Hypercalcemia, or increased calcium in the blood (what this means will be discussed in detail below), is considered a common pathological condition that can develop for a variety of reasons. Its danger lies in the fact that in most cases it proceeds secretly, without any pronounced symptoms. If a person does not go to the hospital in a timely manner, then this disease can lead to the development of many serious he alth problems. Therefore, it is very important to know how the disease manifests itself, so that when the first signs are detected, treatment can begin immediately.
General information
Calcium is one of the most important macronutrients our body needs. It not only acts as a building material for bone tissue, but also takes part in almost all chemical andbiological processes. In the absence of any he alth problems, its norm is 2.55 mmol / l. But due to various negative factors and diseases, people may experience increased calcium in the blood. What does it mean? The answer to this question interests every person who has been given a similar diagnosis.
Hypercalcemia means an increased amount of calcium in the body. As a result, muscle tissues begin to absorb excess Ca, which negatively affects the functioning of all internal organs and systems, and also undermines the overall vital activity. If no measures are taken to regulate the calcium content in the blood, then the risk of developing many diseases of various etiologies is high. More details about them will be discussed later.
The value of calcium for the body
Let's take a closer look at this. As mentioned earlier, this element is one of the most significant. It plays an important role and performs the following functions:
- improves the conduction of nerve impulses in muscle tissue;
- normalizes the work of the heart;
- participate in the production of many enzymes and hormones;
- strengthens bones and tooth enamel;
- increases blood clotting;
- regulates the functioning of the parathyroid glands;
- improves metabolic processes;
- reduces the risk of allergic reactions;
- stabilizes the work of the circulatory and nervous system;
- improves the mental and emotional state of a person.
Sothe importance of Ca for the body is simply invaluable. If doctors have found that you have increased calcium in the blood (what this means, qualified specialists can tell you in detail during the examination), then you need to immediately take a number of measures to bring its content back to normal. To do this, a course of drug therapy is prescribed and a special diet is selected, which must be followed until the disease disappears completely.
Why hypercalcemia develops
This aspect should be given special attention. If calcium in the blood is elevated, the reasons may be different. As medical statistics show, approximately 80% of cases are to blame for endocrine diseases, among which the most common is primary hyperparathyroidism. It is most commonly seen in people with cancer. But there are a number of other negative factors that can provoke the development of pathology.
According to doctors, if the rate of calcium in the blood is increased, the reasons may be as follows:
- Hodgkin's disease.
- Burkita's lymphoma.
- Immobilization.
- Hypernephroma.
- Lung cancer.
- Hemoblastoses.
- High levels of vitamins A and D in the body.
- Tuberculosis.
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Myeloma.
- Breast cancer.
- Adrenal insufficiency.
- Granulomatosis.
- Squamous cell carcinoma.
- Sarcoidosis.
- Kidney failure.
- Burnett Syndrome.
- Thyroid dysfunction.
If the calcium in the blood is elevated, the causes, as a rule, are of a very different nature. They may even be associated with a genetic predisposition. Therefore, before starting therapy, it is very important to first establish the exact cause. For this, a special analysis is carried out, which will be discussed a little later.
But the problem may not always be associated with any disorders in the body or diseases. For example, in women, increased calcium in the blood may be a consequence of menopause. In addition, hypercalcemia is often the result of long-term use of certain medications. But it also happens that there may be several reasons, and they are closely related. In this case, a comprehensive examination and long-term treatment is required, which is selected individually for each patient, depending on the diagnosis and his state of he alth.
Possible Complications
This aspect should be read first. If there is elevated calcium in the blood, the symptoms in women and men are the same. Their manifestation depends on the cause that served to develop the disease. Clinical manifestations should not be ignored, because if left untreated, the pathology will continue to progress, resulting in a high risk of developing various serious complications.
When hypercalcemia occurs, accelerated leaching of calcium from the bones, which is fraught with disruption of the normal functioning of many internal organs andsystems. In addition, the patient may develop the following complications:
- various cardiovascular diseases;
- frequent involuntary spasms of arms and legs;
- kidney failure;
- chronic seizures;
- osteoporosis;
- exacerbation of existing chronic diseases;
- malfunctions in the brain, liver and other organs;
- coma;
- cardiac arrest;
- kidney stone formation;
- diabetes insipidus;
- suppression of water channels;
- tubulointerstitial kidney disease;
- renal tubular acidosis.
