Everyone knows how important calcium is for our body. And everyone knows the symptoms of its deficiency - brittle bones and tooth decay. But an excess of calcium in the body also does not benefit him, which is not known to everyone. It is the overabundance of this element that will be discussed in this article. What are the symptoms and what are the consequences of an excess of calcium in the body, what to do and how to prevent the negative impact of this factor?
Essential trace element
Up to 99% of calcium is found in bone tissues, and 1% in the form of free ions is found in various body fluids. With a lack of food, the body begins to "steal" it from the skeleton and teeth. But calcium plays an important role in the implementation of muscle contractions, including heart rate, itcorrects blood pressure, strengthens connective tissue and takes part in the membrane transport of various substances.
Calcium is also responsible for our reactions to stressful situations, is involved in the mechanisms of blood clotting. In addition, it is this element that helps us cope with allergies and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
Consumption rates
Calcium enters our body only with food, but it is poorly excreted naturally. Daily intake of calcium is individual and depends on the age group:
- Until the age of three, the need for a child's body in calcium is 600 milligrams per day.
- A 10-year-old who is starting to lose teeth should consume up to 800 milligrams of calcium per day.
- Until the age of 16, the body's need for calcium increases, and the intake rate is 1200 milligrams.
- Adults can consume about 1000 milligrams.
- In pregnant women, the need for calcium increases to 1200 milligrams per day.
- For people engaged in heavy physical labor and athletes, the consumption rate is 1500 milligrams per day.
A lot too bad
An excess of calcium in the body is called hypercalcemia. This pathology is often found in lovers of dairy products, as well as in people who drink hard water with excess calcium. These are physiological reasons. But often the development of a pathological excess of calcium in the body occurs in the elderly.people.
Pathological causes of hypercalcemia may be:
- Increased production of parathyroid hormones (parathyroid hormone) - hyperparathyroidism. This pathology is more common in women, the symptoms of an excess of calcium in the body are practically absent and such conditions are detected only during examination.
- The presence of malignant tumors in the lungs and kidneys. In men, an excess of calcium in the body can lead to tumors in the testicles and degeneration of the prostate gland.
- Radiation therapy for oncology and vitamin D intoxication can lead to hypercalcemia.
- Excess calcium may be associated with hereditary diseases and hormonal disorders.
Symptoms of excess calcium in the body
Often these conditions are asymptomatic. But signs of an excess of calcium in the body can be considered a decrease or loss of appetite, a feeling of constant thirst, nausea and vomiting. In addition, there is general weakness and increased fatigue. Subsequently, digestive disorders in the form of constipation join these symptoms, and in a neglected state, confusion and hallucinations are possible. Since excess calcium is deposited in muscle tissue and blood vessels, night cramps and vascular fragility may appear, and its deposition in the renal ducts leads to the development of urolithiasis.
This is a common symptom of hypercalcemia in adults. You can imagine what an excess of calcium in the body of a child can do.
Consequences of oversupply
The consequences of an overabundance will not kill, but they can worsen life. Calcium is not toxic and even a very high content in the body will not lead to death. But the consequences of prolonged high levels in the blood can be very unpleasant, namely:
- Arterial hypertension is an increase in blood pressure against the background of calcium deposition on the walls of blood vessels. Gout is a pathology of tissues and joints caused by s alt imbalance and accumulation of uric acid.
- Calcinoses are calcium deposits in tissues and muscles that are quite painful. Up to calcification of the aortic valve, when surgery is indispensable.
- Hyperparathyroidism is an endocrine disease associated with hyperfunction of the parathyroid glands and electrolyte imbalance.
In addition, with an excess of calcium, the excitability of the nerve fibers of the skeletal muscles is inhibited, the tone of the smooth muscles of the internal organs decreases. The blood becomes thicker, which provokes the formation of kidney stones, the development of bradycardia and angina pectoris. The acidity of gastric juice in this pathology increases, and this can provoke gastritis and peptic ulcer.
What can we do
To begin with, you need to undergo an examination and take tests to determine the hormonal background of the body. Having established the cause of the accumulation of this element, it is necessary to begin removing excess calcium fromorganism.
First of all, it is necessary to exclude from the diet all foods that are high in calcium - milk, hard cheeses, eggs, greens (especially parsley) and cabbage. A lot of calcium is found in sesame and its oil, almonds and nuts, chocolate (more black than white), halva and sunflower seeds, white bread and rice.
Calcium-containing preparations must be taken carefully, given the hardness of our drinking water.
You can start drinking distilled water. But it is worth remembering that such water, along with calcium, washes out other trace elements from the body. Therefore, you can drink it for no more than 2 months.
In addition, you should strictly adhere to the dosages of calcium-raising agents prescribed by the doctor. And take vitamin D only as prescribed by a doctor, because it is with his participation that the chemical reactions of the regulation of potassium metabolism by the parathyroid hormone of the parathyroid glands take place.
Treatment is exceptionally complex
Depending on the concentration of calcium in the blood plasma, the doctor prescribes various drugs to accelerate the excretion of the mineral. During normal kidney function, these can be diuretics (for example, Furosemide). Sometimes it is enough to correct fluid intake and diet to stabilize the situation. Your doctor may prescribe high-magnesium calcium antagonist medications (such as Veropomil) and sometimes glucocorticosteroids, bisphosphonates, and calcitonin.
In some of the hardestcases, hemodialysis may be prescribed. Only those patients who are not treated by other methods are referred for this procedure.
Sometimes the doctor prescribes surgical excision of the parathyroid glands. Removal of one or two glands in 90% of cases reduces the release of parathyroid hormone and hypercalcemia is eliminated.
It is worth noting that in the treatment of this pathology, it is necessary to control the composition and biochemistry of the blood.
Calcium kills women
Scientists from Sweden came to such conclusions. In our country, calcium preparations are freely available and are included in dietary supplements to strengthen hair and nails.
For the regulation of calcium concentration in the human body, parathyroid hormone is responsible, which increases the calcium content in the blood plasma, reduces its content in the bone tissue and delays its excretion. Recent data suggests that sex hormones are also involved in the metabolic processes associated with calcium in women.
But recent studies have shown that middle-aged and older women taking more than 1400 milligrams of calcium per day increases the risk of death from cardiovascular insufficiency.
A lot of calcium in the blood leads to Parkinson's disease
Recent studies by scientists have confirmed the data that with a high content of calcium in blood plasma, specific toxic proteins characteristic of Parkinson's disease accumulate in the nervous system. These proteins, whose role has not been elucidated until recently, destroy neurons. Medics todaythey believe that drugs that reduce calcium levels in heart disease may also have a protective effect on nerve tissue.
Summing up
Now the reader knows that in children, women and men, the symptoms of an excess of calcium in the body are the same and lead to negative consequences, just like its deficiency.
It is only important to remember the danger of self-treatment and entrust the final diagnosis and the establishment of therapy protocols to a competent specialist.
