Potassium is a mineral that your body needs to work properly. It is a type of electrolyte. It helps your nerves to function and muscles to contract. It helps your heartbeat stay regular. It also helps move nutrients into cells and waste products out of cells. https://medlineplus.gov
It is a chemical element with a symbol K and atomic number 19. It is a silvery- white metal that is soft enough to be cut with knife with a little force. Potassium metal reacts rapidly with atmospheric oxygen to form flaky white potassium peroxide in only seconds of exposure. Source: WIKIPEDIA
Last year, when we are in Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) we have nothing to do except of course for our daily activities in the house, I mean, no job to attend to coz it’s strictly prohibited to go out in our house. We stayed home. Every single day that pass is so boring. You have to just sit, and lay down, and eat, that’s the life cycle. What an unproductive day to everyone.
My husband encouraged me to walk along in our barangay. At first, having Zumba, exercising, walking, and jogging in the barrio is not prohibited, just wear facemask, and observe social distancing, so we decided to have some walking every morning. In our place, there is an uphill where you can see the overlooking view of the whole barangay and there you can breathe fresh air and catch the morning sunshine while looking at the Laguna Lake. We run, we jog, we did Zumba and exercise to sweat. One day husband told me that his body aches, that he was like falling, when he is seated, he was not able to stand alone, he needed help from me or from our two sons. We are puzzled why such thing happened to him. Until that afternoon came, he was seating in a chair, he said “please give me a glass of water, I’m thirsty” so I gave it to him, he drunk it and after, I saw his eyes rolled, he cannot breathe, he collapsed, I cried for help, neighbors came to our house, some massaged his arms and legs. After a few minutes, his consciousness came back, he is wondering why there are so many people in our house then he vomits a lot, I said we will bring him to the hospital, but he refused to, but I insisted so much, so he agreed.
Our barangay captain got his motorboat, and we rode on it. When we reached the pier, he called the ambulance that brought us to the hospital. He had laboratory tests. When the results came, the doctor said it’s Hypokalemia, a condition when blood’s potassium are too low. According to the doctor, common symptoms are weakness and fatigue, muscle cramps and pain, constipation, and palpitations. And maybe the reason why his potassium lowered is because of much sweating. He’s confined for a day. The doctor said if you feel the same again, eat banana right away because banana is rich in potassium. It is a serious case because it can affect the kidney and can cause cardiac arrest. Before we go home, I asked the doctor what the treatment for this is, she answered to have dietary changes and take potassium supplements as prescribed. Just to add, I searched for some food that are rich in potassium and here are some:
Bananas, oranges, cantaloupe, honeydew, apricots, grapefruits, some dried foods, such as prunes, raisins, and days, cooked spinach, cooked broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, peas, and cucumbers.
From that day onwards, my husband feels good, but he didn’t let a day pass without eating a banana. Glory to God for another life of my husband.
