We all want to be fit and healthy, and yet, we inundate ourselves with so much wrong information that does more harm than good. We’ve often heard the older generation advise us on having calcium-rich foods, so that our bones stay in shape when we hit our 60s. What’s more, good bone health also means you stay active when you’re old. While the intentions are great, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you are making the right food choices. Yes, what we mean by this is that you might think of certain foods to be “great” for you, but they might wreak havoc on your bone health. Show Ready to know all about them? 1. Phytates are not goodYou might believe that noshing on high-fibre foods is a great idea; after all, they contain phytates. But guess what? They prevent the body from absorbing calcium in other foods. That’s exactly why you must always avoid having cereal with milk, macaroni and cheese or having a glass of milk with baked beans. These taste great together, but are going to harm you in more ways than one. Do not eat them at the same time! Also, read: Lactose intolerant? Choose these best alternatives to get your dose of calcium 2. Oxalic acid reduces calcium absorptionIt is important to remember that foods that are high in oxalic avoid hinder the absorption of calcium, by binding the mineral. Foods like spinach are packed with oxalic acid, but the body is unable to absorb the calcium it provides. There are some other foods that contain oxalic acids. These include beet greens and sweet potatoes.
 3. Protein can also be the culpritFor the longest time, we’ve heard that eating protein in large quantities can cause the kidneys to flush calcium out of the body, but on the other hand, some also say that it may increase calcium absorption. Make sure you avoid certain food combinations: beef stew with milk, chili or steak dinner. Do not have milk with your meal, enjoy it later. 4. Don’t have beer, cheese and snacks togetherFor the unversed, alcohol and salty foods can really flush out calcium from your body. In fact, as the calcium levels decrease in the body, the body extracts calcium from your bones to function properly. This makes the bones porous, and in extreme cases, can also lead to osteoporosis. Medically Reviewed by Poonam Sachdev on April 30, 2022 If your doctor tells you that you have hypercalcemia, it means you have too much calcium in your blood. Some medical conditions can cause it. So can the kind of lifestyle you have, your genes, and certain medications. You may not notice any symptoms if you have a mild case of hypercalcemia. But as your body tries to get rid of the extra calcium, you might pee a lot and get really thirsty. If your calcium levels are very high, you could get nervous system problems, including becoming confused and eventually unconscious. You'll usually find out that you have hypercalcemia through a blood test. If you don't get it treated, high levels of calcium in your blood can lead to bone loss, kidney stones, kidney failure, and heart problems. Your doctor can help you get your calcium levels back to normal and figure out why they're out of whack in the first place. Overactive parathyroid glands are the most common cause of hypercalcemia. When these glands are working right, they release parathyroid hormone (PTH) when your blood calcium levels get low. The release of this hormone helps your body absorb more calcium and lessens the amount you lose when you pee. It also pulls calcium from your bones and puts it into your blood. But if you have overactive parathyroid glands, your body pumps out more PTH than you need. This can happen if they grow too big or a noncancerous tumor forms on one or more of your glands. If hyperparathyroidism is the cause of your high calcium, you may also get:
You may not need treatment if you have mild hypercalcemia. But your doctor will monitor your health. Most likely, they'll check your blood calcium and blood pressure every 6 months. And they'll run tests on your kidneys once a year. You may need to get a bone density test every 1-3 years. They may also tell you to:
You may need to take drugs called calcimimetics. They lower your PTH levels. In more serious cases, a surgeon may take out your parathyroid gland (or glands). If your calcium levels are very high, you'll need to go to the hospital to get fluids and medicine called diuretics through your veins. This can treat hypercalcemia fast. Around 10%-30% of people with cancer may get hypercalcemia. That's because cancer can: The most common cancer types that cause hypercalcemia include: Your cancer or the treatment you get for it can share symptoms with hypercalcemia, such as feeling sick or throwing up. If you get dehydrated, your kidneys can't get rid of calcium very well. Your doctor may give you fluids through your vein. Hypercalcemia from cancer can be hard to manage. It helps to treat your cancer. But you may need drugs to slow the release of calcium from your bones, including: If you take really high doses of vitamin A or D, you may absorb too much calcium. Overuse of calcium-containing antacids can also lead to hypercalcemia. Your doctor will probably ask you to stop taking these supplements. If your vitamin D levels are really high, you may need to take steroid pills, like prednisone, for a short time. Blood pressure drugs like thiazide diuretics can lower the amount of calcium that leaves your body when you pee. They may also make your parathyroid problems worse. More than 20% of people who take lithium get hypercalcemia. Experts aren't sure why this happens. They think it's because the drug affects your parathyroid glands and the amount of PTH they make. Your doctor may switch your medicine. If you need to stay on these drugs, they may give you medication to lower the amount of calcium in your blood. If you inherit a certain gene, your body misjudges how much calcium is in your blood. You'll send out more PTH than you need. It happens if you have a condition called familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH). But in most cases, you won't have any symptoms or need treatment. Your doctor may want to monitor your health. It's not common, but FHH can cause inflammation in your pancreas or calcium to build up in other parts of your body. Health conditions. Lung diseases like tuberculosis and sarcoidosis can raise your blood levels of vitamin D. In turn, your gut will absorb more calcium. Paget's disease and an overactive thyroid are also linked to hypercalcemia. Inactivity. Your bones release calcium if you don't put your body weight on them. This can happen if you're paralyzed or you have another illness that keeps you in bed for a long time. Not getting enough exercise may also make hyperparathyroidism worse. Serious dehydration. Your kidneys can't get rid of calcium if you don't have enough fluid in your body. An easy way to know if you're dehydrated is to look at your urine. You want it to be light yellow, not a shade of dark orange. You should drink fluids until you're not thirsty. Call a doctor if you have diarrhea or you throw up for a long time and can't keep liquids down. © 2022 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. View privacy policy and trust info
