Potassium Deficiency in the Elderly

If you are suffering from potassium deficiency, it is medically referred to as hypokalemia. This deficiency occurs when the levels of potassium drops in the blood. This deficiency can cause a lot of health problems as potassium is an important element for proper working of the nervous system. In addition, potassium is also required for the working of muscles and proper functioning of the heart.

As a person ages, their food intake decreases. This leads to deficiency of several vitamins and minerals, including potassium. If a senior is suffering from deficiency of potassium the following symptoms will be seen:

• Fatigue

• Weakness of the muscles

• Cramps in the legs

• Skin rash

• Insomnia

• Mood swings

• Depression

• High levels of blood sugar

• Slow and irregular heartbeat

• Arrhythmia

• Weak bones

The main cause of deficiency of potassium in seniors is their diet. Many seniors use diuretics and this leads to salt and water from the blood being eliminated out of the body via urination. Diuretics are usually prescribed to seniors who are suffering from elevated blood pressure, liver diseases, heart failure and kidney diseases. Diuretics like thiazide and furosemide are prescribed to seniors and these two medications can lead to deficiency of potassium. However, seniors can also suffer from low levels of potassium in the body due to gastrointestinal infections that cause diarrhea and vomiting, or using too much laxative.

Usually when a senior is suspected of suffering from hypokalemia, a blood test is done to confirm the diagnosis. At times the urine can also be tested to check the presence of potassium. If a senior is diagnosed with hypokalemia, he or she needs immediate medical help. The doctor will intravenously give the person potassium supplements if the condition is several. Alternatively, the person may be asked to tablets of the supplement if the deficiency is mild to moderate. In addition, the person will be asked to consume a potassium-rich diet. Foods like tomatoes, banana, milk, potatoes and figs are rich source of potassium.

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How Potassium Affects the Health of the Elderly

We know for a fact that nutrients are one of the greatest necessities for every human body. It can be achieved by staying healthy by following proper diet that gives your body the vitamins and minerals you need.

It is that easy and it does not have to be hard and complicated. But growing older may cause deficiency in vitamins and minerals. It is important then for the elderly to eat food rich in potassium and everyone who takes care of them should be knowledgeable about it.

With the help of sodium and calcium, potassium helps keep your heart healthy as it maintains the normal heartbeat, aids in maintaining the normal balance of water in the body, and as a result, it helps conduct nerve impulses and muscle contraction. An average-sized body may contain about 5 ounces (140 g) of potassium. Kidneys are responsible in controlling the blood levels of the minerals and help the body get rid of excess urine.

Potassium deficiency is easy to prevent because this mineral is present in almost all foods. Potassium rich foods include whole grains, lean meat, beans, green leafy vegetables and fruits such as bananas and oranges. Eating these foods will help the body gain the needed amount of potassium.

For some people, potassium deficiency is not really terrifying since there are plenty of sources of this mineral and it is easy to obtain. But for the elderly, potassium intake is of great importance because as the body grows old, the kidneys and other body organs have the tendency to deteriorate thereby making it hard for the body to absorb potassium.

For high blood pressure, medications that are prescribed by doctors as a treatment may not be that effective for the elderly. High blood pressure leads to serious a health condition and illnesses such as heart problems and diabetes. This is common to the elderly so on top of the medications for reducing high blood pressure, there is a need to have potassium supplement and it is best to discuss it with their doctor.

If you happen to observe an aged person having muscle weakness, gastrointestinal problems, irregular heart rate, and abnormal skin conditions such as numbness, it is best then to increase the potassium intake because these are symptoms of potassium deficiency.

One way for doctors to detect if the patient is potassium deficient is by taking a blood sample and checking for the potassium content. A person is declared potassium deficient if the potassium present in the blood is below 5.6 grams.

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