You will need a blood test for your doctor to find out if you have hypokalemia. They will ask you about your health history. They’ll want to know if you’ve had any illness that involved vomiting or diarrhea. They’ll ask about any conditions you might have that could be causing it.
You may take a urine test so your doctor can find out if you’re losing potassium when you pee.
Since low potassium sometimes can affect your blood pressure, your doctor will check that, too. They also may want to do an electrocardiogram (EKG) if they think you may have arrhythmia. This is one of the more serious side effects, and might change the way your doctor chooses to treat the problem.
Treatment:
You can get more potassium by taking supplements. Most of these you can take by mouth. In some cases it’s necessary to get your potassium injected by IV. For example:
• If your potassium level is dangerously low
• If taking supplements don’t raise your potassium levels
• If your low potassium levels cause abnormal heart rhythms
When your hypokalemia is a result of another medical condition, your doctor will help you treat that. If you have low potassium because of diuretics, they may take you off them. Sometimes that makes the condition go away.
Courtesy: Web MD
