cause fatigue and nausea. Too much potassium can cause bloating and gas. Nausea and vomiting are possible side effects of taking too much potassium. Increased potassium levels might occur in individuals with kidney problems.
Can too much potassium be harmful?
Too much potassium can become dangerous if mild symptoms are not taken seriously. Since the mineral is used in many medications to lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension or a history of high blood pressure, it is important to notify a medical professional if any of the effects begin to manifest.