WILL I RISK PARALYSIS: ARVIND KEJRIWAL DENIES ED'S MANGO, SUGAR-EATING CHARGE; WHAT IS HYPOKALEMIA?
Arvind Kejriwal has refuted the Enforcement Directorate's charge that his client had been eating mangoes and sugar to deliberately increase his sugar levels.
The 55-year-old chief minister of Delhi has type-2 diabetes.
Kejriwal told the court he had eaten aloo-poori just once as Navratri prasad and was using artificial sugar replacement in his tea. His lawyer said Kejriwal would not risk paralysis to get bail.
Related News |“ED claimed that I want to increase my blood sugar levels to get bail. Am I going to risk paralysis to get bail? Whatever food I have is as per the diet chart prepared by my doctor before arrest,” Kejriwal’s lawyer told the court.
According to news reports, Kejriwal is seeking directions from the jail authorities regarding providing him with insulin, as his glucose meter reading has been in the "dangerous" range between 250 and 320.
Can high blood sugar cause paralysis?
Related News |According to doctors, consistently high blood sugar levels can cause nerve damage, disability, or even death. To prevent any of these conditions, you must manage blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight.
Also known as diabetic neuropathy – the condition mostly damages nerves in the legs and feet, causing hypokalemic paralysis.
What is hypokalemic paralysis?
Hypokalemic periodic paralysis is a condition that causes episodes of extreme muscle weakness.Due to nerve damage, it has a temporary inability to move muscles in the arms and legs – leading to severe weakness or paralysis that usually lasts from hours to days.
According to doctors, even though it is rare, hypokalemia happens due to osmotic diuresis, induced by marked hyperglycemia.
Experts say the causes of hypokalemia in diabetics include the redistribution of potassium from the extracellular to the intracellular fluid compartment, causing gastrointestinal loss of potassium.
Can also happen in healthy individuals
Doctors say hypokalemia can also occur in healthy individuals, usually those who use diuretics - containing thiazide, for a long period and in those who have hyperaldosteronism.Both can increase the amount of potassium lost through urine.
How do potassium levels fluctuate?
According to dietary guidelines, those within the age group 14-18 years should consume 3,000 milligrams (mg) of potassium per day. Those 18 years and older should consume 3,400 mg of potassium per day.Even if you’re getting as much potassium as you need, your levels may still become too high or low.
Doctors say it can happen for many reasons, including:
- Diarrhoea
- Vomiting
- Kidney problems
- Improper blood pH
- Changing hormone levels
- Frequent urination
- Taking certain medications, especially cancer medications
Ways to prevent fluctuations in potassium levels
To keep optimum potassium levels, make sure to:- Monitoring your daily intake using a food journal and actively researching how much potassium is in the foods you eat
- Taking care of your kidney health
- Eating foods like baked sweet potatoes, yogurt, kidney beans, tomatoes, avocados and salmon
- Limiting your intake of processed foods
- Replenish your lost potassium levels after exercising