Leg cramps when the elderly sleep, is it calcium deficiency? wrong! Don't ignore these 4 reasons

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The 65-year-old Uncle Xiao has always been in good health and often exercises with his wife in the park near his home.

As a result, one day, he suddenly felt that it was very difficult for him to climb the stairs, and his legs and feet were very tired when he came home.

So Uncle Xiao searched the Internet and found that he might be calcium deficient.

He called his daughter and asked her to send some calcium tablets back for him to eat. At the same time, he would go to the park to bask in the sun to supplement calcium every day. As a result, the medicine supplement + sun exposure persisted for more than a month, and the symptoms still did not relieve, but became more serious .

In desperation, Uncle Xiao had to go to the hospital for an examination, but it turned out that there was a problem with the blood vessels in the lower extremities.

It turned out that Uncle Xiao's leg cramps were not caused by calcium deficiency, but atherosclerosis of the lower extremities, and a section of arteries had already been severely narrowed .

1. 4 out of 10 elderly people are deficient in calcium, how harmful is it?

According to statistics, osteoporosis caused by calcium deficiency accounts for nearly 40% of the elderly over the age of 60, and the incidence rate for women is 49%.

As one of the essential minerals in the human body, calcium is involved in many aspects of human bone formation, growth and development, and heart beating. It can be said that calcium is the foundation of human life.

Middle-aged and elderly people are at high risk of bone calcium loss. 99% of the calcium in the human body is stored in the bones. The bone mass reaches its peak around the age of 30, and then gradually disappears with age .

Many middle-aged and elderly people over the age of 60 are facing serious calcium loss and insufficient dietary calcium intake. Calcium deficiency in the elderly generally has the following symptoms:

  • loose teeth
  • Loss of appetite, constipation, peptic ulcer
  • Heel pain, lumbar and cervical spine pain
  • Insomnia, dreaminess, irritability, irritability
  • senile skin itching
  • Obvious hunchback and shortening

Calcium deficiency in middle-aged and elderly people may lead to shrinkage, fractures, and even high blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, osteoporosis and other diseases . Therefore, middle-aged and elderly people must pay attention to calcium supplementation.

2. Leg cramps in the elderly are not necessarily due to calcium deficiency

Usually, "leg cramps while sleeping" occurs, and many people subconsciously think that it is caused by calcium deficiency.

1. Lumbar disc herniation

70% of patients with lumbar disc herniation will experience leg cramps. After suffering from lumbar disc herniation, the lumbar nerve will be compressed, and the stress threshold of nerve root sensory fibers may increase, which may cause calf cramps.

2. Diabetic gangrene

Shen Yunfeng, chief physician of the Endocrinology and Metabolism Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, pointed out that patients with diabetes are likely to have arteriosclerosis, which is manifested in the legs, with symptoms such as insufficient blood supply to the legs and leg cramps.

3. Central neuropathy

Cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage, epilepsy and other central neuropathy may also cause leg cramps.

4. Lower extremity arterial occlusion

Lower extremity arterial occlusion is also one of the common causes of leg cramps. After lower extremity arterial occlusion, the blood supply to the legs is reduced, and leg muscles may experience symptoms such as weakness and pain.

3. Sunbathing does not actually supplement calcium. What is really useful are these

I often hear people say that if you let your child get more sun exposure, they can supplement calcium, but can sun exposure really supplement calcium?

Simply relying on the sun to supplement calcium is actually not reliable, because the sun supplement is actually vitamin D.

Vitamin D can be used to promote calcium absorption, reduce calcium excretion, and promote bone formation, but it cannot supplement calcium. How should the scientific calcium supplementation method be done?

1. Priority food supplements

Calcium supplementation is the priority of scientific supplementation. Many of the foods we usually eat are rich in calcium, such as milk, mustard greens, broccoli, lettuce, brined tofu and other foods, which are rich in calcium.

2. Balanced nutrition and exercise

While supplementing calcium, nutrients such as vitamin D and vitamin K should also be taken in a balanced way. These substances can promote the absorption of calcium. Proper outdoor activities and more sun exposure are also helpful to promote calcium absorption.

3. The effect of calcium supplementation before going to bed is good

The best time for calcium supplementation is before going to bed, and calcium supplementation can be done half an hour after dinner.

This is because blood calcium levels are lower at night when you fall asleep, and calcium supplementation is better at this time. However, pay attention to drinking more water at the same time to increase the dissolution of calcium for better absorption.

4. Calcium supplement should be appropriate

The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that the best calcium intake for adults is about 800 mg per day , and should not exceed 2000 mg, which may not be good for health.

Calcium, as an important nutrient for the human body, is very important to health, but it is found that leg cramps are not necessarily caused by calcium deficiency, and may also be a signal from other diseases.

Usually, you must pay attention to calcium supplementation, but it is best to choose food supplements, and to ensure balanced nutrition and exercise while supplementing calcium. Calcium should also pay attention to the right amount, it is recommended to supplement calcium half an hour after dinner.

References:

[1] "[Caring for the elderly] Calcium deficiency in four of ten elderly people". The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shandong First Medical University. 2021-12-30

[2] "Leg cramps in the elderly are not necessarily calcium deficiency, and there are several reasons to pay attention". Endocrinology Channel of the Medical Community. 2022-08-05

[3] "Calcium supplementation is useless if it is not absorbed! The scientific method of calcium supplementation is here! ". Central South University Xiangya Hospital. 2022-05-26

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