Doctor: I feel dizzy all day long, exhausted, can’t cheer up, and have soreness and stiffness in my neck, shoulders, back and back. It’s really painful. Do I have an “incurable disease”?

: I feel dizzy all day long, exhausted, unable to cheer up, and have soreness and stiffness in my neck, shoulders, back, and back. It’s really painful. Do I have an “incurable disease”?

Ms. Zhu, 53 years old, came to see a doctor because of neck, shoulder, waist and back pain for more than half a year, which recently got worse. According to her, during this period, not only had a bad rest every night ( had many dreams, , and had hot flashes , night sweats), and also experience pain all over the body during the day, leaving the whole person exhausted and unenergetic.

I went to the hospital several times to see different departments, and was given some medication, but still no improvement, and I almost felt mentally ill. Therefore, I have a lot of confusion in my heart and anxiously asked me the question at the beginning of the article.

Because I often see patients with pain, similar situations are too common. My first reaction was the issue of menopausal syndrome. suggested that she check her bone density. She may have osteoporosis and need calcium supplementation.

As soon as she finished speaking, Ms. Zhu told me that herself had been examined and found that she did have osteoporosis; and she was supplementing calcium tablets every day, but it still didn't get better.

Speaking of this, many people may also feel that their own experience is very similar to Ms. Zhu’s. Why do they take calcium tablets every day? Is the bone still thin? Is there something I didn't do right?

Dr. Kong will talk to you about the problem of calcium tablets and try to save you from detours!

What should we pay attention to when supplementing calcium?

Calcium tablets are the most familiar to everyone. The elderly will subconsciously take calcium tablets by themselves. Some children or middle-aged people often have calf cramps at night and think that they are calcium deficient. They often treat taking calcium tablets as A daily behavioral habit.

In fact, this daily behavioral habit of most people is wrong , because you are blindly supplementing calcium tablets without knowing whether you are lacking calcium in your body?

If you take supplements for granted or eat incorrectly, Dr. Kong tells you that not will not achieve the therapeutic effect and may even cause harm to your health.

Therefore, it is necessary for all of us to understand the common sense of calcium supplementation. Only by knowing whether we need calcium supplementation? When should I take calcium supplements? With a lot of common sense about how much to supplement, you won't have so many confusions.

How to judge whether your body is calcium deficient?

For our bodies, 99% of calcium is found in our bones, which is the most abundant element in the human body, while 1% is found in our blood and muscles.

In daily life, if the following symptoms appear, you need to highly suspect whether it is caused by calcium deficiency? For example, teenagers may experience symptoms such as growing pains , prone to cramps, and underdeveloped teeth; middle-aged people may experience symptoms such as fatigue, fatigue, leg cramps, insomnia, dreaminess, and back pain; and elderly people may experience hunchback, neck, shoulder, waist, and leg pain. , loss of appetite, constipation, etc.

So, want to know if you are lacking calcium in your body? The most direct way is to go to the hospital to collect blood to check the blood calcium content . However, for some middle-aged and elderly people, the blood calcium content will be inaccurately measured because the hormone levels secreted by the parathyroid gland will cause the blood calcium concentration to be high and insufficient.

Therefore, to measure the amount of calcium currently, we still have to look at the calcium in the bones. Blood calcium content and bone calcium content complement each other. If the blood calcium concentration decreases, muscle excitability and coagulation ability will be affected. In order to compensate, the body will mobilize bone calcium to maintain the blood calcium concentration. If this happens for a long time, it will Causes osteoporosis.

The current gold standard for clinical detection of bone calcium content is the detection of bone density, that is, dual-energy X-ray examination; generally tests hip joints or vertebral bodies, which is particularly similar to taking X-rays.

will have a T value after the test. If the T value is between -1 and +1, it means normal bone quality; between -1 and -2.5, it means bone loss; between -2.5 and -4.5, it means bone mass is reduced. Represents osteoporosis; when <-4.5,>.How to supplement calcium in

?

Calcium supplementation is very important for our body! There are the following 5 aspects of . After reading them carefully, you will know it!

. When should I supplement calcium?

It is generally recommended to start from childhood, because the younger you are, the better the absorption. Storing more calcium in the bones earlier is beneficial to future growth; and when you are in your 40s, you need to supplement calcium to store it. ,this will not work.

After reaching a certain age, calcium supplementation can only try to maintain the balance of the body's bone metabolism. Even if you don't pay attention, bone mass will decrease or osteoporosis will occur; thus causing various joint pains in middle-aged and elderly people, Tendinopathy, maybe an accidental fall and fracture...

Therefore, calcium supplementation should be done as early as possible, rather than replenishing it later when the body is deficient in calcium.

