This is an automatically translated article.
The article was professionally consulted with Doctor Cardiologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital.
Calcium is a mineral that plays an important role in the human body, not only helping to strengthen bones but also participating in muscle contraction, hormone release, nerve transmission and blood clotting. Therefore, hypocalcemia or hypocalcemia is generally a condition when blood calcium levels do not reach normal values, which can lead to dangerous complications that patients need to be treated quickly and promptly. So, what drug to take for low blood calcium?
1. The role of calcium in the human body
Calcium is an essential mineral of the body, playing an important role in many physiological activities as well as the structure of body components. The amount of calcium reserves in the body is maintained stably depends on factors such as food, water and calcium absorption from the intestine, elimination through the kidneys. The daily calcium requirement of the body falls to about 1000mg, with 99% of calcium stored in bones, teeth, nails, and toenails remaining 1% in the blood.
The concentration of calcium in the blood of an adult is from 9-11 mg/dl, if the body does not fully supplement the calcium required for the body in the daily menu, the body will fall into a calcium deficiency and may causes muscle contractions, cramps when the concentration drops to 7 mg/dl. Therefore, understanding calcium deficiency can help you to have a method to deal with this condition in time.
2. What is hypocalcemia?
Hypocalcaemia is an abnormally low blood calcium level: serum calcium less than 8.8 mg/dl (2.2 mmol/l) under normal serum protein or ionized calcium less than 4.7 mg /dl (1.17 mmol/l). The causes that can lead to low calcium status include:
Calcium deficiency due to poor nutrition, not providing enough needs or calcium absorption disorders of the body Vitamin D deficiency due to inadequate food sources insufficient or inadequate sunlight exposure (lack of vitamin D needed for calcium absorption) Hypoparathyroidism affects the production of parathyroid hormone (a hormone that helps regulate blood calcium levels) Magnesium deficiency is an essential mineral for the action of parathyroid hormone Chronic kidney failure reduces calcium absorption from food sources Drug causes: some drug groups such as bisphosphonates, proton pump inhibitors, anti-inflammatory drugs. In addition, factors such as prolonged digestive disorders, acute pancreatitis, alcoholism can also increase the risk of hypocalcemia.
3. Manifestations of hypocalcemia like?
Symptoms of hypocalcaemia are quite typical with initially numbness of the tongue, lips and fingertips, making the patient unable to move or speak normally. Then there may be spasms of the muscles of the hands that prevent the fingers from spreading, convulsions and stiffness of the muscles in the face, hands, and feet.
If hypocalcaemia persists, it can cause spasms of facial and body muscles, causing severe pain, affected respiratory muscles, causing difficulty breathing, convulsions of the whole body or area. reside. In more severe cases, arrhythmias, memory loss, confusion or depression may occur. So when hypocalcemia, what medicine to take?
4. What drugs do you take for blood calcium deficiency?
How is hypocalcemia treated? Depending on the cause of hypocalcemia, there are different calcium supplement measures:
If hypocalcemia is due to calcium deficiency in the body: Should quickly supplement calcium in the form of carbonate salts or gluconate orally orally. or intravenously. If hypocalcemia due to vitamin D deficiency or hypoparathyroidism: Vitamin D supplements such as colecalciferol, calcitriol... orally or intravenously Hypocalcemia due to magnesium deficiency: quickly add magnesium in the form of lactate or chloride,...) orally or intravenously Hypocalcemia due to parathyroid hormone deficiency: quickly supplement parathyroid hormone-like preparations (Natpara, forteo, .. .) to balance calcium content for the body. => Advice from Doctor Cardiologist - Department of Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital: Patients with hypocalcemia need to be examined to avoid falling into calcium deficiency and can cause muscle contractions, cramps when the concentration drops to 7 mg/dl.
Lack of calcium in the blood can cause many dangerous symptoms, causing severe pain, affected respiratory muscles, making it difficult for patients to breathe, generalized or focal convulsions. Therefore, early treatment is essential. is very necessary. Patients who show symptoms of calcium deficiency need to go to medical facilities for examination and treatment.
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