Calcium Deficiency – Symptoms and Signs Your Body Sends About This Deficiency, and How to Correct It

The human body is a complex network of tissues, bones, and organs, all working together to maintain proper function and well-being. However, sometimes these mechanisms can be disrupted due to deficiencies in nutrients or vitamins. One of the most common deficiencies, encountered in both adults and children, is a lack of calcium.

What is it, how does it manifest, and what happens if you have a calcium deficiency? Your symptoms could be a signal that you should consult a doctor for an evaluation and appropriate treatment. This deficiency is also known as hypocalcemia, affecting the function of the heart and muscles.

You will discover how to recognize calcium deficiency in the body, its specific symptoms in adults and children, its connection to bone pain, and solutions for preventing and treating this deficiency.

Calcium Deficiency – What It Is and What Are Its Causes?

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To understand calcium deficiency, you need to know that calcium is an extremely important mineral in the human body. It is found in the highest proportion, 99%, in the skeletal system and teeth. The remaining 1% is found in the blood and the fluid surrounding the body’s cells. More precisely, a healthy person has about 1,200 mg of calcium in their body. In medical terms, its deficiency means hypocalcemia.

The main causes of calcium deficiency are:

• Hereditary causes, passed through the genetic line;
• Acquired causes, meaning those related to certain conditions or an unbalanced dietary pattern. Relevant factors include intolerance to calcium-rich foods, vitamin D deficiencies, medications that inhibit calcium absorption, and hormonal changes. The latter are often encountered in women, who are more prone to other conditions based on calcium deficiency, such as osteoporosis, favored by this deficiency.

Whether it’s hereditary calcium deficiency or the factors leading to hypocalcemia are acquired, there are certain supplements that help the body correct this deficiency. Often, symptoms disappear immediately, but if hypocalcemia is caused by another condition, further investigations and more complex treatments may be necessary.

Calcium Deficiency – Symptoms Felt by Adults and Children

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Calcium deficiency and its associated symptoms are varied and can sometimes be confused with other conditions. This deficiency can occur at any age, including infants, which is why its early detection is crucial.

Symptoms of calcium deficiency can vary, some being common and others rarer. These can include brittle nails, muscle weakness, dizziness, hand tremors, headaches, tinnitus, and even anxiety or depression.

Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency in Adults

Calcium deficiency is quite common among adults, partly due to changes in lifestyle and diet. Therefore, many adults with certain suspicions seek answers to questions like “what symptoms do you have when you have a calcium deficiency?” or “what happens when you have a calcium deficiency?”. Since this deficiency can also be linked to magnesium deficiency in the body, another question that may arise individually is “what symptoms do you have when you have a deficiency of calcium and magnesium?”. To find the answer, it is essential to consult a doctor, as the symptoms of magnesium deficiency are usually subtle, except in cases where levels become very low. Generally, the signs are similar to those of hypocalcemia, including fatigue, muscle cramps, or irregular heartbeats.

Among adults, the main symptoms of calcium deficiency can include:

• Muscle conditions, hand tremors, numbness, and tingling;
• Fatigue, depression, memory loss, headaches;
• Dental problems;
• Bone system problems;
• Seizures, abnormal heartbeats;
• Skin, hair, and nail conditions.

Among the most common muscle conditions are pain, spasms, cramps, and numbness felt in the arms and thighs. Fatigue can be a sign of calcium deficiency, manifesting as dizziness, confusion, lack of concentration, and impaired memory.

Bone pain, often associated with calcium deficiency, can indicate osteopenia, characterized by decreased bone mineral density. It can also lead to osteoporosis, which represents a degeneration of osteopenia, meaning bone fragility. Although women are more affected, men can also suffer from this disease. Hypocalcemia must be treated carefully by both sexes. Recent studies have linked severe premenstrual syndrome in women to calcium deficiency.

Other evident signs of hypocalcemia include dental problems, such as the appearance of cavities, tooth demineralization, and gum irritation/inflammation. Lastly, certain anxious states have been reported as causes of this deficiency. In the case of calcium deficiency, anxious states can be accompanied by hand tremors, excessive sweating, heart palpitations, a feeling of a lump in the throat or suffocation, and even panic attacks. Therefore, many people wonder if calcium deficiency affects the heart. Specialists say that severe hypocalcemia can, in some cases, even lead to heart failure and arrhythmias.

