Hypercalcemia refers to the condition where calcium levels are above normal in the blood. Presence of too much calcium in the blood may result to endless complications and defects to an individual’s body parts. No severe signs are experienced in the human body until the the accumulation of the calcium levels hits the abnormal levels. Patients with high levels of calcium in their blood stream will experience constant dehydration and this will lead to frequent intake of water hence constant urination (Marcocci & Cetani, 2011). This is as a result of the kidneys being involved in filtration of high volumes of calcium. It has been medically proved that hypercalcemia results to weakened bones since these high levels of calcium in the blood have been excessively extracted from the bones and body muscles. Presence of high calcium levels in the bloodstream can results to failed brain functioning hence causing lethargy and the patient to be retarded (NIDDK, 2012).
Hypocalcemia refers to the condition in which the calcium levels are below the normal level in the blood. This condition is usually as a result of insufficient vitamin D in the body as well as magnesium. The condition may manifest with a combination of symptoms some of which may include seizures, hypotension, anxiety, depression, dementia, muscle stiffness, coarse skin and cataracts. Cases of retardation are probable due to the failures in optimal functioning of the brain.
Hypocalcaemia on the other hand, may be caused by use of medically prescribed drugs such ones used to treat bipolar disorder which in turn trigger the release of parathyroid hormone. This disorder has been linked with affecting the normal functioning of other body systems such as the normal functioning of the brain, the kidneys the digestive system as well the weakening of the bones and the body muscles (Shane, 2014).
In most cases, these two conditions are caused by various factors which trigger the calcium concentration. On one hand it can be caused by the secretion levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH), PTH resistance, vitamin D deficiencies or resistance, extra-vascular calcium deposition as well as abnormal metabolism of magnesium. Blood tests to determine the levels of calcium or albumin are utilized with recommendations for repeat tests to help unearth the primary triggers. The serum calcium concentration is used to determine the presence or absence of any of these conditions. Normal serum calcium concentrations range between 2.4g/dL to 4 g/dL and thus any value above or below these figures will indicate hypercalcaemia and Hypocalcaemia respectively (Shane, 2014).
Calcium is responsible for building strong bones in our bodies. However other function such as transmission of nerves depends on presence of enough calcium in the blood. In instances where the calcium levels are below normal the parathyroid glands release a certain hormone that activate the bones to release high levels of calcium into the blood stream. This is a very delicate process as it requires corresponding both high levels and low levels of the calcium being released by the bones (Shane, 2014). This may be altered by presence certain factors in our bodies such as:
Dehydration refers to a situation in which the body has less fluids and therefore leading to rise in high levels of calcium in the blood. This is one of the major causes of hypercalcemia or hypercalcemia. Use of large amounts of supplements rich in calcium and vitamin D consistently leads to accumulation of high levels of calcium in the blood therefore increasing the chances of suffering hypocalcaemia (NIDDK, 2012). On the other hand, the continued accumulation of calcium in the blood will lead to extremely high levels which will trigger hypocalcemia.
References
Marcocci, C., & Cetani, F. (2011). Primary hyperparathyroidism. New England Journal of Medicine, 365(25), 2389-2397.
Shane, E. (2014). Clinical manifestations of hypercalcemia. Retrieved from http://www.uptodate.com/contents/clinical-manifestations-of-hypercalcemia
