You will need to fast for six hours before your blood is drawn for a calcium score test in Wayne, NJ. This means that you should not eat or drink anything other than water at that time. You may feel mild pain or a slight pinching sensation during the procedure. After the doctor removes the needle, you will feel a pulsating sensation. You will be told to apply pressure to the site where the needle enters your skin. Your arm will be bandaged. You should avoid using this arm for heavy lifting for the rest of the day.
You get blood transfusions.
You are critically ill and have intravenous fluids.
- It has a major analysis.
- You have abnormal levels of proteins in your blood.
- In these cases, it is important to understand exactly how much free calcium you have available.
- Low levels of free calcium can cause your heart rate to slow down or accelerate, cause muscle spasms, and even cause a coma. Your doctor may order an ionized calcium test if you have signs of numbness around the mouth or in your arms and legs, or if you have a muscle spasm in those areas. These are signs of low count of calcium levels.
There are two levels of calcium in the blood
Total calcium level and free calcium level (ionized calcium). Because 50% of the amount of calcium in the blood is bound to albumin (a protein found in the blood), a high or low level of albumin can alter the total measured calcium level.
Functionally, free calcium is active, so in situations where there is a disturbance in the total calcium level, which is the common and routine test, the level of free calcium is checked.
Normal total calcium level (Ca) values:
In situations of excess or calcium deficiency, the doctor may be interested in additional blood tests, including blood albumin level, PTH, vitamin D, phosphorus and magnesium levels, and ALP (Alkaline phosphatase) level, depending on the particular case.
Excess calcium in the blood cannot manifest itself in an unusual phenomenon or can cause a variety of symptoms: general weakness, depression, confusion, vomiting, kidney stones, and kidney damage. At very high levels, excess calcium can cause arrhythmias and even death.