A healthy result should fall into the range 3.6 - 5.2 mmol/L.
Potassium, also called kalium, is a positively charged electrolyte that is vital to cell metabolism. It helps transport nutrients into cells and then removes waste out of them. It is also important in muscle function, helping to transmit messages between nerves and muscles, and is necessary for healthy heart functioning. Potassium levels are assessed by an electrolyte panel, which is a part of a basic or a comprehensive metabolic panel. A healthcare professional may order these tests during a routine health checkup or when someone presents specific symptoms of a condition like metabolic acidosis, an electrolyte imbalance. The most common cause of a significantly elevated potassium level is kidney disease. Symptoms of kidney disease include:
-Nausea/vomiting
-Fatigue
-Loss of appetite
-Muscle cramps
-Dry, itchy skin
Because small changes in potassium levels can have a big effect on the activity of nerves and muscles, it is particularly important to heart function. For this reason, potassium tests may be ordered when a person has signs of high blood pressure or cardiovascular problems (like irregular heartbeat). Potassium tests can also be useful in the diagnosis of diabetic ketoacidosis. Finally, if a person is taking prescription drugs that are known to cause potassium loss, particularly diuretics, then potassium tests can be used to monitor the effects of the drugs.
insert the value from you Potassium, Serum (Kalium) test result.
Abnormally low levels of potassium, called hypokalemia, can result from:
-Diarrhea / vomiting
-Conn syndrome
-Diuretics
-Insufficient potassium consumption in the diet
-Cushing syndrome
Significantly elevated potassium levels, called hyperkalemia, may be seen in conditions such as:
-Kidney disease
-Diabetes
-Dehydration
-Consuming too much potassium through diet or in intravenous fluids
-Addison disease
-Tissue injury
-Metabolic or respiratory acidosis
$15 per month
Select this plan$59 per year
Select this plan$250 single payment
Select this planHealth is not exactly rocket science. You just have to know what your body needs and doesn't need. Your medical tests contain that information. Upload them to our service and we’ll help you understand organize, and act on them.
Get Started
"I was really concerned about my lab results and my GP was not able to see me for another week. Through HealthMatters I was able to interpret my results instantly."
"I've been keeping all my lab results in a spreadsheet, covering approximately 20 years. The HealthMatters team helped me upload that info into the cloud. I can show this data to my family and doctors now easily."
"I had no idea what my lab results meant. Here I found all the biomarkers that I was looking for online. Finally, I have not only organized them all neatly in one place, but I am also grateful to be able to understand what they mean."
At HealthMatters, we're committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your personal information. We've put security measures in place to help protect against the loss, misuse or alteration of information under our control. We use procedural, physical and electronic security methods designed to prevent people who aren't authorized from getting access to this information. Our internal code of conduct adds additional privacy protection. See our Privacy Policy for more information.
