If your calcium levels are low, your risk of developing hypocalcemia increases. To reduce your risk of hypocalcemia, try to consume the recommended daily amounts of foods like salmon, broccoli, or figs.
Calcium is a vital mineral. Your body uses it to build strong bones and teeth. Calcium is also needed for your heart and other muscles to function properly.
Children who don’t get enough calcium may not grow to their full potential height as adults.
Many people are at an increased risk for calcium deficiency as they age. This deficiency may be due to a variety of factors, including:
- inadequate 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
- certain genetic factors
Meeting the necessary calcium requirement is particularly important as you approach menopause.
During menopause, increase your calcium intake to reduce the risk of osteoporosis and calcium deficiency disease. The decline in the hormone estrogen during menopause causes your bones to thin faster.
The hormone disorder hypoparathyroidism may also cause calcium deficiency disease. People with this condition don’t produce enough parathyroid hormone, which controls calcium levels in the blood.
Other causes of hypocalcemia include malnutrition and malabsorption. Malnutrition occurs when one does not get enough nutrients, while malabsorption occurs when one can’t absorb the vitamins and minerals one needs from the food one eats.
Additional causes include:
- low levels of vitamin D, which makes it harder to absorb calcium
- medications, such as phenytoin, phenobarbital, rifampin, corticosteroids, and drugs used to treat elevated calcium levels
- pancreatitis
- hypermagnesemia and hypomagnesemia
- hyperphosphatemia
- septic shock
- massive blood transfusions
- renal failure
- certain chemotherapy drugs
- “Hungry bone syndrome,” which may occur after surgery for hyperparathyroidism
- removal of parathyroid gland tissue as part of surgery to remove the thyroid gland
If you miss your daily dose of calcium, you won’t become calcium deficient overnight. But it’s still important to make an effort to get enough calcium every day since the body uses it quickly. Vegans are more likely to become calcium deficient quickly because they don’t eat calcium-rich dairy products.
Calcium deficiency won’t produce short-term symptoms because the body maintains calcium levels by taking it directly from the bones. However, long-term low levels of calcium can have serious effects.
Early stage calcium deficiency may not cause any symptoms. However, symptoms will develop as the condition progresses.
Severe symptoms of hypocalcemia include:
- confusion or memory loss
- muscle spasms
- numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, and face
- depression
- hallucinations
- muscle cramps
- weak and brittle nails
- easy fracturing of the bones
Calcium deficiencies can affect all parts of the body, resulting in weak nails, slower hair growth, and fragile, thin skin.
Calcium also plays an important role in both neurotransmitter release and muscle contractions. So, calcium deficiencies can bring on seizures in otherwise healthy people.
If you start experiencing neurological symptoms like memory loss, numbness, tingling, hallucinations, or seizures, make an appointment with a healthcare professional as soon as possible.
Consult a healthcare professional if you have symptoms of calcium deficiency disease. They’ll review your medical history and ask you about a family history of calcium deficiency and osteoporosis.
If your healthcare professional suspects calcium deficiency, they’ll take a blood sample to check your blood calcium level. They’ll measure your total calcium level, your albumin level, and your ionized or “free” calcium level.
Albumin is a protein that binds to calcium and transports it through the blood. Sustained low calcium levels in your blood may confirm a diagnosis of calcium deficiency disease.
Typical calcium levels for adults can range from 8.8 to 10.4 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL). You may be at risk for calcium deficiency disease if your calcium level is below 8.8 mg/dL.
Children and teens typically have higher blood calcium levels than adults.
Calcium deficiency is usually easy to treat. It typically involves adding more calcium to your diet.
Do not self-treat by taking a lot of calcium supplements. Taking more than the recommended dose without a healthcare professional’s approval can lead to serious issues like kidney stones.
Commonly recommended calcium supplements include:
- calcium carbonate, which is the least expensive and has the most elemental calcium
- calcium citrate, which is the most easily absorbed
- calcium phosphate, which is also easily absorbed and doesn’t cause constipation
Calcium supplements are available in liquid, tablet, and chewable forms.
It’s important to note that some medications could interact negatively with calcium supplements. These medications include:
- blood pressure beta-blockers like atenolol may decrease calcium absorption if taken within two hours of taking calcium supplements
- antacids containing aluminum may increase blood levels of aluminum
- cholesterol-lowering bile acid sequestrants such as colestipol may decrease calcium absorption and increase the loss of calcium in the urine
- estrogen medications can contribute to an increase in calcium blood levels
- digoxin, as high calcium levels can increase digoxin toxicity
- diuretics can either increase calcium levels (hydrochlorothiazide) or decrease calcium levels in the blood (furosemide)
- certain antibiotics, such as fluoroquinolones and tetracyclines, whose absorption can be decreased by calcium supplements
Sometimes diet changes and supplements aren’t enough to treat a calcium deficiency. In this case, your healthcare professional 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.
Complications from calcium deficiency disease include eye damage, an abnormal heartbeat, and osteoporosis.
Complications from osteoporosis include spinal fractures or other bone fractures and difficulty walking.
If left untreated, calcium deficiency disease could eventually be fatal.
You can prevent calcium deficiency disease by including calcium in your diet every day.
Be aware that foods high in calcium, such as dairy products, can also be high in saturated fat and trans fat. Choose low fat or fat-free options to reduce your risk of developing high cholesterol and heart disease.
While meeting your calcium requirement is very important, you also want to make sure you’re not getting too much. The upper limits of calcium intake in milligrams (mg) for adults are:
- 2,000 mg per day for people 51 years of age and up
- 2,500 mg per day for people 19 to 50 years of age
You might want to supplement your diet by taking a multivitamin. Or your healthcare professional may recommend supplements if you’re at high risk for developing a calcium deficiency.
Multivitamins may not contain all of the calcium you need, so be sure to eat a well-rounded diet. If you’re pregnant, take a prenatal vitamin.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is important because it increases the rate at which calcium is absorbed into the blood. Ask a healthcare professional how much vitamin D you need.
To increase your calcium intake, you can add food rich in vitamin D to your diet. These include:
As with calcium-rich dairy products, some vitamin D-rich dairy products can also be high in saturated fat.
Sunlight triggers your body to make vitamin D, so getting regular exposure to the sun can also help boost your vitamin D levels.
Lifestyle habits
In addition to maintaining healthy calcium and vitamin D levels, there are certain lifestyle habits you can practice to promote bone health. These include:
- maintaining a healthy body weight
- exercising regularly
- restricting tobacco use and alcohol intake