The most common cause of hypocalcemia is hypoparathyroidism, which occurs when the body secretes a less-than-average amount of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Low PTH levels lead to low calcium levels in your body.
Also to know is, can low calcium cause back pain?
Dietary Calcium Deficiency
This increases the risk of fractures and can also cause a “humped” back. The symptoms of this type of Calcium deficiency are: Bone pain or tenderness. Back or neck pain.
Secondly, how can I increase calcium in my body?
Good sources of calcium include:
- milk, cheese and other dairy foods.
- green leafy vegetables, such as broccoli, cabbage and okra, but not spinach.
- soya beans.
- tofu.
- plant-based drinks (such as soya drink) with added calcium.
- nuts.
- bread and anything made with fortified flour.
How can I raise my calcium level?
If you’re avoiding dairy, make a habit of incorporating some of these other calcium-rich foods in your diet:
- Canned sardines. …
- Fortified soy, almond and rice milk.
- Fortified orange juice. …
- Tofu made with calcium sulfate.
- Canned pink salmon with bones.
- Fortified cereals and English muffins. …
- Greens. …
- Beans.
How does low calcium affect the heart?
Having too little calcium has been linked with heart failure, low blood pressure (hypotension) and lifethreatening rhythm disorders of the heart, said Chaudhary. “In the long term, inadequate calcium intake causes osteopenia which, if untreated, can lead to osteoporosis.
Is low calcium an emergency?
Severe hypocalcemia, defined by a serum calcium <1.9 mmol/L (7.6 mg/dL), is often considered an emergency because of a potential risk of life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias or seizures (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11).
What are the signs and symptoms of parathyroid disease?
Parathyroid Disease Symptoms
- A lump in the neck.
- Difficulty speaking or swallowing.
- Muscle weakness.
- Sudden increase in blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia)
- Fatigue, drowsiness.
- Urinating more than usual, which may cause you to be dehydrated and very thirsty.
- Bone pain and broken bones.
- Kidney stones.
What are the symptoms of low calcium levels?
What are the symptoms of hypocalcemia?
- 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.
What can you do for low calcium levels?
Treatment of Hypocalcemia
Calcium supplements, given by mouth, are often all that is needed to treat hypocalcemia. If a cause is identified, treating the disorder causing hypocalcemia or changing drugs may restore the calcium level. Once symptoms appear, calcium is usually given intravenously.
What diseases cause low calcium?
Vitamin D deficiency, low parathyroid gland function, gut disorders, and kidney disease are among the more common causes of hypocalcemia. Rarely, you can become deficient if you’re not getting enough dietary calcium. Work with your doctor if your calcium levels are low to discover and treat the underlying cause.
What interferes with the absorption of calcium?
High levels of sodium — Excessive salt can interfere with calcium absorption. Read more about salt and the health of your bones. Insufficient vitamin D — Vitamin D is critical to regulating calcium absorption.
What medications cause low calcium?
Which drugs may cause hypocalcemia?
- Radiocontrast.
- Estrogen.
- Loop diuretics.
- Bisphosphonates.
- Calcium supplements.
- Antibiotics.
- Antiepileptic drugs.
- Cinacalcet.
Who is most at risk for calcium deficiency?
There are three major population groups that are at highest risk for dietary calcium deficiency. These include women (amenorrheic, the female athlete triad, postmenopausal), individuals with milk allergy or lactose intolerance, and atrisk groups for dietary deficiency intake (adolescents and the elderly).