• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

SimplyHealth.io

Health and Wellness Information

  • Natural Cures
  • Diet & Nutrition
  • Fitness
  • Conditions

14 Common Causes of Low Potassium Levels

Search Articles Here

A person who has low potassium levels might be diagnosed with hypokalemia. Potassium is an important mineral that the body needs to work effectively. It helps the cells of the body get the proper amount of nutrients, allows your muscles to move, and also helps the nerves send signals throughout the body. If you have low potassium levels, it can cause many other health issues. Your heart is the most important user of potassium, and without enough of it, your blood pressure may go way up.

There are many reasons that you may develop low potassium levels. Most of the time, potassium will exit the body through the digestive tract. Low potassium levels or hypokalemia is always caused by an underlying illness and never develops independently. If your bloodwork comes back with low potassium levels, your doctor will look for the underlying cause. Here are 14 common causes of low potassium levels. 

1. Specific Syndromes

Several syndromes might be the cause of a potassium deficiency. Two of the more common syndromes that cause low levels of potassium are Bartter syndrome and Cushing’s syndrome. Fanconi syndrome, Liddle Syndrome, and Gitelman syndrome are also common causes of low potassium levels.

People who are diagnosed with Cushing’s syndrome will develop a higher amount of cortisol in the body. This can encourage malignancies and may affect your weight. Bartter syndrome affects how salt is absorbed in the kidneys, and Fanconi syndrome is a type of anemia that is related closely to cancer.

Liddle syndrome will make the kidneys produce excess potassium, and this cannot be absorbed into the blood. At the same time, this syndrome will cause the body to retain sodium. Gitelman syndrome affects the kidneys and can cause further issues with low potassium levels. If you are diagnosed with any of these syndromes, low potassium levels can exacerbate the symptoms. 

Next »

Our Newest Articles

14 Home Remedies for Acid Reflux in Babies

Acid reflux is one of the most commonly diagnosed conditions for babies, small children and many … [Read More...] about 14 Home Remedies for Acid Reflux in Babies

15 Silent Lactose Intolerance Symptoms

Lactose intolerance is a far more common health condition than you might think, and research shows … [Read More...] about 15 Silent Lactose Intolerance Symptoms

14 Early Signs of Wilson’s Disease

Wilson’s disease is a rare disorder that is inherited. It causes copper to accumulate in your brain, … [Read More...] about 14 Early Signs of Wilson’s Disease

Primary Sidebar

14 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Croup Cough

Croup is a common illness that people often get before or after a cold or flu. It can be caused by a … [Read More...] about 14 Home Remedies to Get Rid of Croup Cough

14 Common Signs & Symptoms of Dyscalculia

Dyscalculia is a genetic disorder that prevents a person from understanding numbers. There are … [Read More...] about 14 Common Signs & Symptoms of Dyscalculia

Popular on SimplyHealth.io

15 Methods for How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

Stretch marks happen as the skin loses its elasticity; this usually happens over time as you get … [Read More...] about 15 Methods for How to Get Rid of Stretch Marks

14 Easy Ways to Soothe Shingles Rash

If you’ve ever experienced chickenpox, shingles can seem like a flashback or a sequel to this … [Read More...] about 14 Easy Ways to Soothe Shingles Rash

14 Easy Methods to Heal Scarlet Fever

Scarlet fever was once considered to be a severe childhood disease. However, this disease is now … [Read More...] about 14 Easy Methods to Heal Scarlet Fever

You May Also Like

12 Early Warning Signs of a Mini Stroke

Each year there are around 795,000 people in the United States that suffer from a stroke. The … [Read More...] about 12 Early Warning Signs of a Mini Stroke

14 Common Causes of Eating Disorder

Eating disorders are very common but can be very dangerous. They can affect people of all ages and … [Read More...] about 14 Common Causes of Eating Disorder

14 Signs Your Nails Are Infected with Paronychia

What is paronychia? It’s a skin infection affecting the fingernails and toenails caused by Candida … [Read More...] about 14 Signs Your Nails Are Infected with Paronychia

Disclaimer

This site offers information designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on any information on this site as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or as a substitute for, professional counseling care, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional.

  • Search
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise with Us
  • Disclaimer
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • Cookie Declaration
  • Push Notifications

Copyright © 2023 · All Rights Reserved