All these dangerous diseases develop in approximately 20 percent of patients who have been diagnosed with elevated blood calcium (what this means has already been discussed earlier). If a person went to the hospital late, then the presence of comorbidities can significantly complicate further therapy. Therefore, doctors urge, when the first suspicions of hypercalcemia arise, immediately go to the hospital to receive qualified medical care. The main danger in this case is that the treatment does not always give the expected result and the patient can be helped. In very severe cases, which fortunately are not very common, patients fall into a coma and eventually die.
Clinical manifestations
Let's take a closer look at this. Regardless of the cause of elevated calcium in the blood, the symptoms of the disease are almost always identical. Therefore, on examination, doctors first of allconduct an oral questioning of the patient in order to collect information about the present clinical manifestations. If a pathology is suspected, a general and ionized blood test is prescribed. These research methods are highly accurate and informative.
In most cases, the symptoms of the disease manifest themselves from the gastrointestinal tract. Patients face the following problems:
- loss of appetite;
- abdominal pain;
- nausea and gagging;
- constant constipation.
Prolonged hypercalcemia can cause dehydration. In this case, the general condition and well-being of a person worsens and the following symptoms appear:
- general weakness;
- dizziness;
- drastic weight loss;
- urinary retention;
- periodic fainting;
- decreased brain activity;
- emotional instability;
- hallucinations;
- tachycardia;
- depression;
- numbness of the fingers of the upper and lower extremities;
- twilight confusion;
- disordered thinking;
- dry skin;
- frequent mood swings;
- caries;
- nail lesions;
- poor hair condition;
- decrease in physical capacity;
- convulsions;
- poor blood clotting;
- diffuse muscle pain;
- lethargy;
- increased urine production;
- unquenchable thirst.
If a person has high calcium levels in the blood,causes should be established as early as possible. If no action is taken, the disease can lead to the patient falling into a coma. This is a dangerous condition that poses a great threat to life. Very often, it is not possible to get patients out of it, and everything ends in death.
Diagnosis of disease
If, after anamnesis, the doctor suspects the presence of a disease, a general and ionized blood test is prescribed. Calcium is elevated - what does it mean? A similar symptom indicates a deviation of the mineral content from the norm. This may indicate the presence of serious he alth problems.
Blood test is one of the most common methods of clinical research with high information content. It allows at the earliest stages to detect many diseases associated with the skeleton, nervous system and internal organs. The indications for its appointment are:
- malignant tumors of various etiologies;
- nervous disorders;
- pancreatitis;
- various bone diseases;
- renal and liver failure;
- heterogeneous structure of the thyroid gland;
- parathyroid disease;
- nutrient absorption problems;
- anomalies detected during electrocardiography.
In addition to confirming elevated blood calcium, a general analysis is used to evaluate the effectiveness of ongoing therapy in the treatment of many diseases. It shows how the body reacts to taking medications and what changes occur in it. It is also used to control side effects and reduce the risk of serious complications.
If there is a suspicion that calcium in the blood is elevated, general tests are taken on an empty stomach. In addition, the patient must undergo preliminary training. For the most reliable results, the patient should tell the doctor about all medications taken. Before going to the hospital, it is recommended to refrain from eating and drinking. The examination may be delayed for some time if the person is taking the following medications:
- vitamin complexes;
- antacids;
- diuretics prescribed for hypertension;
- lithium used to treat mental disorders.
All of these medications affect blood chemistry, so results may be incorrect. If a person consumes a lot of milk and dairy products, then he will also have abnormal Ca levels. When examining a patient, doctors take into account the lifestyle and quality of nutrition. In addition, there is often an increase in blood calcium in women during pregnancy. In the case of expectant mothers, additional laboratory tests and consultations with doctors of other speci alties may be required.
Drug therapy
In most cases, the treatment of high blood calcium is based on taking drugs that regulate the content of thismineral. What kind of medicines you need to take, the doctor decides on the basis of the diagnosis, the form and severity of the course of the disease. In this case, therapy begins only after the increased calcium content has been confirmed by the results of laboratory studies. Otherwise, there is a high probability of aggravation of the patient's condition and the development of many undesirable complications.
