Calcium test

What is Ca?

Calcium is a mineral found in the body responsible for many vital functions like maintaining bones strength, muscles, nerves function, and blood clotting. Abnormal levels of calcium can lead to several complications in the body like kidney disease, bone disease, multiple organs tumors.
Typical symptoms such as excess urination, excess thirst, abnormal heart rhythm, memory loss and bones pain can arise either due to hypercalcemia (excess of calcium) and hypocalcemia (lack of calcium).
An ongoing or past history of certain tumors, lungs disease or side effects of medications can make a person more vulnerable to suffer from abnormal calcium levels.

Why is Ca done?

• As a part of regular metabolic panel health checkups 
• Upon the appearance of symptoms indicating excess or shortfall of calcium
• To check for diseases causing abnormalities in calcium level in blood like thyroid or parathyroid disorders, heart diseases, kidney diseases, neurological diseases, pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) and bone and teeth diseases
• At regular intervals to monitor treatment efficacy of calcium supplements or Vitamin D supplements
• To monitor critically ill patients
• To monitor the progress of the condition and the efficacy of treatment after the kidney transplant, and in certain types of cancer
• To monitor calcium levels during and after large-volume blood transfusions