Your body needs calcium for various functions, including hormone release, bone building, brain function, nerve function and muscle contraction, according to MedlinePlus. However, if the calcium level in your blood is too high -- a condition called hypercalcemia -- it can impede these physical processes. Hypercalcemia also can signal other health conditions such as cancer and sarcoidosis.
Common Symptoms
You might not have any signs and symptoms if you have too much calcium in your blood, especially if it's only a mild increase. However, if it's significantly higher than it should be, you might experience appetite loss, nausea, vomiting, extreme thirst, constipation, abdominal discomfort, muscle weakness, lethargy, confusion, aches in your muscles and joints and frequent urination, according to MayoClinic.com. In some cases, the amount of excess calcium you have in your body isn't related to how severe your signs and symptoms are. For instance, if you're an older person, you are at increased risk of weak and painful muscles no matter what.
Why It Happens
Your body absorbs calcium and stores it in its bones, muscles and blood when you eat calcium-rich products such as dairy and leafy greens. When your body is healthy, it maintains a normal blood calcium level by urinating out excess amounts of calcium. Your thyroid gland releases a hormone called calcitonin and your parathyroid glands produce parathyroid hormone. These help regulate your body's calcium levels. If your body has trouble regulating these hormones, your body has trouble getting rid of excess calcium.
Underlying Causes
A growth on a parathyroid gland or an enlargement of a parathyroid gland can cause your body to release too much parathyroid hormone. This is the most common cause of too much calcium in the body, according to MedlinePlus. However, other medical conditions can cause this problem. For instance, certain types of cancerous tumors can produce a protein that causes too much calcium to enter your blood. Additionally, certain diseases, such as tuberculosis and sarcoidosis, can cause elevated levels of vitamin D and stimulate your digestive tract to absorb more calcium than it needs. Other potential causes of hypercalcemia are spending extended periods lying down, taking certain drugs such as lithium and consuming too many vitamin D or calcium supplements for a long time.
Treatment
The treatment for hypercalcemia depends mainly on what's causing it. You might need to undergo surgery to get rid of an abnormal parathyroid gland. If cancer is the cause, you'll need treatment for that. However, if the hypercalcemia is mild and caused by too much parathyroid hormone, your doctor might just recommend monitoring your levels to make sure they don't get too high. Severely high levels of calcium might require treatment such as calcitonin supplementation, dialysis, diuretic medications, drugs that prevent the bone from breaking down, intravenous fluids and steroids.
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