What is Hypocalcemia?

Hypocalcemia is a potentially curable disorder that occurs due to the low calcium levels in your blood.

Numerous health conditions can contribute to hypocalcemia, most commonly caused by abnormal levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) or vitamin D in the body. Hypocalcemia may be mild or severe and potentially temporary or chronic (lifelong).

Who gets hypocalcemia?

Hypocalcemia can develop the condition to infants and individuals of any age. The age at which a person will undergo hypocalcemia will depend on its cause. For example, if the baby has hypocalcemia, it is usually a genetic condition.

What are hypocalcemia symptoms?

People who have mild hypocalcemia are asymptomatic. The symptoms exhibited by hypocalcemia depend on whether they are mild or severe.

The symptoms of mild hypocalcemia can be:

• Brittle nails.
• Dry, scaly skin.
• Coarser hair than normal for you.
• Muscle spasms, especially in your back and legs.

If left untreated, after some time, hypocalcemia can lead to neurologic (nervous system-related) or psychologic (mind-related) symptoms, including:

• Confusion.
• Difficulty in remembering things.
• Irritability or restlessness.
• Depression.
• Hallucinations.

Severely low blood calcium level, or hypocalcemia, leads to these:

• Lip, tongue, fingers, or feet tingle
• Muscle soreness.
• Muscle spasms in your throat that make it hard to breathe (laryngospasm).
• Stiffening and spasms of your muscles (tetany).
• Seizures.
• Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmia).
• Congestive heart failure.

What causes hypocalcemia?

There are countless complicated functions and variables that must maintain a stable amount of calcium in the blood and body. As such, multiple different health conditions and disorders may lead to hypocalcemia.

In most cases, a problem with either the parathyroid hormone (PTH) level(s) or your vitamin D level(s) is part of the cause of hypocalcemia. This is because PTH controls the amount of calcium in your blood and vitamin D plays a role in the way your body absorbs calcium.

The three most common causes of hypocalcemia are:

• Hypoparathyroidism: This is a condition where the parathyroid glands, which lie posterior to the thyroid gland, have a shortage of PTH. In other words, the parathyroid gland is having an inadequate amount of parathyroid hormone. It may cause calcium levels that are too low; this is caused by inherited disorders or surgical removal.
• Vitamin D deficiency: Vitamin D is an important calcium absorption factor. Such deficiency can result from an inherited disorder, insufficient exposure to sunlight, or inadequate vitamin D intake.
• Chronic renal failure causes hypocalcemia, which is characterized by increased blood phosphorus levels and reduced vitamin D levels.

Other conditions for hypocalcemia:

• Some drugs, such as Bisphosphonates, corticosteroids, rifampin, calcitonin, chloroquine, cinacalcet, Denosumab, Foscarnet, and plicamycin, cause hypocalcemia.
• Pseudohypoparathyroidism is an autosomal inherited disorder in which the body does not respond to the normal amounts of parathyroid hormone (PTH) it may have. The body acts like it does not have enough PTH when, in fact, it does.
• Hypomagnesemia: Your parathyroid glands need magnesium to synthesize and secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH); therefore, if your magnesium level is too low (hypomagnesemia), then not enough PTH is produced, and blood calcium levels are lower as well (hypocalcemia).
• Pancreatitis: From 15% to 88% of patients with acute pancreatitis will develop hypocalcemia.
• Some rare genetic syndromes: Genetic anomalies, such as DiGeorge syndrome, can cause hypocalcemia.
• Hypomagnesemia: Your parathyroid glands need magnesium to create and release parathyroid hormone (PTH); hence, if your magnesium level is too low (hypomagnesemia), not enough PTH is produced, and blood calcium levels are also lower as well (hypocalcemia).
• Pancreatitis: Between 15% and 88% of patients with acute pancreatitis will have hypocalcemia.
• Some very rare genetic syndromes: Genetic mutations, such as DiGeorge syndrome, cause hypocalcemia.

How is hypocalcemia diagnosed?

