Signs and Symptoms of Calcium Deficiency
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Medically reviewed by David Ozeri, MD
Calcium deficiency—also known as hypocalcemia—is a condition that occurs when you don't have enough calcium in your blood. Calcium is an essential mineral that plays a vital role in several body processes like bone health, muscle contraction, nerve transmission, and blood clotting. Not getting enough calcium could cause symptoms like muscle cramps, changes in mood, and skin or hair dryness.
Research estimates that more than 3.5 billion people around the world are calcium deficient or are at risk of low calcium levels. Keep in mind: symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people might have symptoms of hypocalcemia suddenly, while other people develop symptoms gradually over time. Your symptoms will often depend on the underlying cause and severity of the calcium deficiency.
Neuromuscular Symptoms
Having a calcium deficiency can affect your muscles and nerves in a variety of ways. Calcium plays a crucial role in triggering and regulating muscle contractions. When calcium levels are insufficient, it disrupts this process of your muscular system—leading to cramps and spasms. Additionally, hypocalcemia can increase the sensitivity of the nerve-muscle junction, which can irritate your muscles and cause involuntary contractions.
You might be calcium deficient if you experience any of the following muscle and nerve-related symptoms:
Muscle cramps and spasms in the hands, feet, or face
Tingling and numbness in the hands and feet
Weakness
Twitching or tremors
Difficulty speaking or swallowing
Severe hypocalcemia can also potentially lead to seizures of the voicebox (medically known as laryngospasms). These seizures can happen because calcium plays a vital role in regulating muscle contraction throughout the body, including the muscles of your voicebox (or, larynx).
Circulatory Symptoms
Calcium is essential in the functioning of smooth muscles, including those that line the walls of your blood vessels. When calcium levels are too low, these muscles may not contract as well as they're supposed to. This can result in the relaxation of blood vessels, which can sometimes lead to low blood pressure (hypotension).
Getting enough calcium is also important for the blood vessels in your heart. Without the calcium your body needs, hypocalcemia can affect your heart's muscle function and reduce the force of each heartbeat. As a result, your heart may not be able to pump blood as effectively, which can also decrease blood pressure.
Skeletal Symptoms
Calcium is one of the most important building blocks for your bones and teeth. Having enough calcium helps your body move correctly by making sure your muscles and tissues are strong and can bend without breaking.
But, if you have low calcium, you may be at an increased risk of developing bone-related conditions like osteopenia (loss of bone density) and osteoporosis (weak and brittle bones). Unfortunately, most people don't realize they have conditions that affect their bone health until they have a fracture or break a bone.
Psychological Symptoms
A calcium deficiency can also often affect your mental health. This is because calcium is essential for the production and release of neurotransmitters in your brain that influence mood and emotional well-being. Imbalances in calcium levels can lead to various physical and behavioral symptoms, including:
Increased irritability
In some cases, fluctuations in calcium levels due to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle can contribute to mood-related symptoms during premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Some studies suggest that taking a calcium supplement can help reduce these changes in mood.
Dermatological Symptoms
If you suspect you might be calcium deficient, take a personal inventory of your hair, skin, and nails. Oftentimes, people with calcium deficiencies experience dry skin, brittle hair, or weak nails that tend to break easily.
But why does this happen? Calcium is essential for maintaining the integrity and function of the skin's outermost layer, known as the epidermis. This layer acts as a barrier that helps retain moisture and prevents the loss of water from your body. When calcium levels are low, the skin barrier may become compromised, making it more vulnerable to dryness and moisture loss.
Calcium is also involved in regulating the function of sweat and sebaceous (oil) glands in the skin. Sebaceous glands produce an oil called sebum, which helps keep the skin and hair lubricated and moisturized. Hypocalcemia can disrupt the normal function of these glands, leading to reduced oil production and contributing to dry skin, hair, and nails.
Neurological Symptoms
A calcium deficiency can potentially lead to seizures. This is because calcium plays a crucial role in regulating the electrical activity of your nerve cells—called neurons—in the brain.
When calcium levels are too low, your body isn't able to release neurotransmitters as it normally does. This change can increase neuronal excitability, which basically means that there's a disruption in the electrical signals in your brain. As a result of the disruption, you might be at an increased risk of having seizures.
Cardiovascular Symptoms
Calcium also plays a vital role in regulating the electrical activity of your heart. Not getting enough calcium can affect your heart's electrolyte balance, which interferes with muscle cell contraction and relaxation. This can lead to irregular electrical impulses and cause heart arrhythmias, or abnormal heart rhythms.
It's important to note that the severity and type of arrhythmia associated with hypocalcemia can vary from person to person. While mild hypocalcemia may not necessarily lead to any changes in your heart rhythm, more severe cases of calcium deficiency can increase the risk of cardiovascular (heart-related) changes.
In serious cases, hypocalcemia can sometimes contribute to heart failure. It's worth noting that heart failure is a less common symptom of not having enough calcium—but it can still happen if you have severely low levels of calcium in your body. When calcium levels are insufficient, the heart's ability to contract and pump blood effectively is compromised, potentially leading to heart failure.
But there's good news: in cases where hypocalcemia is the primary cause of heart failure, you can reverse the condition by eating more calcium in your diet and taking calcium supplements. These treatments often restore calcium levels and improve overall heart function.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
If you or a loved one are experiencing any symptoms of hypocalcemia, contact a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment. A complete blood cell (CBC) count is a routine blood test that can check for a calcium deficiency. Your healthcare provider can identify the underlying cause and recommend appropriate treatment options.
If you have conditions or risk factors that increase the likelihood of hypocalcemia, such as renal (kidney) failure, it's especially important to seek medical attention if you notice any symptoms of low calcium. Early diagnosis and treatment can help prevent the progression of symptoms and the development of complications associated with hypocalcemia.
A Quick Review
A calcium deficiency happens when you don't have enough calcium in your blood for your body to sustain itself properly. As a result of low calcium, you may experience symptoms that affect your muscles, nerves, skin, heart, and mental health. That's why recognizing the signs of calcium deficiency and seeking timely medical attention for diagnosis and appropriate treatment is crucial.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can you raise your calcium level quickly?
To raise calcium levels, make sure you eat food high in calcium such as yogurt, milk, calcium-fortified juices, cheese, sardines, tofu, soybeans, fortified breakfast cereals, spinach, and turnip greens. Your healthcare provider may also recommend that you take a calcium supplement.
What causes low calcium symptoms?
When your total calcium test shows lower-than-normal results, it could indicate various underlying factors that can cause calcium deficiency. These include low blood protein levels, underactive parathyroid glands, inadequate dietary calcium intake, pancreatitis, vitamin D or magnesium deficiencies, or kidney disease.
Can a lack of calcium cause leg pain?
A lack of calcium can potentially contribute to leg pain. Calcium plays a critical role in muscle function, and when calcium levels are too low, it can lead to muscle cramps. This is because calcium is essential for muscle contraction and relaxation.
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