Health

What is There to Know About Hypocalcemia?

[Credit]

Our bones or the skeletal system as a whole has many vital functions in the body. The skeletal system gives a framework to the body, it allows us to move, and at the same time, it protects our internal and vital organs from harm. Not only that, it is where the blood cells are created, and it contains minerals that are essential in the body.

In class, we learned that when we were born, we have 270 soft bones and as we grow up, it hardens and fuses until we are left with 206 bones, all of which have important jobs to do in the body. These bones are made up of protein collagens that form a flexible framework. The next layer is made up of the mineral calcium phosphate, and this strengthens the structure.

The insides of the bones are structurally arranged in a honeycomb pattern, which enables the formation to be rigid but light at the same time. 99% of the body’s calcium can be found in the bones and the teeth.

But what is this talk about bones and calcium? Well, the human body always strives for balance internally, the right amount of this should be directly proportional to the right amount of that. Same goes with calcium and bones, the bones need a specific amount of calcium to work properly and to prevent deterioration, but there are cases that the body can’t provide enough amount of calcium and this can result in a disease called Hypocalcemia.

What is Hypocalcemia?

This disease is characterized primarily because of the low calcium in the blood and thus the electrolyte imbalance. The culprit can be the parathyroid glands in the neck which is in charge of the production of parathyroid hormone, as this enzyme regulates the level of calcium in the body.

This disease is characterized primarily because of the low calcium in the blood and thus the electrolyte imbalance. The culprit can be the parathyroid glands in the neck which is in charge of the production of parathyroid hormone, as this enzyme regulates the level of calcium in the body.

This deficiency when not taken care of can lead to other complications especially bone diseases like osteoporosis that can cause the brittleness in the bones. Other long-term effects include dental changes, the formation of cataracts in the eye and brain alterations.

What are the Symptoms of this Disease?

  • You may start to notice muscle cramps in the legs and arms.
  • The skin becomes dry and itchy.
  • You may experience “neuromuscular irritability”. This happens when the nerve and muscles start to twitch, or you experience spasm.
  • You may also experience numbness and tingling in the toes or the fingers.
  • You are easily depressed and irritated.  
  • Painful Premenstrual Syndrome
  • The electrolyte imbalance can cause heart muscles to contract irregularly.
  • Low calcium levels also can make you disoriented or confused at times.
  • The frequent twitching can also tell if you have a sudden drop of calcium level or you have a long-standing low blood calcium levels. If a more frequent twitching occurs, this means that you have an acute or sudden drop of calcium level.

What are Other Causes of Hypocalcemia?

  • Leukemia or blood disorders that you have been previously diagnosed with.
  • Magnesium and Vitamin D deficiency.
  • Alcoholism
  • Chronic Renal failure
  • When you are currently under the treatment of chemotherapy or tumor lysis syndrome.
  • Bisphosphonate therapy
  • Food like carbonated drinks, caffeine because it prevents calcium from absorbing in your body. There are also cases that antibiotics can also cause calcium deficiency.
  • Estrogen replacement therapy, glucose, insulin, excessive laxative, and diuretics.

How Can I Treat Hypocalcemia?

  • The most effective and natural way to increase the level of calcium in the body is through the consumption of healthy fruits and vegetable. It contains high-content of calcium like broccoli, beans, figs, soy milk, spinach, tofu, almonds, sesame seeds, and fortified cereals.
  • It is also suggested to drink electrolyte water to help with the electrolyte imbalance.
  • There are manufactured drugs that can help with this disease that aims to prevent or treat a blood calcium deficiency. One of these is Calcium Citrate it helps by reactivating more activity in the parathyroid glands. This drug also aims to treat bone diseases like osteoporosis or brittleness of the bones, osteomalacia or weak bones and muscle disease like latent tetany. This drug is not that expensive, and there is Calcium Citrate Drug Coupon so the consumers can have discounts.

Takeaway

Certain illnesses can’t be avoided. It is in our hands to be responsible enough in taking care of our body. Adopt or make a strategy to always include healthy food in our meals, exercise regularly, avoid consumption of junk foods and avoid alcohol and other unhealthy vices. We make our fate by what we do today.

0 Comments
Share

Candid Mama

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.