Table of contents:
- Symptoms of hypomagnesemia
- What are the causes of hypomagnesemia?
- When are you said to be deficient in magnesium?
- How to treat hypomagnesemia?
- Possible complications
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals the body needs to maintain health. Magnesium is stored mostly in the bones and a small amount in the bloodstream. Its function is to keep the muscles and nerves working normally and maintain the rhythm of the heartbeat. In addition, magnesium can also keep bones stronger. If you are healthy, but have a low dietary intake, your kidneys can help retain magnesium by limiting the amount of magnesium lost in your urine. However, if you have low magnesium consumption for a long period of time, it can lead to magnesium deficiency. This condition is also known as hypomagnesemia.
Symptoms of hypomagnesemia
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Severe magnesium deficiency can cause numbness, tingling, muscle cramps, seizures, personality changes, and abnormal heart rhythms.
Because these symptoms can also be symptoms of other illnesses, contact your doctor immediately if you experience any of these symptoms.
What are the causes of hypomagnesemia?
Low magnesium is usually caused by decreased absorption of magnesium in the intestine or increased excretion of magnesium in the urine. Low magnesium levels in healthy people are not uncommon. This happens because most of the magnesium levels are controlled by the kidneys. The kidneys can increase or decrease magnesium excretion based on what the body needs.
Hypomagnesemia is also more common in people who are hospitalized. This may be due to an illness, having certain surgeries, or taking certain types of medication. Very low magnesium levels have been associated with seriously ill and hospitalized patients. Conditions that increase the risk of hypomagnesemia include gastrointestinal (GI) disease, elderly people, type 2 diabetes, use of diuretic drugs (such as furosemide), treatment with chemotherapy, and a history of alcohol dependence.
When are you said to be deficient in magnesium?
Hypomagnesemia is diagnosed based on a physical examination, symptoms, medical history, and blood tests. The level of magnesium in the blood doesn't tell you the amount of magnesium stored in your bones and muscle tissue. However, it helps to show whether you have hypomagnesemia. Your doctor will likely also check the levels of calcium and potassium in your blood.
Normal blood magnesium levels are 1.8 to 2.2 milligrams per deciliter (mg / dL). If blood magnesium is lower than 1.8 mg / dL then it is considered low. Magnesium levels below 1.25 mg / dL are considered very severe hypomagnesemia.
How to treat hypomagnesemia?
Magnesium deficiency is usually treated with oral magnesium supplements and increased magnesium intake from food. About two percent of the general population worldwide has hypomagnesemia. This percentage is much higher in people who are hospitalized. One study estimates that nearly half of all Americans, with 70 to 80 percent of whom are over 70 years of age, do not meet the recommended daily magnesium requirements.
Getting magnesium from food is the best way. Examples of foods rich in magnesium are spinach, almonds, cashews, other nuts, whole grain cereals, soy milk, black beans, whole wheat bread, avocados, bananas, salmon, and potatoes with skins on them.
If your hypomagnesemia is severe and has seizure-like symptoms, you may receive magnesium intravenously.
Possible complications
If the condition for magnesium deficiency is left untreated and the cause is ignored, it can worsen the condition. Severe magnesium deficiency can cause complications such as seizures, heart arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythm), coronary artery vasospasm, and sudden death.
