Introduction
A potassium test measures the amount of potassium in blood serum, the fluid part of your blood.
Potassium ↗ is a mineral that helps:
- nerves and muscles "communicate"
- nutrients move into cells and waste products move out of cells
- the heart function healthily
There are several reasons why a doctor might recommend you have a potassium test, including:
- to help diagnose or monitor kidney disease ↗, which is the most common cause of high potassium levels
- if you have heart-related problems, such as high blood pressure (hypertension) ↗
- if you take certain medicines that can affect your potassium levels
- if you have diabetes ↗ and your doctor thinks you may have diabetic ketoacidosis ↗, a serious complication caused by a lack of insulin in the body
If you have low potassium levels, you may have a heart problem, such as an irregular heartbeat ↗.
If you have high potassium levels, your heart muscle activity may be reduced.
Both situations are serious and can be life threatening.
In rare cases, potassium levels may be low through a poor diet.
Good sources of dietary potassium include:
- fruit, particularly bananas
- some vegetables
- pulses
- nuts and seeds
- milk
- fish
- shellfish
- beef
- chicken
- turkey
- bread