Numbness and Tingling
Paresthesia, the technical name for tingling and numbness in the extremities and appendages, is common in those with low potassium levels. Although it might feel like your fingers, toes, hands and feet might have just “fallen asleep,” the pins and needles sensation could be a warning that your potassium levels have dropped.
But why does this happen? Potassium also is necessary for proper nerve functioning. In the same way it impacts electrical currents that cause muscle contractions, potassium is essential in the transmission of electrical impulses throughout the central nervous system. Thus, hypokalemia will cause a lose of conduction, resulting in a loss of sensation in the distal extremities.
