What Are the Signs of a Potassium Overdose?

Potassium, atomic number 19, atomic weight 39.0983, potassium is a light and soft low melting point metal; melting point is 63.25 ° C, boiling point is 760 ° C, density is 0.86 g / cm3, English name: potassium, potassium is silver-white cube Metal, physical and chemical properties are very similar to sodium.

Potassium

Potassium is a silver-white cube-shaped metal with physical and chemical properties very similar to sodium. Potassium is soft and light and can be cut with a small knife. The new cut surface has a silvery white luster.

The potassium surface is often blue-purple

The density of potassium is 0.862g / cm3 (293K), the melting point is 336K (63 ° C), and the boiling point is 1043K (770 ° C).

Potassium is a good conductor of heat and electricity, and has good magnetic permeability. The melting point of potassium-sodium alloy formed by 77.2% potassium and 22.8% sodium is only 12 ° C, and it is a nuclear reactor heat transfer agent. Potassium simple substance also has good ductility and low hardness. It can dissolve in mercury and liquid ammonia and dissolve in liquid ammonia to form a blue solution.

A total of 28 isotopes of potassium have been discovered, ranging from 32K to 55K, of which only 39K, 40K, and 41K are found in nature. Other isotopes are artificially manufactured. 40K is radioactive and is found in rocks and soil

Potassium is more active than sodium, and the reaction of potassium metal with water or ice is very violent, even at temperatures as low as -100 ° C; it reacts more violently with acid aqueous solutions. Potassium metal burns in the air and easily produces orange-red potassium superoxide. The potassium metal reacts slowly with hydrogen, but it reacts quickly at 400 ° C. Potassium metal reacts with carbon monoxide to form an explosive carbonyl compound. Potassium-containing compounds make the flames purple.

Potassium is an important fertilizer and one of the three major nutrients for plant growth.

Potassium can regulate the appropriate osmotic pressure in cells and the acid-base balance of body fluids, and is involved in the metabolism of sugars and proteins in cells.

Potassium deficiency

"Summer snoring" is also medically called "summer burnout". It is because the summer is hot and the temperature is too high, which causes the body to sweat a lot, and a lot of potassium can be discharged with the sweat. Supplementation, which leads to people's burnout and fatigue in the summer.

Potassium is an indispensable element in the human body. Generally, the potassium-containing element in an adult body is about 150g, and its role is mainly to maintain the normal functions of nerves and muscles. Therefore, once the body is deficient in potassium, normal exercise will be affected.

In the summer, potassium deficiency not only reduces energy and physical strength, but also reduces heat resistance, making people feel fatigued. Severe potassium deficiency can cause acid-base imbalance, metabolic disorders, arrhythmia, muscle weakness and laziness in the body. At this time, some people drink too much salt water to make themselves less sweaty. As everyone knows, this will easily increase the burden on the heart and make the body's potassium and sodium balance imbalance. Proper potassium supplementation is beneficial to improve the balance of potassium and sodium in the body, which can prevent blood pressure from rising and prevent hypotension. Here are some foods high in potassium.

1. In the grain, buckwheat, corn, sweet potato, soybean and other potassium-containing elements are relatively high.

Second, bananas contain the most potassium.

3. Among vegetables, spinach, amaranth, coriander, rape, cabbage, celery, shallots, garlic, lettuce, potatoes, yam, fresh peas, edamame and other potassium-containing elements are higher.

4. Seaweeds are rich in potassium. For example, seaweed contains 1,640 mg of potassium per 100 grams, which is 175 times that of sodium; kelp contains 22 times as much potassium; Sargassum has 3.1 times as much potassium as sodium. . Therefore, seaweed soup, seaweed steamed fish, seaweed meatballs, cold seaweed shreds, seaweed stew, etc. are all top-notch dishes for summer.

Potassium is an essential nutrient for human growth. It accounts for 5% of the human body's inorganic salts and is important for maintaining a healthy nervous system and regulating the heart's rhythm. It prevents strokes, maintains normal muscle contractions, and works with sodium to maintain fluid balance. Clinically, there are many patients with potassium deficiency due to various reasons, such as frequent vomiting, diarrhea, and long-term gastrointestinal drainage increase potassium excretion from the digestive tract; certain kidney diseases and potassium excretion diuretics increase potassium excretion from the kidney; adrenal cortex Patients with hyperfunction or long-term application of adrenal corticosteroids can promote increased potassium excretion; high-temperature work, high-intensity labor and training, resulting in a large amount of sweating and loss of potassium. The above reasons cause the total amount of potassium in the body to decrease. When the serum potassium is less than 3.5mmol / L, it can be judged as hypokalemia in combination with the disease.

