{"id":2926,"date":"2022-09-02T11:29:42","date_gmt":"2022-09-02T05:59:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.myhealthvectors.com\/?p=2926"},"modified":"2025-04-11T17:08:23","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T11:38:23","slug":"all-you-need-to-know-calcium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/all-you-need-to-know-calcium\/","title":{"rendered":"All you need to know- Calcium"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

What is calcium and its role in the body? <\/strong>
Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found in\u00a0some foods, added to others, present in some medicines, and\u00a0available as a dietary supplement.
Calcium is a mineral that the body needs to build strong\u00a0bones and teeth.
Calcium allows blood to clot normally, muscles and nerves to\u00a0function properly, and the heart to beat normally.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Sources of Calcium <\/strong>
Calcium is widely available in many foods, not just milk and\u00a0other\u00a0dairy foods. Fruits, leafy greens, beans, nuts, and some\u00a0starchy vegetables are good sources.
These foods include, dairy milk and fortified dairy substitutes\u00a0like almond milk\/ soy milk, cheeses, curd and yogurt,\u00a0pumpkin, almonds, salmon with bones, sardines, green leafy\u00a0vegetables like mustard leaves, spinach leaves kale etc.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Recommended Dietary Allowance\u200b<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Recommended\"Recommended<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Calcium Deficiency <\/strong>
The deficiency of calcium in the body is\u00a0called\u00a0Hypocalcemia.\u00a0Many people are at an increased risk for\u00a0calcium deficiency as they age. This deficiency may be due to a\u00a0variety of factors, including:
*poor calcium intake over a long period of time, especially in childhood
*medications that may decrease calcium absorption
*dietary intolerance to foods rich in calcium
*hormonal changes, especially in women
*certain genetic factors
It\u2019s important to ensure proper calcium intake at all ages.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency<\/strong>
Hypocalcemia may cause symptoms such as the following:
*Sensations of numbness or tingling
*Muscle cramps, spasms, or weakness
*Dry skin or other skin issues
*Brittle nails
*Difficulty swallowing
*Shortness of breath and wheezing
*Seizures
*Heart rhythm problems
*Cardiomyopathy
*Fatigue
*Mental disturbances such as anxiety and confusion
*If your calcium is only a little low, you might not notice any symptoms from hypocalcemia.\u00a0
*You are also less likely to experience symptoms if your calcium has been gradually lowered over time.
*However, not everyone will experience all the above symptoms.
*Sometimes these symptoms are relatively mild, but in other situations they may cause life-threatening problems.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"AMicrobiology doctor studying vacutainer with liquid blood in medical laboratory. Scientist with gloves and glasses holding transparent tube with red solution for pharmaceutical development<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Screening for Calcium Deficiency <\/strong>
*Various signs and symptoms might make your doctor suspect hypocalcemia. They will take a full medical history and ask you about your recent symptoms.\u00a0
*Definitive diagnosis of hypocalcemia requires a blood test for calcium.
*Calcium is usually first assessed through a total calcium blood test.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Normal Values <\/strong>
Normal range<\/strong>: 8.5 to 10.5 mg\/dL (2.2 to 2.7 mmol\/L approx.)
Hypocalcemia<\/strong>: Below 8.5 mg\/dL (Below 2.2 mmol\/L approx.)
Hypercalcemia<\/strong>: Above 10.5 mg\/dL (Above 2.7 mmol\/L approx.) Hypocalcemia or low blood calcium is indicated if calcium\u00a0concentration lies below the normal range.\u200bHypercalcemia or high blood calcium is indicated if calcium\u00a0concentration lies above the normal range.\u200b
Speaking to your doctor will help you understand your report\u00a0better and he will set up a treatment plan ideal for you.\u00a0\u200b <\/strong><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Risk Factors for Calcium Deficiency <\/strong>
People with a vitamin D or magnesium deficiency are at risk\u00a0of hypocalcemia. Other risk factors include:
*a history of gastrointestinal disorders
*pancreatitis
*kidney failure
*liver failure
*anxiety disorders
Newborn babies are at risk because their bodies aren\u2019t fully\u00a0developed.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Complications of Hypocalcemia <\/strong>
Complications from calcium deficiency disease include eye\u00a0damage, an abnormal heartbeat, and osteoporosis.
Complications from osteoporosis include:
*disability
*spinal fractures or other bone fractures
*difficulty walking
If left untreated, calcium deficiency disease could\u00a0eventually be fatal.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"A<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Treatment of Calcium Deficiency <\/strong>
*The safest and easiest way to treat or prevent a calcium deficiency is to add more calcium to the diet.
*Calcium supplements can also help treat hypocalcemia. Before taking calcium supplements, talk to a doctor.\u00a0
*Taking in too much calcium, an issue called hypercalcemia, can increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney stones, and other serious health problems.
*Sometimes diet changes and supplements aren\u2019t enough to treat a calcium deficiency. In this case, your doctor may want to regulate your calcium levels by giving you regular calcium injections.
*You can expect to see results within the first few weeks of treatment. Severe cases of calcium deficiency disease will be monitored at one- to three-month intervals.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

 <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is calcium and its role in the body? Calcium, the most abundant mineral in the body, is found in\u00a0some foods, added to others, present in some medicines, and\u00a0available as a dietary supplement. Calcium is a mineral that the body needs to build strong\u00a0bones and teeth. Calcium allows blood to clot normally, muscles and nerves […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":5266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2926","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2926","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2926"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2926\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6559,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2926\/revisions\/6559"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2926"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2926"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.healthvectors.ai\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2926"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}