Hypercalcemia

Your body has four tiny glands near your thyroid called parathyroid glands. These glands produce a hormone that helps control the levels of calcium and phosphorus in your blood.

High Calcium Levels (Hypercalcemia)

Sometimes, the parathyroid glands make too much of this hormone, leading to a condition called hypercalcemia. This means there's too much calcium in your blood. This extra calcium can be harmful. It can weaken your bones, potentially form kidney stones, and affect your heart and brain.

Hypercalcemia isn't always caused by the parathyroid glands. Other possible causes include certain cancers, other medical conditions, and even some medicines. Taking too many calcium or vitamin D supplements can also cause this problem.

Some people with hypercalcemia don't experience any symptoms, while others have mild to severe symptoms.

Finding and Treating the Problem

Doctors use several advanced imaging techniques to pinpoint the location of any overactive parathyroid glands. These methods include:

• Ultrasound: A sound wave test that creates images of the area.
• Sestamibi scan: A nuclear medicine test using a special dye that highlights the parathyroid glands.
• CT scan (including 4D CT): A detailed X-ray image that creates a 3D view of the neck.
• Choline PET scan: A more recent and advanced scan that uses radioactive material to highlight the overactive gland, which is less commonly available.

Once the problem is located, doctors can perform surgery to remove the overactive gland(s).

What to Expect During Treatment

Patients might experience a range of non-specific but troubling symptoms before treatment. However, surgery often dramatically improves their condition, relieving those symptoms.

Doctors aim to provide patients with a smooth and efficient treatment process, ensuring they are treated by highly experienced surgeons. The goal is for patients to feel confident in the quality of care they will receive.

High blood calcium (hypercalcemia) can sometimes have no noticeable symptoms. However, if the level is high enough, you might experience problems in different parts of your body.

Kidney Problems: When there's too much calcium in your blood, your kidneys work overtime to filter it out. This can lead to increased thirst and needing to urinate more often.

Digestive Issues: High blood calcium can upset your stomach, causing pain, nausea, vomiting, and trouble having bowel movements (constipation).

Bone and Muscle Weakness: Often, the extra calcium comes from your bones, weakening them. This can result in bone pain and muscle weakness.

Brain Problems: Hypercalcemia can affect how your brain functions. This might show up as difficulty concentrating, feeling confused, sleepy, or tired. It can also contribute to feelings of depression.

Heart Problems: In more serious cases, high blood calcium can affect your heart. You might notice a fast, fluttering, or pounding heartbeat, or an irregular heartbeat. It can also be connected to other heart problems.

When to See a Doctor: If you think you might have high blood calcium, contact your doctor right away. Watch out for symptoms like extreme thirst, frequent urination, and stomach pain. These symptoms could be a sign of hypercalcemia, and prompt medical attention is important.

If you think you might have hypercalcemia, a condition where your blood calcium levels are too high, contact your doctor. Symptoms can include feeling very thirsty, needing to urinate often, and experiencing stomach pain. It's important to get checked out by a healthcare professional if you notice these signs.

Calcium is essential for strong bones and teeth, as well as for muscle function and nerve signals. Your body needs a precise balance of calcium in your blood, and the parathyroid glands play a crucial role in maintaining this balance. These tiny glands release hormones that tell your body how to manage calcium:

• Your bones: Release calcium into your bloodstream when needed.
• Your digestive system: Absorbs more calcium from the food you eat.
• Your kidneys: Release less calcium and activate vitamin D. Vitamin D is vital for your body to absorb calcium effectively.

Having too much calcium in your blood (hypercalcemia) can be a problem. Several factors can disrupt this delicate balance:

Common Causes of High Calcium Levels:

• Overactive Parathyroid Glands (Hyperparathyroidism): This is the most frequent reason for high calcium. The parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone. This can happen due to a small, non-cancerous tumor, or if one or more of the four parathyroid glands becomes enlarged.
• Cancer: Certain types of cancer, like lung cancer, breast cancer, and some blood cancers, can increase the risk of hypercalcemia. Cancer that spreads to the bones can also be a factor.
• Other Medical Conditions: Diseases like tuberculosis and sarcoidosis can raise your body's vitamin D levels. This, in turn, can lead your body to absorb more calcium from food.
• Genetics: A rare genetic condition called familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia can cause high calcium levels in the blood. Importantly, this condition usually doesn't cause symptoms or problems.
• Lack of Movement: People who are bedridden or have conditions that limit their movement may develop hypercalcemia. Bones that don't bear weight over time can release more calcium into the bloodstream.
• Dehydration: A significant lack of fluids in the body can temporarily raise calcium levels. The reduced fluid makes the calcium concentration appear higher.
• Certain Medications: Drugs like lithium and some water pills (thiazide diuretics) can sometimes trigger the release of more parathyroid hormone.
• Supplements: Taking excessive amounts of calcium or vitamin D supplements over time can lead to elevated calcium levels. It's important to follow recommended dosages.

Understanding these causes is key to proper diagnosis and treatment if high calcium levels are suspected. If you have concerns about your calcium levels, consult a doctor.

High levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia) can cause several health problems. Here are some of them:

• Weak Bones (Osteoporosis): Your bones are constantly being rebuilt. When you have hypercalcemia, your bones might release more calcium into your blood than your body needs. This can lead to weaker bones, making them more likely to break. Over time, this can cause your spine to curve, making you lose height, and increasing your risk of fractures.

• Kidney Stones: Your kidneys filter waste from your blood and make urine. If there's too much calcium in your urine, it can form crystals. These crystals can clump together and form hard deposits called kidney stones. Kidney stones can be very painful when they pass through your urinary tract.

• Kidney Damage: Your kidneys are vital for cleaning your blood and getting rid of extra water. If hypercalcemia persists, it can damage the kidneys, making them less effective at their job. Eventually, this can lead to kidney failure, where your kidneys can no longer adequately filter your blood.

• Brain and Nervous System Problems: Extremely high levels of calcium in the blood can affect your brain and nervous system. This can cause confusion, memory problems (dementia), and even a coma. A coma can be life-threatening.

• Heart Problems (Arrhythmias): Your heart beats in a regular rhythm thanks to electrical signals. High calcium levels can disrupt these signals, causing your heart to beat irregularly (arrhythmia). This can be a serious problem and may need immediate medical attention.

High calcium levels in your blood (hypercalcemia) often have no noticeable symptoms. This means you might not feel unwell, and you might only find out you have it when a routine blood test reveals an unusually high amount of calcium. This test can also check your parathyroid hormone levels. A high parathyroid hormone level could indicate a problem called hyperparathyroidism.

If your blood tests show hypercalcemia, your doctor will investigate the reason. This might involve imaging tests, like X-rays or scans, of your bones or lungs. These tests can help pinpoint the cause. Sometimes, the cause is a medical condition like cancer or a disease called sarcoidosis.