Though many people take calcium supplements and eat calcium-rich foods, elevated calcium levels can be too much of a good thing. Mike Yao, MD, Associate Professor of Otolaryngology, explains how your high calcium levels might actually be signs of hyperparathyroidism.
Many of the body’s organs need calcium to be at a specific level to function properly. Calcium levels that are too high or too low can affect the function of the muscles, bones, heart, and brain.
Blood calcium levels are often too high due to abnormal growth of one of the parathyroid glands, a condition called hyperparathyroidism. The effects of high calcium levels can dramatically decrease your quality of life. For example, elevated calcium levels can worsen the quality of sleep and increase anxiety, depression, fatigue, and bone pain. High calcium levels can also decrease concentration, learning, and memory.
Fortunately, high calcium due to hyperparathyroidism is easily treatable with minor surgery.
How do I know if my high calcium level is due to hyperparathyroidism?
A simple blood test to check your parathyroid and calcium levels will confirm a diagnosis. Only hyperparathyroidism will cause the calcium and parathyroid blood levels to be elevated at the same time. Calcium testing is often a part of routine yearly blood tests for adults. High calcium levels are suspicious for this disease and should lead to further testing for hyperparathyroidism.
What can be done if I am diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism?
Hyperparathyroidism is caused by the abnormal growth of one or more of the parathyroid glands. In approximately 85 percent of cases, only one gland is abnormal. Minor surgery to remove the abnormal gland cures the disease. This short, outpatient procedure is completed in less than an hour through a one-inch long incision in the neck. If there is more than one abnormal gland, all abnormal glands are removed through the same incision. Typically, the surgery is not very painful. More than half of our patients do not take any pain medication and most return to work within a week.
Is there a medication I can take instead of undergoing surgery?
Patients reluctant to undergo surgery often ask about alternatives. However, surgery is the only treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism; there is no medication which eliminates the condition. Some endocrinologists will prescribe cinacalcet—a calcium reducer—to lower the calcium level in patients with hyperparathyroidism who are reluctant to have surgery. Yet, for most patients, cinacalcet causes existing problems to worsen. If prescribed, the drug needs to be taken forever to maintain the lower calcium level, and makes patients susceptible to bone loss and osteoporosis. For primary hyperparathyroidism, it may be safer to do nothing than to take cinacalcet. However, the drug can be useful for secondary hyperparathyroidism, a parathyroid disease that only happens in patients with kidney failure.
Mike Yao, MD, is a board certified, fellowship-trained head and neck surgeon at Mount Sinai’s Head and Neck Institute and Center for Thyroid and Parathyroid Diseases. He treats all stages of thyroid diseases and cancers of the head and neck. His practices are located at The Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Queens, and Mount Sinai Doctors Westchester.
What is the parathyroid?
The parathyroid are four small glands located behind the thyroid in the neck. These glands are essential in regulating calcium levels throughout your body. Calcium is an essential mineral. It is important for strong bones, teeth, and muscle function.