High potassium is called hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia is a chronic condition, meaning it is long-lasting. If you have kidney disease, you are at risk for high potassium because your kidneys cannot remove the extra potassium in your blood. Instead of leaving your body through your urine, the extra potassium in your blood travels through your kidneys and back into your bloodstream. Over time, more and more potassium can build up in your blood.

Managing high potassium is important if you want to protect your heart. Having too much potassium in your blood can be dangerous. High potassium can even cause a heart attack or death! Unfortunately, many people do not feel symptoms of high potassium until it’s too late and their heart health worsens. If you have kidney disease, talk to your healthcare provider about the best ways to manage your potassium.

Your doctor can perform a simple blood test to tell you if you have high potassium. Blood tests for potassium do not always show how much potassium has been in your body over a long period of time. Blood tests only show how much potassium is in your blood at the moment you had the test, not the amount that has been in your body during an entire week or month. For this reason, it is important to make sure you are carefully checking how much potassium you eat on a daily basis. Controlling your potassium levels should be a long-term goal, not a short-term one.

We are here to help you in this process. Download our potassium food guide and potassium tracker by providing simple contact information and we will send you helpful tips on managing potassium.