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What Causes Low Potassium Levels in Females?

Signs and Symptoms of Hypokalemia in Women

Treatment and Dietary Tips for Boosting Potassium

Potassium is one of the minerals necessary for the body to function, and low levels of potassium in the blood, also known as hypokalemia, can arise from several causes such as diarrhea, vomiting, eating disorders, hyperaldosteronism, kidney disease, excessive sweating, or some genetic diseases.

Symptoms of Low Potassium in Females and males include constipation, fatigue, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness and cramps, and excessive potassium deficiency can lead to heart palpitations.

Potassium deficiency causes more health problems in women, as it affects and worsens the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and increases menstrual cramps.

What Causes Low Potassium Levels in Females?

Potassium deficiency can occur as a result of poor nutrition, taking certain medications, or some genetic problems.

Here are the common causes of potassium deficiency in women:

An unbalanced diet: which lacks foods that contain potassium, such as vegetables and fruits.
Drinking too much fluid: which causes the kidneys to excrete more potassium in the urine than the body can replace.
Taking diuretics: can also allow the kidneys to get rid of higher levels of potassium than the body can replace.
Digestive disorders: such as diarrhea or vomiting cause significant loss of potassium.
Kidney diseases: reduce their ability to control the excretion of minerals and salts in the urine.

Excessive sweating: can cause loss of salts and minerals, including potassium.
Eating disorders: such as bulimia, which occurs through bouts of overeating followed by vomiting.
Hyperaldosteronism: The adrenal glands produce high levels of the hormone aldosterone, which leads to high blood pressure and potassium deficiency.
Some genetic diseases: such as hypokalemic periodic paralysis and Bartter syndrome. ( Castro & Sharma., 2024)

Signs and Symptoms of Hypokalemia in Women

Signs and symptoms of low potassium in females can include:

Muscle weakness: especially in the legs, arms and abdomen.
Muscle cramps: twitching, especially in the calves.
Tingling or numbness: in the hands and feet.
Fatigue: feeling tired and lacking energy.
Menstrual cramps: increase with potassium deficiency in the body.
Premenstrual symptoms: potassium deficiency in some women worsens the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.
Constipation.
Heart palpitations. (Castro & Sharma , PuMed, 2024)

Treatment and Dietary Tips for Boosting Potassium

Treatment of potassium deficiency depends on the cause of the problem, and the following are the most common treatments:

Changing the diet: by introducing foods rich in potassium into the daily diet, such as bananas, spinach, potatoes, lentils, and oranges.
Avoid diuretics: or reduce them, or take a nutritional supplement containing potassium if necessary.
Potassium replacement: either through nutritional supplements given orally or intravenously, in cases of severe potassium deficiency.

Tips to raise potassium levels in the blood:

Eat a balanced diet that contains high levels of vegetables, fruits, and legumes.
Use herbs rich in potassium in your diet, such as parsley, dill, and basil.
Eat natural fruit juices rich in potassium and coconut water, which is a food rich in potassium.
Avoid processed foods that contain high levels of sodium salts because they contribute to the exacerbation of the problem.
Consult a nutritionist and a health care specialist to get the best solution for treating symptoms of potassium deficiency in women.

Read Also: Low Iron Symptoms in Female