Hypercalcemia & Hypocalcemia

The calcium in your blood helps:

• Your nerves work.

• Make your muscles squeeze together so you can move.

• Your blood clot if you’re bleeding.

• Your heart work properly

What is the difference between hypocalcemia and hypercalcemia?

• Hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia are medical conditions that both have to do with the amount of calcium in your blood — the difference is how much.

• In the medical world, the prefix “hyper-” means “high” or “too much.” Hypercalcemia means you have higher-than-normal calcium in your blood.

• The prefix “hypo-” means “low” or “not enough.” Hypocalcemia means you have lower-than-normal levels of calcium in your blood.

What is hypercalcemia?

• Hypercalcemia happens when you have higher-than-normal levels of calcium in your blood. Hypercalcemia can be mild or severe and temporary or chronic (lifelong).

• Calcium is one of the most important and common minerals in your body. Most of your body’s calcium is stored in your bones, but you need calcium in your blood as well.

What are the symptoms of hypercalcemia?

Since healthcare provider often discover hypercalcemia in its early stage, most people don’t have symptoms.

More severe and/or long-term cases of hypercalcemia may cause the following symptoms:

More frequent urination and thirst.

• Fatigue.

• Bone pain.

• Headaches.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Constipation.

• Decrease in appetite.

• Forgetfulness, depression or irritability.

• Muscle aches, weakness, cramping and/or twitches.

What causes hypercalcemia?

More than 25 separate diseases, several medications and even dehydration can cause hypercalcemia. Primary hyperparathyroidism and various kinds of cancers account for the greatest percentage of all people with hypercalcemia.

Primary hyperparathyroidism and hypercalcemia

In primary hyperparathyroidism, one or more of your four parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone — the hormone responsible for controlling blood calcium levels.

Your parathyroid glands are located behind your thyroid gland in your neck. Normally, they work with your kidneys, bones and intestines to carefully regulate the level of blood calcium. But sometimes a parathyroid gland becomes overactive, resulting in excess parathyroid hormone release and elevated blood calcium levels.

Cancers that can cause hypercalcemia

About 2% of all cancers are associated with hypercalcemia, and cancer-related hypercalcemia cases (also called hypercalcemia of malignancy) often have a rapid onset and are severe. Certain types of cancer that can cause hypercalcemia include:

• Lung cancer.

• Breast cancer.

• Multiple myeloma (cancer that forms in a type of white blood cell).

• Renal cell carcinoma (a type of kidney cancer).

• Certain cancers of the blood (leukemia).

• Lymphoma (cancer of the lymphatic system).

• Rhabdomyosarcoma (muscle cell cancer).

• Medications that can cause hypercalcemia

Common medications and supplements that can cause hypercalcemia include:

• Hydrochlorothiazide and other thiazide diuretics (prescribed for high blood pressure and edema).

• Lithium.

• Excessive intake of vitamin D, vitamin A or calcium supplements.

• Taking too much calcium carbonate in the form of Tums® or Rolaids® is actually one of the more common temporary causes of hypercalcemia.

Other causes of hypercalcemia

• Lung diseases such as sarcoidosis and tuberculosis.

• Kidney failure.

• Thyrotoxicosis.

• Being bedridden/immobilized for a prolonged time.

• Paget’s disease of the bone.

• hypercalcemia and its cause:

What are the symptoms of hypocalcemia?

The symptoms of hypocalcemia depend on if it’s mild or severe.

Mild hypocalcemia often have no symptoms (are asymptomatic), but symptoms can include:

• Muscle cramps, especially in your back and legs.

• Dry, scaly skin.

• Brittle nails.

Severe hypocalcemia  can cause the following symptoms:

• Tingling in your lips, tongue, fingers and/or feet.

• Muscle aches.

• Muscle spasms in your throat that make it difficult to breathe (laryngospasm).

• Stiffening and spasms of your muscles (tetany).

• Seizures.

• Abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia).

• Congestive heart failure.

What causes hypocalcemia?

Most of the time, an issue with your parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels and/or vitamin D level(s) is involved with the cause of hypocalcemia. This is because PTH helps control the level of calcium in your blood and vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium.

The three most common causes of hypocalcemia include:

• Hypoparathyroidism: Hypoparathyroidism happens when your parathyroid glands (four small pea-sized glands behind your thyroid in your neck) don’t make enough parathyroid hormone (PTH). Low levels of PTH cause low levels of calcium in your body. You can have hypoparathyroidism from an inherited disorder or from having one or more of your parathyroid glands or your thyroid gland surgically removed.

• Vitamin D deficiency: Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium properly, so a lack of vitamin D in the body can cause low levels of calcium in your blood (hypocalcemia). Vitamin D deficiency can be caused by an inherited disorder or by not getting enough sunlight or not consuming enough vitamin D.

• Kidney failure (renal failure): Hypocalcemia in chronic renal failure is due to an increased level of phosphorus in your blood and decreased renal production of a certain kind of vitamin D.