The causes of hyperkalemia may include:

First, excessive intake, such as consuming too much high-potassium food, medications with high potassium content, including some traditional Chinese medicines, potassium penicillin, stored blood, and excessive potassium supplementation.

Second, it could be due to decreased potassium excretion by the kidneys. When renal insufficiency, acute or chronic renal failure occurs, it is often accompanied by severe hyperkalemia.

Third, there is also decreased potassium secretion by renal tubules. When there is a deficiency of corticosteroids, there can be degenerative, asymptomatic hyperkalemia. Hyperkalemia can also occur when renal tubules are insensitive to aldosterone.

Fourth, medications that reduce potassium excretion, such as the use of potassium-sparing diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, cyclosporine, etc., can also cause hyperkalemia.

Fifth, the shift of potassium from inside the cells to the extracellular fluid, which can be caused by tissue damage, hypoxia, or the use of certain medications, leading to hyperkalemia.