Asked by: Miryam Morosan
medical health hormonal disorders

What does a calcium blood test show?

Last Updated: 21st January, 2020

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A calcium blood test measures the amount of calcium in your blood. About 99% of your body's calcium is stored in your bones. The remaining 1% circulates in the blood. If there is too much or too little calcium in the blood, it may be a sign of bone disease, thyroid disease, kidney disease, or other medical conditions.

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People also ask, what is a calcium blood test for?

A blood calcium test is ordered to screen for, diagnose, and monitor a range of conditions relating to the bones, heart, nerves, kidneys, and teeth. The test may also be ordered if a person has symptoms of a parathyroid disorder, malabsorption, or an overactive thyroid.

Additionally, what happens when the blood calcium level is too low? Hypocalcemia, commonly known as calcium deficiency disease, occurs when calcium levels in the blood are low. A long-term deficiency can lead to dental changes, cataracts, alterations in the brain, and osteoporosis, which causes the bones to become brittle.

One may also ask, what are the symptoms of high calcium levels in the blood?

Symptoms

  • Excessive thirst and frequent urination. Too much calcium means that the kidneys have to work harder.
  • Stomach pain and digestive problems.
  • Bone pain and muscle weakness.
  • Confusion, lethargy, and fatigue.
  • Anxiety and depression.
  • High blood pressure and abnormal heart rhythms.

Is high calcium a sign of cancer?

Causes of hypercalcemia Cancer can cause high levels of blood calcium in several ways. The causes of cancer-related hypercalcemia include: Bone-related cancers, such as multiple myeloma or leukemia, or cancer that has spread to the bone cause the bone to break down. This releases excess calcium into the blood.

Related Question Answers

Jhovana Horrel

Professional

What are the symptoms of lack of calcium?

Low Calcium Symptoms
  • Muscle Problems. Cramps, muscle spasms, and aches are the earliest signs of calcium deficiency.
  • Fatigue.
  • Skin Symptoms.
  • Osteoporosis & Osteopenia.
  • Painful Premenstrual Syndrome.
  • Dental Problems.
  • Depression.
  • Other Symptoms.

Dorinda Goday

Professional

What medications can raise calcium levels?

Diuretics: Thiazide diuretics like hydrochlorothiazide (Microzide) and chlorthalidone are used to treat high blood pressure, but high calcium levels are a well-known side effect. These medications can raise calcium levels by preventing calcium from being released in the urine, which can also lead to kidney stones.

Nyima Graño

Professional

How do you check calcium levels?

The total calcium blood test measures the total amount of calcium in your blood. Your doctor will order this test as part of a routine metabolic panel or if you're experiencing certain symptoms. Be sure to see your doctor if you're having symptoms of low or high calcium.

Bairon Gastesi

Explainer

What are the symptoms of calcium deficiency in adults?

Severe symptoms of hypocalcemia include:
  • confusion or memory loss.
  • muscle spasms.
  • numbness and tingling in the hands, feet, and face.
  • depression.
  • hallucinations.
  • muscle cramps.
  • weak and brittle nails.
  • easy fracturing of the bones.

Lawrence Sellenmerten

Explainer

What causes slightly elevated calcium levels?

The most common cause of high calcium levels (hypercalcemia) is an overproduction of parathyroid hormone, or hyperparathyroidism. For example, hypocalciuric hypercalcemia is an inherited condition in which individuals do not excrete normal amounts of calcium, thus calcium levels are usually slightly elevated.

Onorina Bobes

Explainer

How can I raise my calcium level?

Here are some tips on how to eat more calcium.
  1. Include dairy products in your diet every day.
  2. Learn to love leafy green vegetables.
  3. Eat more fish.
  4. Replace the meat in some meals with tofu or tempeh.
  5. Snack on calcium-rich nuts like Brazil nuts or almonds.
  6. Reduce your intake of caffeine, soft drinks and alcohol.

Adelfina Berzen

Pundit

Is calcium bad for your heart?