You are hypocalcemic if your total serum or blood calcium level is lower than 8.8 mg/dL. When mild, hypocalcemia may be discovered incidentally during routine blood tests or tests for some other condition.

What tests will be done to diagnose the cause of hypocalcemia?

A healthcare provider diagnoses hypocalcemia by a calcium concentration blood test. Equally important to make a finding and diagnosis for what causes hypocalcemia is the diagnosis of hypocalcemia itself.

The following are some tests or procedures your doctor might undertake as a means of determining what could be causing your hypocalcemia or ensure that the hypocalcemia has no effects on other parts of your body:

• Other blood tests: The doctor usually takes more blood to assess magnesium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and/or vitamin D.
• EKG: An electrocardiogram uses electrodes applied on your chest to measure the rhythm within the heart. Hypocalcemia can lead to an abnormal heart rhythm.
• Bone imaging tests: Imaging tests may be needed to determine whether there is a calcium problem in the bones, such as osteomalacia and rickets.

What is the treatment of hypocalcemia?

Oral calcium supplements are one of the most common treatments for hypocalcemia. However, treating the cause of hypocalcemia is also important. If a medication is causing your hypocalcemia, your healthcare provider may switch it or modify it to normalize your calcium levels.

Which drugs and treatments are used for hypocalcemia?

The following are the treatments and drugs often used for hypocalcemia:

• Calcium supplements- Oral: Oral calcium pills are given to supplement the calcium to bring it back to normal.
• Vitamin D supplement: Vitamin D supplements are commonly given with calcium pills to patients suffering from chronic hypocalcemia, promoting proper calcium absorption in the body.
• Synthetic Parathyroid Hormone: If hypocalcemia is caused by hypoparathyroidism, then synthetic administration of PTH can also cure it.
• IV calcium gluconate: If your hypocalcemia is severe and you experience muscle cramps or spasms (tetany), you may be administered calcium gluconate intravenously in the hospital.
• Other medications: Depending on the cause of your hypocalcemia, you may need to take other medication to treat/and or manage the cause.

What are the risk factors for hypocalcemia?

Some people are at higher risk than others of developing hypocalcemia. These include those who have:

• Deficiency in vitamin D.
• A parathyroid condition or parathyroid surgery.
• Surgical removal of the thyroid gland. This is the removal of either part or the whole thyroid gland through surgery, and it is medically known as a thyroidectomy.
• History of certain genetic disorders. Genetic disorders are due to particular mutations, genetic causes of vitamin D deficiency condition, or DiGeorge syndrome.

Can one prevent hypocalcemia?

Unfortunately, nothing can be done to prevent hypocalcemia despite what seems like a commonsensical approach to absorbing more calcium to prevent hypocalcemia, calcium deficiencies in a person's diet usually never affect the level of calcium within the blood. Maintaining adequate calcium intake is still important for bone health, though.

What is the prognosis (outlook) for hypocalcemia?

Hypocalcemia is a treatable condition. Symptoms of hypocalcemia usually resolve once your calcium levels are corrected. Untreated severe hypocalcemia can cause potentially lethal conditions, which include seizures and congestive heart failure. If you are experiencing symptoms, seek the attention of your healthcare provider, and go to the nearest hospital if you are experiencing extreme symptoms.

How soon should I need to see my healthcare provider?

Patients with symptoms of hypocalcemia should contact their healthcare provider. For patients with chronic hypocalcemia, a routine visit to the healthcare provider is essential for maintaining healthy calcium levels and proper management.

Why choose Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital for Hypocalcemia or Calcium Disorders treatment in Lucknow, India?

Tender Palm Super-Speciality Hospital has the most trusted team of Nephrologists with advanced diagnostic equipment care for Hypocalcemia or Calcium Disorders treatment in Lucknow, India. Our Nephrology department follows international safety standards and has years of experience in successfully managing disease and conditions like Hypocalcemia or Calcium Disorders.

To seek an Expert Consultation for Hypocalcemia or Calcium Disorders treatment in Lucknow, India:

Call us at +91-9076972161
Email at care@tenderpalm.com

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