Potassium is an important mineral that keep the water and electrolyte balance
in body. It is mainly obtained from what we eat. In normal cases, our kidneys
can remove the excess potassium out of body so as to keep a normal level in
body.
However, for the patients with Kidney Disease, as their renal function
declines, potassium may build up in their bodies. As a result, high potassium
will cause hyperkalemia. It mainly can be found among patients with advanced
stage of chronic kidney disease. Hyperkalemia can cause many bad effects to
patients such as nausea, irregular heartbeat, slow pulse and even sudden death.
Therefore, it is very important for patients to keep a low potassium diet and
remove the excessive potassium out of their bodies.
Dialysis is an effective therapy to regulate potassium for patients with end
stage renal failure. If the patients adopt peritoneal or daily home
hemodialysis, generally their potassium can keep within the normal level.
However, if the patients do intermittent hemodialysis about three times a week
in the dialysis center, their potassium level will increase between dialysis.
Therefore, the patients should limit the high potassium food intake before next
dialysis. The common foods that contain high potassium include potato, banana,
peach, rape and so on. In daily life, the patients with kidney disease should
avoid eating the above foods.
A healthy diet is an important assistant therapy for patients with kidney
disease. Therefore, the patients should make a personalize diet plan based on
their local dietary habits under their doctors’ guidance.