Why does hypercalcemia cause weakness

Severe cases can cause confusion and coma. If you have cancer and experience any symptoms of hypercalcemia, call your doctor immediately. Your body uses the interaction between calcium, vitamin D , and parathyroid hormone PTH to regulate calcium levels. PTH helps the body control how much calcium comes into the blood stream from the intestines , kidneys, and bones. Normally, PTH increases when the calcium level in your blood falls and decreases when your calcium level rises.

Your body can also make calcitonin from the thyroid gland when your calcium level gets too high. The parathyroid glands are four small glands located behind the thyroid gland in the neck. They control the production of the parathyroid hormone, which in turn regulates calcium in the blood. Hyperparathyroidism occurs when one or more of your parathyroid glands becomes overly active and releases too much PTH. This creates a calcium imbalance that the body cannot correct on its own.

This is the leading cause of hypercalcemia, especially in women over 50 years old. Granulomatous diseases, such as tuberculosis and sarcoidosis , are lung diseases that can cause your vitamin D levels to rise. This causes more calcium absorption, which increases the calcium level in your blood. Some cancers, especially lung cancer , breast cancer , and blood cancers , can raise your risk for hypercalcemia.

Some medications, particularly diuretics , can produce hypercalcemia. They do this by causing severe fluid diuresis, which is a loss of body water, and an underexcretion of calcium.

This leads to an excess concentration of calcium in the blood. Taking too much vitamin D or calcium in the form of supplements can raise your calcium level. Excessive use of calcium carbonate, found in common antacids like Tums and Rolaids, can also lead to high calcium levels.

High doses of these over-the-counter products are the third most common cause of hypercalcemia in the United States. This usually leads to mild cases of hypercalcemia. Dehydration causes your calcium level to rise due to the low amount of fluid you have in your blood. However, the severity greatly depends on your kidney function. In people with chronic kidney disease , the effects of dehydration are greater.

These four tiny glands are situated in the neck, near the thyroid gland. Other causes of hypercalcemia include cancer, certain other medical disorders, some medications, and taking too much of calcium and vitamin D supplements.

Signs and symptoms of hypercalcemia range from nonexistent to severe. Treatment depends on the cause. You might not have signs or symptoms if your hypercalcemia is mild. More-severe cases produce signs and symptoms related to the parts of your body affected by the high calcium levels in your blood. Examples include:. Contact your doctor if you develop signs and symptoms that might indicate hypercalcemia, such as being extremely thirsty, urinating frequently and having abdominal pain.

Overactive parathyroid glands or an underlying health condition can disrupt the balance of calcium. If calcium levels become too high, a person may be diagnosed with hypercalcemia. This condition can impede bodily functions, and may specifically be associated with:. The parathyroid glands control calcium levels. If they work too hard, this can lead to hypercalcemia. The parathyroid glands may become overactive when one is enlarged or when a noncancerous growth forms on one.

Having overactive parathyroid glands is called hyperparathyroidism. This may be the most common cause of hypercalcemia. Hyperparathyroidism is usually diagnosed in people aged between 50 and It is also up to three times more common in women than men. Vitamin D triggers calcium absorption in the gut. Once absorbed, calcium travels into the bloodstream. Only 10—20 percent of the calcium in the diet is usually absorbed, while the rest is passed in stools.

However, excessive amounts of vitamin D cause the body to absorb more calcium, leading to hypercalcemia. In , some researchers suggested that therapeutic high-dose vitamin D supplementation has the potential to cause hypercalcemia. These supplements can be used in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other conditions. The recommended daily dose for adults is — IU per day. If a person has cancer , this may cause hypercalcemia.

Cancers that commonly lead to this condition include:. In , it was estimated that each year hypercalcemia affects more than 2 percent of all cancer patients in the U. Also, up to 30 percent of people with cancer will have high levels of calcium over the course of the disease. Another indicator of hypocalcemia is Chvostek's sign , which is elicited by tapping the cheek over the path of the facial nerve.

In hypocalcemia patients, the facial muscles on the same side of the face will contract momentarily, as the tap will stimulate hyperexcitable motor axons. The table below summarizes the typical effects of hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia on excitable membranes. This movie provides more insights into the effects of hypercalcemia and hypocalcemia on excitable membranes. If the movie does not play in this window, or you would like to see it in a window of alternate size, download it from this link.