When potassium deficiency occurs, the clinical symptoms are often covered by the primary disease. Potassium deficiency reduces neuromuscular stress, systemic weakness, and reduced response. In severe cases, it can cause paralysis and dyspnea; gastrointestinal dysfunction, anorexia, nausea, and vomiting , Flatulence, severe cases have intestinal paralysis and intestinal obstruction. Potassium deficiency increases myocardial stress, arrhythmias, atrioventricular block, and even atrial fibrillation and ventricular fibrillation.

Treatment of potassium deficiency should reduce potassium loss on the basis of actively treating the primary disease and removing the cause. At the same time that doctors consider potassium supplements with drugs, patients with mild potassium deficiency and chronic potassium deficiency who can eat orally should eat more potassium-rich foods.

I have seen from many sources that the mineral potassium is effective in treating severe hypertension, stroke, muscle atrophy, heart disease, chondropathy, and even cancer. Because the recommended intake of potassium is between 2000 and 4000 milligrams, and how much potassium can play in the process of saving lives has not been confirmed, I recommend that everyone eat as much potassium-containing food as possible, because the main body of potassium in the human body From food. Beans (such as black beans, kidney beans, fresh peas), lean meat, dairy products, eggs, potatoes, tea, sunflower seeds, cereals, raisins, green leafy vegetables (such as spinach, beets, etc.), fruits (such as bananas, oranges, lemons, Apricot, plum, nectarine), etc., rich in potassium. Since potassium is mainly present in cells and dissolved after tissue destruction, it is relatively rich in fruit juice, vegetable soup, and gravy. People who lack potassium can drink more delicious soups made with the above potassium-rich foods. However, some patients with high renal potassium caused by renal failure need to limit their food intake.

Potassium

When the serum potassium is> 5.5mmol / L, it is called hyperkalemia. The normal intake of potassium from the diet is much lower than the amount of potassium excreted by the kidneys, so the causes of hyperkalemia are mostly related to impaired renal function, which can not effectively excrete potassium and increase potassium in the body. Can be divided into three categories: a. Difficulty in renal potassium excretion, such as the oliguria stage of acute renal failure, insufficiency of mineralocorticoids, etc .; b. Too much potassium entering the body (in the blood), such as excessive intravenous input, too fast , Infusion of high-dose penicillin potassium salt or large-dose stock blood, taking potassium-containing drugs, etc .; c. Intracellular potassium into extracellular fluid, such as hypoxia, acidosis, persistent convulsions, massive hemolysis, massive internal bleeding, large hematoma, Squeezing syndrome can release potassium in cells. for reference. Renal patients' invisible killer-hyperkalemia Qian Rui of Shanghai Ruijin Hospital If the kidneys lose the ability to regulate water and electrolytes, oliguria and edema will occur in kidney patients. During oliguria, potassium retention may occur due to decreased potassium excretion. Patients using potassium-sparing diuretics may develop hyperkalemia when the edema subsides. When the blood potassium is> 6.5 mmol / L, it can cause the patient's heart to stop beating within seconds to minutes. Therefore, it is no exaggeration to say that hyperkalemia is the "invisible killer" of chronic kidney disease. Mild hyperkalemia refers to those with a blood potassium <6 mmol / L. Generally, close observation is required, and the intake of foods and drugs with high potassium content is strictly restricted. Drugs with high potassium content include some traditional Chinese medicines, blood products, certain antihypertensive drugs and potassium-preserving diuretics. High potassium foods include bananas, citrus, potatoes, tomatoes, pumpkins, tea, soy sauce, monosodium glutamate and so on. By freezing, soaking, and discarding the soup, potassium in these foods can be reduced. Moderate and severe hyperkalemia refers to those with a serum potassium> 6.5 mmol / L. In addition to the above matters, calcium gluconate, 5% sodium bicarbonate should be given intravenously (used with caution in patients with cardiac insufficiency), and hypertonic Glucose (subcutaneous injection of insulin) and dialysis.