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. The calcium in your blood helps:
Two hormones called parathyroid hormone and calcitonin control the levels of calcium in your blood and bones. Vitamin D also plays an important role in maintaining calcium levels because your body needs it to absorb calcium from the food you eat. Your body normally carefully controls the level of calcium in your blood, but certain medications and conditions can result in high blood calcium levels (hypercalcemia). 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. Who does hypercalcemia affect?Hypercalcemia can affect anyone at any age, but it’s most common in people assigned female at birth over age 50 (after menopause). In most cases, this is due to an overactive parathyroid gland. How common is hypercalcemia?Hypercalcemia affects approximately 1% to 2% of the general population. Most of the cases — about 90% — are due to primary hyperparathyroidism and cancer-related hypercalcemia (hypercalcemia of malignancy). Is hypercalcemia life-threatening?Most cases of hypercalcemia aren’t life-threatening and many people don’t have any symptoms. Healthcare providers often catch it early from routine blood tests. But severe hypercalcemia can cause more serious problems, including:
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: 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 hypercalcemiaIn 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 hypercalcemiaAbout 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: Medications that can cause hypercalcemiaCommon medications and supplements that can cause hypercalcemia include:
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 hypercalcemiaOther less common causes of hypercalcemia include:
Hypercalcemia is a fairly common finding on routine blood tests such as a comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP) or basic metabolic panel (BMP), which include a calcium blood test. These tests allow healthcare providers to detect abnormally high calcium levels early. The following blood calcium levels indicate different levels of diagnosis and severity of hypercalcemia:
If you have symptoms of hypercalcemia or are at risk for developing hypercalcemia due to having a certain kind of cancer, your provider will order different blood tests to determine if you have hypercalcemia. If your blood calcium level is elevated, your provider will review your medications and medical history and conduct a physical exam. If there’s no obvious cause to your elevated levels, your provider may ask you to see an endocrinologist, a provider who specializes in hormone-related conditions, who will provide further evaluation and testing. What tests will be done to diagnose this condition?Your healthcare provider may order any of the following tests to help diagnose hypercalcemia and its cause:
If your provider suspects primary hyperparathyroidism is causing hypercalcemia, they’ll likely recommend an imaging test to see if there are any growths on your parathyroid gland(s) or if they’re enlarged. Different imaging tests for this purpose include:
Treatment of hypercalcemia depends on what’s causing it and how severe it is. In mild cases of hypercalcemia, your healthcare provider may tell you to:
If the hypercalcemia is due to an overactive parathyroid gland, your provider will most likely recommend surgery to have the overactive parathyroid gland(s) removed. If the hypercalcemia is due to cancer, your provider may suggest any of the following medications:
If the hypercalcemia is severe, and/or causing significant symptoms, your provider may recommend immediate hospitalization for IV fluids and other treatments.
Not all cases of hypercalcemia can be prevented, but avoiding excess intake of calcium pills and calcium-based antacid tablets can help. Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider if you have a family history of high calcium, kidney stones or parathyroid conditions. Avoid taking dietary supplements, vitamins or minerals without first discussing them with your provider.
Prognosis, like treatment, depends on the cause and severity of hypercalcemia. When hypercalcemia happens due to a benign condition or temporary situation, it generally has a good prognosis. People who have hypercalcemia due to cancer often experience symptoms and require frequent hospitalizations. What are the complications of hypercalcemia?Complications of long-term hypercalcemia are rare since calcium levels are checked in routine blood panels and healthcare providers usually catch hypercalcemia early, but complications can include:
If you have a family history of hypercalcemia and/or hyperparathyroidism, talk to your healthcare provider about your risk for developing hypercalcemia. If you’re experiencing symptoms of hypercalcemia, contact your healthcare provider. A note from Cleveland Clinic Getting a new diagnosis can be stressful. Know that hypercalcemia is treatable and that symptoms usually go away once your calcium levels are back to normal. If you have cancer that can cause hypercalcemia, your provider will likely want to regularly monitor your blood calcium levels. Don’t be afraid to ask your healthcare team questions about hypercalcemia and its management.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 08/05/2022. References
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