Hypercalcemia

= HYPERCALCEMIA = By: Alexis and Chelsae

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Hypercalcemia
Hypercalcemia is when there is an over excessive amount of [|calcium] in the blood. It can be cause by to much skeletal calcium release, high intestinal calcium absorption, or low kidney calcium [|excretion]. People with hypercalcemia might not know they have it. Hypercalcemia can go unnoticed or even pass itself off as another disease. Calcium is needed in a day to day diet it helps control many of our body's function. Calcium is responsible for bone formation, the releasing of [|hormones], contraction of muscles, and helps our brains and nerves function. If your body does not recieve enough calcium, it will steal it from your bones to make sure everything remains in order. An average teenager needs about 1,300 mg (milligrams) of calcium each day. Not enough calcium will result in [|hypocalcemia] and to much will cause hypercalcemia. [|Daily Dosage of Calcium].

Causes
There are 5 main causes for Hypercalcemia. The most common are[| hyperparathyroidism] and [|malignancy]. Abnormal Parathyroid Gland Function :

Hyperparathyroidism: Is when excessive [|secretion] of the hormone parathyroid (PTH) gets into the blood system. The picture to right shows a picture of the parathyroid glands. This is were hypercalcemia most commonly starts. This gland helps regulate calcium throughout the body, if to much calcium is leaking or exiting the glands the hypercalcemia can occur. If there is too much PTH then calcium levels soar. Hyperparathyroidism is caused by normally a [|benign tumor] or a tumor that isn't harmful. These benign tumors cause the glands to swell and release [|parathyroid].

Malignancy: Malignancy would be any tumors that is present or appears in the body.

Vitamin-D Metabolic Disorders: Hypervitaminosis D, which is when you over dose on[| vitamin D].

High bone-turnover Rate Disorders: Some of these disorders are as followed;
 * Hyperthyroidism
 * over active thyroid tissue
 * this results in high levels of hormones
 * [|Paget's Disease] of the Bone
 * chronic disorder which results in misshaped bones
 * To much vitamin A
 * like hypervitaminosis D you have over dose on vitamin A

[|Kidney Failure]: This can cause Secondary Hyperparathyroidism is the same as Abnormal Parathyroid Gland Function but this is only found is patients with renal failure.

Signs and Symptoms
Symptoms of Hypercalcemia are present in many places of the body. The most common places are in the abdominal region, in the kidneys, the muscular system and in physical appearance. Stomach: Fatigue Nausea Vomiting Anorexia

Kidney: Stones Pain Sudden and Continuous Thirst

Muscular: Weakness Twitching

Psychological: Bone pain Loss of height Loss of weight

Treatments and Test
Sometimes surgery may be required, when this is a must they have to go in a remove the irregular [|parathyroid gland]. There maybe other times where you may have to be watched over time by your health care provider, and may be hospitalized Some signs of this are your bones beginning to be broken down due to medications you maybe taking, something else to watch out for our fluids found in your [|veins].

media type="youtube" key="Vn9crOgnGgs" height="385" width="480" Complications of Hypercalcemia
Hypercalcemcia may also cause the follow other complications or problems.
 * [|Osteoporosis]
 * Kidney Failure
 * Kidney stones
 * Abnormal heart rhythm

As mentioned before hypercalcemia may go unnoticed of be displayed as another bodily disease they have to test for it using the following. Blood work Chest X-ray Ct Scan aka Cat Scan (Computed Tomography) [|MRI Scan] (Magnetic resonance imaging) Mammogram
 * Tests for Hypercalcemia**

Work Cited
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypercalcaemia

https://health.google.com/health/ref/Hypercalcemia

http://www.medicinenet.com/parathyroidectomy/article.htm