Hypercalcemia: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment

Hypercalcemia is a condition seen when an individual has high calcium in blood. It is mainly caused by hyperthyroidism or certain cancers and is treatable with medications or surgery. According to research, in India, about 1.5% of hospital patients have hypercalcemia

What is Hypercalcemia?

Hypercalcemia happens when the blood stream exceeds the calcium normal range. In most cases, this high calcium in blood is due to an overactive parathyroid gland. It isn’t life-threatening, and since there are no obvious hypercalcemia symptoms, it is detected early via routine blood tests.

What are the Hypercalcemia Symptoms?

Doctors often discover hypercalcemia in the early stage by testing the presence of high calcium in blood, so most people don’t show any symptoms. But long-term cases can cause hypercalcemia symptoms like:

1. Fatigue and headaches
2. Bone pain
3. Constipation
4. Frequent urination and thirst
5. Depression or drowsiness
6. Nausea and vomiting
7. Muscle weakness
8. Pounding or fast-beating of the heart

What are the Hypercalcemia Causes?

For strong bones and teeth, calcium is necessary. And the parathyroid glands release hormones that help maintain the amount of calcium in blood. It triggers bones to release calcium in the blood, and the digestive tract to absorb more calcium. The hormones released by parathyroid glands also direct the kidneys to activate more vitamin D.

Various hypercalcemia causes can disrupt the balance between too little calcium in the blood and high calcium in blood

1. Hyperparathyroidism or overactive parathyroid glands
2. Little or no movement of the body
3. Serious dehydration
4. Cancers like lung cancer, breast cancer and some blood cancers
5. Tuberculosis and Sarcoidosis
6. Excessive amount of Vitamin D supplements
7. A rare genetic condition: Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia

What are the Complications caused by Hypercalcemia?

Hypercalcemia can lead to medical conditions like:-

1. Osteoporosis: In this condition, the bones keep releasing calcium into the blood. This causes thinning of bones and can lead to curving of the spinal column, loss of height and brittle bones.
2. Arrhythmia: Hypercalcemia can also cause irregular heart rhythm by affecting electrical signals that control heartbeats.
3. Kidney stones or failure: A high amount of calcium in urine can point to crystal formations in the kidneys. And over time, these crystals form kidney stones. Hypercalcemia can further limit the kidney’s ability to filter the blood and can damage the kidneys.
4. Nervous conditions: Severe hypercalcemia can cause confusion, dementia, or even lead to coma. A coma can be fatal.

What are the Tests for Hypercalcemia?

If an individual is detected with hypercalcemia, the doctors recommend some tests for diagnosing the proper cause

1. Blood Tests: Most of the diagnoses for hypercalcemia depend on blood tests. These tests look for abnormalities like high calcium in blood.
2. PTH Test: Since hyperthyroidism is one of the causes for hypercalcemia, the PTH test is also recommended by doctors.
3. Imaging Tests: Some other imaging tests, like X-rays and CT scans, help to confirm if the hypercalcemia symptoms are caused by diseases like cancer or sarcoidosis.

What is Hypercalcemia Management?

The hypercalcemia treatment and management depend on the severity of the symptoms. If an individual has mild hypercalcemia, the doctor might check the bones and kidneys over short durations of time to make sure they’re healthy.

But if the high calcium in blood causes severe hypercalcemia, doctors may recommend some medications or surgery, such as –

1. Calcitonin: A hormone from salmon, to control the high calcium level in blood.
2. Biphosphonates: These can quickly lower calcium levels when given through IV. They are majorly used to treat hypercalcemia conditions due to cancer that causes thigh fractures and breakdown of the jaw.
3. IV fluids and loop diuretics: If the hypercalcemia is severe, it can be a medical emergency. IV fluids are used for hypercalcemia treatment to quickly bring down the high levels to calcium normal range.
4. Surgeries: If hypercalcemia is caused by an overactive parathyroid gland, it can be cured by surgery or procedures like peritoneal dialysis.

Hypercalcemia can raise calcium levels in blood, and lead to symptoms like fatigue, bone pain, and thirst if left untreated. Consult with experts and book tests through Dr Lal PathLabs app today.

FAQs

1.Is high calcium a sign of cancer?

At times, yes, high calcium in blood can signal cancer. Tumors like lung or breast cancer can cause high calcium levels, but not all instances are linked to oncology.

2.What causes high calcium?

The most common cause of high calcium levels is hyperparathyroidism, as the excessive release of hormones pulls the calcium from the bones.

3.What are the Hypercalcemia symptoms?

Hypercalcemia symptoms include fatigue, bone pain, constipation, frequent urination, thirst, depression, nausea, muscle weakness, and heart palpitations.

4.How do doctors treat severe hypercalcemia?

Doctors suggest IV fluids and drugs like bisphosphonates that lower high calcium levels.

5.Can hypercalcemia cause kidney stones?

High calcium intake can cause kidney stones in an individual over time.