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Medical Author:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, Chief Medical Editor

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Hyperkalemia is a relatively common disturbance of electrolytes, and up to 8% of hospitalized patients in the U.S. are diagnosed with hyperkalemia. Most cases of hyperkalemia are mild and may not produce any symptoms at all. Typically, hyperkalemia that develops slowly over time produces fewer symptoms than a sudden rise in potassium levels.

Usually, symptoms do not become apparent until potassium levels are very high (7.0 mEq/l or greater). Sometimes people with hyperkalemia report nonspecific symptoms such as muscle weakness, tiredness, tingling sensations, or nausea.

A slow heartbeat and weak pulse are more serious symptoms, since these may signal an effect on the electrical activity of the heart. Potassium is responsible for maintaining normal heart rhythm and hyperkalemia can have potentially life-threatening effects. While mild hyperkalemia probably has a limited effect on the heart, moderate hyperkalemia can changes in the electrocardiogram (EKG, ECG) recording (EKG is an electrical reading of the activity of the neuromuscular activity of the heart), and severe hyperkalemia can cause the heart to stop beating.

Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis is a rare inherited disorder that can result in sudden hyperkalemia accompanied by muscle paralysis.

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