- According to the New York Times health site, one of the most important aspects of long-term treatment for high levels of potassium is to try to figure out what is causing the high potassium levels. It could be due to an excess of salt in the diet, or due to kidney failure. Your doctor will want to check your overall kidney function to make sure that your kidneys aren't failing. If the problem is due to declining function of the kidneys, then your physician may recommend the use of a type of medication called loop diuretics. Loop diuretics will prevent the kidneys from reabsorbing the potassium in the blood, and it will be eliminated as urine. More severe cases of kidney failure may require dialysis, which will artificially remove the potassium from the blood. If the problem is due to excess potassium in the diet, you may need to make dietary changes.
- Potassium levels can become dangerously high during acute episodes of hyperkalemia. Acute hyperkalemia can cause serious complications, including irregular heart rhythms which can lead to cardiac arrest. As a result, acute treatments usually have two goals: delaying the symptoms of acute hyperkalemia to allow time for further treatment and lowering potassium levels. Prevention of the symptoms usually is done by administering calcium, glucose and insulin through an IV. The calcium will help prevent arrythmias of the heart and the glucose and insulin will prevent damage to other tissues. To lower the potassium, your physician will give intravenous fluids as well as diuretics to help remove potassium from the blood. In addition your physician may have you eat a special medication called a cation-exchange resin, which will bind potassium in the digestive tract and prevent it from getting to the bloodstream.