. Do you need calcium supplement?

Calcium is one of the important nutrients in the body, and everyone needs to supplement calcium. But please understand that taking calcium supplements does not mean taking calcium tablets!

Because calcium has a wide range of sources, the best source is in our food, such as some calcium-rich fresh green leafy vegetables, fruits, soy products, seafood, and dairy products.

Therefore, calcium supplementation is necessary for everyone. When you are young, you only need to pay attention to a calcium-rich diet and do not need to take calcium tablets at all.

For example, many people’s current eating habits do not pay much attention to calcium-rich foods. Maybe the body’s demand for calcium is still insufficient, so we must learn to have the habit of drinking fresh milk.

For some middle-aged and elderly people, after passing the physical test, they have reduced bone mass or developed osteoporosis. On the basis of paying attention to a reasonable diet, they may still not be able to meet the needs of the body, so they have to supplement calcium tablets or even eat some anti-osteoporosis medications. Drug.

. How much calcium should be supplemented every day?

Under normal circumstances, the Chinese Nutrition Association recommends that children aged 1 to 3 years old consume 600 mg of calcium daily, children aged 4 to 6 years old consume 800 mg of calcium daily, and children aged 7 to 10 years old consume 1000 mg of calcium daily. Adolescents aged 13 to 13 should consume 1200 mg of calcium per day, adolescents aged 14 to 17 should consume 1000 mg of calcium per day, adults aged 18 to 49 should consume 800 mg of calcium per day, and adults over 50 should consume 1000 mg of calcium per day.

According to the daily calcium intake recommended by the Chinese Nutrition Association, children under 6 years old can drink 150ml of fresh milk every day on the basis of paying attention to diet, while teenagers should drink 150ml of fresh milk every day on the basis of paying attention to diet. 300ml of fresh milk is enough.

For adults, our body's daily calcium intake needs to be 800 mg. It is recommended that everyone drink about 150 ml of fresh milk every day, which can allow our body to absorb 150 mg of calcium , and at the same time in diet Pay attention to pairing it with some calcium-rich foods to reduce the need for calcium tablets.

At the same time, it should be noted that when supplementing calcium food and drinking milk, don't forget to supplement vitamin d, because the supplemented calcium must be well deposited on the bones and must rely on the transportation of vitamin d. Therefore, in terms of diet, eating more fish and egg foods is more beneficial to vitamin D supplementation.

For menopausal women or the elderly, the daily calcium intake is about 1000-1200 mg. It is recommended that you drink about 300 ml of fresh milk every day, and other rich foods from the diet. Get from foods containing calcium, and at the same time, you can take appropriate supplements with calcium tablets .

4. How to choose calcium tablets?

There are many types of calcium tablets currently on the market, mainly divided into three categories: inorganic calcium, organic calcium, and organic acid calcium . Let’s take a look at their advantages and disadvantages to facilitate your choice.

① Inorganic calcium

For example, calcium carbonate has a relatively high calcium content, but it is not easily absorbed and is prone to calcium deposition. should be used with caution for people with stones .

② Organic calcium

This type of calcium tablets has better absorption advantages, but there are not many available.

③ Organic acid calcium

such as calcium lactate , calcium gluconate , calcium citrate , etc. This type of calcium content is lower than inorganic calcium, but has a higher absorption rate, less gastrointestinal irritation, and is suitable for the elderly Suitable for people, children, and people with absorption disorders.

Generally, you have to pay attention to your physical condition when choosing to take calcium tablets. If you have kidney stones, hypercalcemia, heart disease, or take drugs that inhibit gastric acid, it is best to avoid or use calcium tablets with caution. Consult with a specialist before choosing.

5. What should you pay attention to when taking calcium tablets?

Perhaps many people think that the more calcium tablets you eat, the more beneficial it is to restore bone calcium content and the more beneficial it is to the body. This idea is also wrong. Long-term consumption of calcium tablets will cause some complications, such as loss of appetite, constipation, stones, etc.; it is best to take calcium tablets intermittently.

The most important thing is that it is best to take calcium tablets at night before going to bed, which is more conducive to maintaining blood calcium levels ; taking them after chewing is more conducive to calcium absorption.

Summary

Calcium supplementation is also a science, and it has certain requirements! If you don’t take supplements every day, how can you still suffer from osteopenia or osteoporosis? Is your approach correct?

I am Dr. Kong who teaches you health science knowledge. If you agree with what I say, please give me a like or a follow. This is my greatest support and encouragement. If you find it useful, please share it with those around you. Family and friends, sharing is a virtue. Give roses to others and leave fragrance in your hands! Thanks for forwarding!

@toutiao health information bureau @toutiao health