Overview 

When the calcium levels of a person ‘s body gets too high  then this condition is known as hypercalcemia. High calcium levels in the person’s bloodstream is made by weakening bone, forming kidney stones and it can also affect the functioning of your heart, brain and all other vital organs. Generally, High levels of calcium are caused because of the overactive parathyroid glands. Particularly these glands are situated at the throat area, near the thyroid gland. Few other reasons behind the high levels of calcium in the person’s body are cancer, overdose of specific medicines, ant type of medical disorders, and excessive intake of calcium and vitamin D supplements. 

Symptoms and indications of high calcium can range from nonexistent to critical. Treatment of high calcium depends upon its causes. 

Symptoms of high calcium 

It is possible that you may not experience any types of symptoms or indications if your calcium is little bit higher than normal times. If your body has excessive high calcium then it is sure that you will experience symptoms or indications in different parts of your body. Some of these includes: 

• Heart: When calcium levels of your body get critically increased then this may disturb the functioning of your heart. 

• Brain: High calcium levels in your body can also trouble the functioning of your brain which can result in confusion, lethargy and fatigue. Sometimes it can also lead to depression. 

• Kidneys: High calcium amount can make your kidneys work harder in the process of its filtration. This may lead to excessive feeling thirsty and urination frequently. 

• Digestive system: High calcium levels in the body can cause nausea, stomach upset, constipation and vomiting. 

• Muscles and bones: Almost in most of the cases, the high calcium levels in the patient’s bloodstream is extracted from their bones, which makes their bones weak. 

When should you contact a doctor? 

You should consult a doctor when you start noticing symptoms and indications of high calcium levels in your body such as frequent urination, being extremely thirsty and experiencing extreme abdominal pain. 

Causes of high calcium

Besides making bones and teeth strong, calcium also helps muscles to contract and nerves in transmitting signals. Usually, if there is a shortage of calcium in your body then a specific hormone will be released by your parathyroid glands which may cause: 

• Your bones release calcium from them to your bloodstream. 

• Your digestive system absorbs more calcium. 

• Your kidneys remove less amount of calcium from your body and produce more vitamin D, which performs a crucial role in absorption of calcium. 

There can be multiple reasons behind the high calcium amount in your body we have listed few of them below: 

• Cancer: Some specific types of cancer such as lung cancer, bone cancer, are the most common reasons which can cause high calcium amounts in your body. 

• Supplements: Overdose of specific types of supplements which are high in calcium and vitamin D are able to increase high calcium levels in your body.

• Medications: Specific types of medications such as lithium, which are used for the treatment of bipolar disorder- are likely to increase the production of parathyroid hormones from parathyroid glands. 

• Other diseases: Few type diseases like sarcoidosis and tuberculosis, are able to raise the levels of vitamin D in your bloodstream, which can provoke your digestive system to absorb more amounts of calcium than normal. 

• Genetics: An uncommon genetic disorder named familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia which makes an increase in the amount of calcium in your bloodstream because of defective calcium receptors. This condition doesn’t show any type of signs and systems. 

• Critical dehydration: One of the most common causes of high calcium levels in the body is dehydration. Less fluid containment in your blood will increase the levels of high calcium in your blood. 

Complications 

Complications of high calcium includes: 

• Kidney stones: If your urine contains high amounts of calcium, then it is possible that crystals of calcium may form up in your kidneys. Over the time period, it may be possible that crystals will combine which may result in kidney stones. Usually kidney stones are extremely painful. 

• Kidney failure: High calcium amount in your body can cause severe damage to your kidneys, which can affect their functioning of filtration of blood and excreting waste fluids from our body. 

• Issues of nervous system: Critical amounts of high calcium in our body can result in dementia, coma and confusion. It can be even deadly. 

• Osteoporosis: If your bone continues to release calcium into your blood then it may make them weak and it could also lead to bone fractures, loss of height and spinal column curvature. 

• Abnormal heart rhythm: Abnormal heart rhythm condition is also known as arrhythmia. High calcium levels in your body can also affect the electrical impulses of your body which performs the crucial role of regulating the heartbeat of the body. This condition can make your heartbeat irregular.