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Calcium Deficiency in Infants and Older Children

Calcium deficiency can also occur in children, including infants, especially those up to 6 months of age whose diet consists exclusively of breast milk or special formulas. How does it manifest in their case? Some symptoms are similar to those in adults, but there are also specific signs that can be monitored.

In infants, common causes of hypocalcemia include premature birth, infections, maternal diabetes, and certain medications. Calcium deficiency can also be caused by lack of vitamin D, especially in breastfed infants without vitamin D supplements. It is essential to monitor blood calcium levels during pregnancy and breastfeeding, not only when signs such as hair loss, gum inflammation, or brittle nails appear, but also for preventive purposes. Such a deficiency can also be a sign of preeclampsia, which manifests as an increase in blood pressure.

Older children can develop calcium deficiency when their diet is deficient in vitamin D-rich foods. Symptoms you can monitor as a parent include:

• Excessive dryness of the child’s skin;
• Brittle nails and hair;
• Vomiting;
• Lack of height growth;
• Muscle cramps;
• A tingling sensation in the lips and fingers;
• Dental problems present from an early age;
• Lethargic states.

In some cases, calcium deficiency in infants and children can also manifest as seizures and even eye problems.

Accurate and timely detection of calcium deficiency is crucial for both children and adults to intervene promptly and effectively.

Signs of Calcium Deficiency and Correct Diagnosis

The signs of calcium deficiency can be confusing, but medically, hypocalcemia is defined as a decrease in serum calcium concentrations below the minimum limits established for age groups. Thus:

• For newborns and infants. The lower limits below which calcium deficiency may be considered are below 6 mg/dL and below 7 mg/dL, respectively;
• For older children. The values vary depending on age, but those below 8 mg/dL can indicate a calcium deficiency;
• The same principle applies to adults. Serum calcium values vary with age, with lower limits ranging from 8.2 mg/dL for people over 90 years old to 8.6 mg/dL for younger individuals.

The diagnosis of calcium deficiency is made through blood tests. Once the deficiency is established, it can be corrected. The doctor may also recommend other tests to determine the causes of hypocalcemia, including measuring levels of vitamin D, parathyroid hormone, magnesium, and serum phosphate.

Solutions for Calcium Deficiency to Help Prevent and Treat It

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Often, calcium deficiency can be quite easily observed in the appearance of nails, which become brittle and break easily, and following a serum calcium blood test, a diagnosis can be concretized. Restoring normal levels of this mineral can be achieved with calcium supplements to prevent poor bone formation and fragile bones prone to fractures. Supplements based on vitamin D3 can also be administered, but a diet based on foods naturally rich in this vitamin also contributes to good health.

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What to eat when you have a calcium deficiency? The deficiency can be corrected by consuming eggs, dairy products, beans, lentils, spinach, broccoli, and more. Many people who regularly consume calcium-rich foods can still develop deficiencies, requiring an additional intake of vitamin D.

Calcium deficiency in the body can also be supplemented with tablets containing natural calcium and vitamin D3, as this form is better absorbed by the human body’s cells. For good absorption, vitamin K2 MK7 is also recommended, especially since vitamin K2 also plays an important role in the health of the skeletal and cardiac systems.

Vitamin D is well known for its role in maintaining a healthy immune system, and besides supplements, consuming aronia fruit can be just as beneficial. It can be consumed in the form of Organic Aronia juice in 3 L for the whole family.

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The optimal management of hypocalcemia depends heavily on its severity and clinical characteristics. People with calcium deficiency require rapid and accurate assessment to reduce the risk of serious complications. Oral calcium and vitamin D supplements are the most common treatments for hypocalcemia. They are formulated to be absorbed in larger quantities by the body. To prevent calcium deficiency, it is essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle and consume calcium-rich foods.

Calcium deficiency is common in adults but can also be diagnosed in children, including infants. Hypocalcemia can be genetically acquired or caused by an unhealthy lifestyle or a diet lacking in nutrients. It is necessary to identify the symptoms of calcium deficiency and treat the deficiency carefully, as it can affect the skeletal, muscular, and cardiac systems. Serum calcium analysis and vitamin D and calcium supplements, along with calcium-rich foods, can correct the deficiency.

 

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32367335/

https://www.healthlînea.com/health/calcium-deficiency-disease

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/books/NBK279022/

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0140673697123315

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2096479/