To achieve maximum effectiveness, treatment should be carried out taking into account the cause that led to the development of pathology. Only by eliminating it, you can normalize the level of calcium in the blood. There is no universal list of mandatory medicines for hypercalcemia. Each case is unique, so the final decision is made by the doctor. In the vast majority of cases, the course is based on admission:
- drugs aimed at eliminating the cause that led to an increased content of calcium in the blood. These can be hormonal, cardiac and other medications;
- diuretic drugs. They stimulate the excretion of excess calcium from the body, which helps to improve the patient's well-being and speed up his recovery.
Most often, treatment is carried out at home, but if the level of calcium is too high, which creates a threat to human life, emergency hospitalization is carried out. Throughout the course of therapy, doctors closely monitor the patient's he alth and, if necessary, make appropriate adjustments to the program.treatment.
Folk remedies
Many people are interested in the question: if calcium in the blood is elevated, what should I do? In alternative medicine, there are many ways in which this problem can be de alt with at home. At the same time, they can be used both as the basis of treatment and as additional methods to increase the effectiveness of drug therapy. But in the latter case, you must first consult a doctor and agree on everything.
According to many experts in the field of traditional medicine, you can get rid of hypercalcemia if:
- Drink plenty of fluids daily. Plain purified drinking water is best. But the key requirement is that it should not be too hard. Otherwise, calcium will not be excreted, but, on the contrary, accumulate in the body. Doctors say that the daily fluid requirement for hypercalcemia is at least three liters.
- Proper nutrition. Daily diet is the basis of he alth. It is from food that people get all the necessary vitamins and minerals. If you have been diagnosed with an excess of calcium, then from your menu you need to exclude all foods that contain this mineral. This is a temporary measure. You can return to your usual diet after the disease is defeated. At a minimum, you should give up dairy and greens.
- Physical activity. It can be exercises in the morning or playing sports. Intense training favorably affects the hormonal background, whichgives a positive effect in the treatment of hypercalcemia. In addition, it is advisable to give up bad habits and try to fully relax and get enough sleep.
As for specific recipes, a positive result can be achieved with the help of various decoctions and infusions that have a diuretic effect. But in the process of taking them, it is necessary to take breaks, since their abuse can be fraught with various he alth complications. Here are some good recipes:
- Take 2-3 tablespoons of rose hips, pour a liter of boiling water and let it brew for several hours.
- Mix 4 tbsp. l. dried peppermint leaves and lingonberries, pour 1 liter of boiling water and leave for 2 hours in a dark place.
- Mix 3 tbsp. l. bearberry and fennel seeds and pour a liter of boiling water. After the remedy is infused, drink it three times a day for 50 milliliters for two weeks.
Some healers also recommend taking decoctions and infusions prepared on the basis of nettle and parsley. However, this is not recommended because these plants contain calcium, so you can achieve the exact opposite effect.
It is worth noting that hypercalcemia does not always imply an elevated level of Ca in the body. There are times when its amount is significantly below the norm. Here the question arises of how to increase calcium in the blood. In this case, everything also depends on the cause of the development of the pathology, but most often it consists in vitamin deficiency. Therefore, inIn most cases, doctors prescribe a course of vitamin complexes to patients.
A few words about nutrition
Following the right diet is one of the key success factors in the treatment of hypercalcemia. For a while, you should give up or at least reduce your intake of the following foods:
- s alt;
- alcohol;
- carbonated drinks;
- black tea and coffee;
- confectionery.
To bring calcium levels back to normal, it is recommended to eat more he althy foods. These include:
- green vegetables;
- tofu;
- salmon and tuna;
- legumes;
- seaweed;
- eggs;
- mushrooms;
- cereal flakes;
- fresh or baked fruit;
- broccoli.
It is worth noting that it is very difficult to properly plan your daily diet on your own. Therefore, if you have found an increased ionizing calcium in the blood, then you should consult with a qualified specialist.
Conclusion
Calcium is one of the most important minerals our body needs. Therefore, its optimal content is very important for he alth. Fortunately, if you go to the hospital in time and immediately start treating hypercalcemia, then this pathology can be quickly defeated and a person can return to his usual and normal lifestyle. Therefore, when the first symptoms appeardisease, do not hesitate, but immediately make an appointment with the doctor. In this case, you can avoid many serious problems.
