What Does Calcium Do for the Body?

Explore 15 delicious calcium-rich dishes. Tender stuffed chicken, Spanish cheese, and almond cake top this array of tasty foods packed with calcium.

Doctors, pharmacists, and other health-care professionals use abbreviations, acronyms, and other terminology for instructions and information in regard to a patient's health condition, prescription drugs they are to take, or medical procedures that have been ordered. There is no approved this list of common medical abbreviations, acronyms, and terminology used by doctors and other health- care professionals. You can use this list of medical abbreviations and acronyms written by our doctors the next time you can't understand what is on your prescription package, blood test results, or medical procedure orders. Examples include:

• ANED: Alive no evidence of disease. The patient arrived in the ER alive with no evidence of disease.
• ARF: Acute renal (kidney) failure
• cap: Capsule.
• CPAP: Continuous positive airway pressure. A treatment for sleep apnea.
• DJD: Degenerative joint disease. Another term for osteoarthritis.
• DM: Diabetes mellitus. Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
• HA: Headache
• IBD: Inflammatory bowel disease. A name for two disorders of the gastrointestinal (BI) tract, Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis
• JT: Joint
• N/V: Nausea or vomiting.
• p.o.: By mouth. From the Latin terminology per os.
• q.i.d.: Four times daily. As in taking a medicine four times daily.
• RA: Rheumatoid arthritis
• SOB: Shortness of breath.
• T: Temperature. Temperature is recorded as part of the physical examination. It is one of the "vital signs."

Hypercalcemia is a condition in which calcium levels in the blood are elevated. Hypercalcemia is associated with other conditions such as hyperparathyroidism, lung cancer, breast cancer, kidney failure, and elevated levels of vitamin D. Symptoms of hypercalcemia include constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, and kidney stones. Treatment depends on the cause of hypercalcemia.

Almond milk is ideal for people who prefer a vegan diet and want fewer calories, but regular milk is more effective at strengthening bones during youth.

Lysine is an essential amino acid used to treat cold sores (herpes simplex labialis), increase alkalinity in the body (metabolic alkalosis), improve bone density, and boost athletic performance. Lysine increases calcium absorption. Excessive doses may cause gallstones and kidney disorders. Common side effects of lysine include abdominal pain, diarrhea, kidney inflammation (interstitial nephritis), and chronic kidney (renal) failure. It is safer to get adequate lysine through dietary intake and avoid lysine supplementation during pregnancy and when breastfeeding.

Vitamins are organic substances that are essential for the proper growth and functioning of the body. Calcium is a mineral essential for healthy bones and is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, and normal blood clotting. Check out the center below for more medical references on vitamins and calcium supplements, including multimedia (slideshows, images, and quizzes), related disease conditions, treatment and diagnosis, medications, and prevention or wellness.

Elevated levels of calcium in the blood indicate a condition known as hypercalcemia. The causes of high calcium levels may vary with age and other factors. High calcium levels in infants can be caused by excess calcium in food, excessive vitamin D intake, excessive vitamin A intake, primary hyperparathyroidism or an increase in parathyroid hormone (PTH), cancerous tumors, injury to skin or fat tissue, infectious diseases (leprosy and histoplasmosis), immobilization or bed rest, and family history of genetic disorders.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) recommends three cup equivalents of dairy per day (including yogurt, cream cheese, low-fat milk) for those older than nine years of age. So, if people stay within recommended limits, yogurt will help keep them healthy.

Renal failure usually causes calcium imbalance. During renal failure, the kidneys may no longer filter out extra phosphorus and remove it from the body or from urine. Over time, phosphorus may increase in the blood. Calcium and phosphorous usually keep each other in check.