Advertisement. A study from the National Institutes of Health found that men who took calcium supplements had an increased risk of a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular diseases. But other studies suggest that both men and women who take calcium supplements have a higher risk of heart disease.

Britni Sarrat

Pundit

What is a good calcium level?

For teenagers and young adults, it is normal to have calcium levels up into the mid to high 10's (in mg/dl). For adults over about age 40, the calcium level should generally be in the 9.3 to 9.9 mg/dl range. High calcium levels almost always indicate parathyroid disease.

Maura Veseliev

Pundit

Is 10.8 a high calcium level?

The person with calcium levels above 10.0 mg/dl the longest is usually the person with the highest number of complications and the one that has the more severe disease. It is incorrect to assume that a calcium of 12.2 comes from a tumor that is older than one resulting in a blood calcium level of 10.8 mg/dl.

Abdessadeq Gullner

Pundit

What does high calcium mean in a blood test?

Hypercalcemia is a condition in which the calcium level in your blood is above normal. Too much calcium in your blood can weaken your bones, create kidney stones, and interfere with how your heart and brain work. Hypercalcemia is usually a result of overactive parathyroid glands.

Abdessalam Twilfer

Pundit

Why would a doctor check calcium levels?

A calcium blood test measures the amount of calcium in your blood. Calcium is one of the most important minerals in your body. If there is too much or too little calcium in the blood, it may be a sign of bone disease, thyroid disease, kidney disease, or other medical conditions.

Artem Tanzi

Teacher

What should I eat if my calcium is high?

Here are 15 foods that are rich in calcium, many of which are non-dairy.
  • Seeds. Seeds are tiny nutritional powerhouses.
  • Cheese. Most cheeses are excellent sources of calcium.
  • Yogurt. Yogurt is an excellent source of calcium.
  • Sardines and Canned Salmon.
  • Beans and Lentils.
  • Almonds.
  • Whey Protein.
  • Some Leafy Greens.

Indalecio Radetzki

Teacher

Can high calcium cause heart problems?

Elevated calcium levels raise heart attack risk. High calcium levels impact risk of coronary artery disease and heart attack, recent research finds. Coronary artery disease (CAD), which often results in a heart attack, is the most common cause of death on a global level.

Yamilex Ursel

Teacher

What foods to avoid when calcium is high?

Eat fewer dairy foods (such as cheese, milk, yogurt, ice cream) or don't eat them at all. If your provider says you can eat dairy foods, don't eat those that have extra calcium added.

Shakira Labandibar

Teacher

Can dehydration cause high calcium?

Dehydration. 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. In people with chronic kidney disease, the effects of dehydration are greater.

Nour Montesino

Reviewer

How long can a person live with hypercalcemia?

Unfortunately, cancer-related hypercalcemia has a poor prognosis, as it is most often associated with disseminated disease. Eighty percent of patients will die within a year, and there is a median survival of 3 to 4 months.

Nilva Gagea

Reviewer

Can low vitamin D cause high calcium?

With lower levels of vitamin D, dietary calcium is not absorbed efficiently, making your high calcium problem even worse. When the body does not have sufficient Vitamin D to maintain a normal calcium level, there can also be an elevation in the PTH level.

Maryellen Konopacki

Reviewer

Can low calcium cause anxiety?

Anxiety and irritability
If you're feeling anxious, lethargic, depressed or irritable, a lack of calcium could be the cause. An overall change in your sense of wellbeing, even a subtle change, could signal nutritional deficiencies and it could be a sign that you need to up your calcium intake.

Kanisha Andropov

Reviewer

What drugs cause low calcium levels?

Disorders that decrease calcium absorption. Pancreatitis. Certain drugs, including rifampin (an antibiotic), anticonvulsants (such as phenytoin and phenobarbital), bisphosphonates (such as alendronate, ibandronate, risedronate, and zoledronic acid), calcitonin, chloroquine, corticosteroids, and plicamycin.

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21st January, 2020

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