09/09/2024
“My routine lab work report shows the calcium level of 10.4, and that is just outside the range of normal. My doctor doesn't seem concerned. Should I be concerned?”
If this question resonates with you, and you have been looking online for information, you are in the right place. It is amazing to me how many patients end up searching for themselves online for more answers about their calcium level. The short answer to the question above is, “yes, you should look into this more”.
Routine lab work includes measurement of many electrolytes in the blood, including sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, among others. Calcium level is often checked routinely as well. It should be no surprise that all these electrolytes have some range of normal across an entire population. Our bodies can tolerate more variation in some of these electrolytes than others. Calcium happens to be one that needs to be more tightly controlled for the body to function optimally. The other electrolytes mentioned above might fall out of the “normal" more often, without creating a problem. The calcium level is controlled more tightly, and if the level is too high or too low, you can have more significant effects on the body even with comparatively minor extremes.
I think physicians have come to be almost expecting that some of these numerous lab values might be slightly out of range, so if the calcium level is “just a little high”, they may fail to recognize the special attention that should be paid to a high calcium level, as opposed to for example, a slightly elevated sodium or potassium.
So what does it matter if your calcium level is just a little high? Well, I think a good analogy would be a high performance engine that needs a tune up. The car can run just fine, but it cannot perform to its capability without correcting the high calcium level. Most patients with a high calcium level will have some symptoms as a result, such as weakness, fatigue, concentration or memory issues, bone pain, among others. And if left untreated for a long time, can result in organ issues, like poorly functioning kidneys, aggravation of atherosclerosis which is related to heart attacks and strokes, kidney stones, irregular heart rhythms, and the list goes on.
So if you have a high calcium level, or basically a calcium level that is repeatedly above 10, you should check to see if you have hyperparathyroidism. It is so simple to check. Simply have another serum calcium level drawn with a simultaneous intact PTH level. PTH, short for parathyroid hormone, is what your parathyroid glands produce in order to raise the blood calcium level. This is a very important function, but the PTH level should only be high if your calcium level is too low. If your PTH level is still high, or even in the upper normal range, when your calcium is high, It means that one or more of your parathyroid glands is simply working overtime, and is creating the problem of a high calcium level, just like a poorly tuned high performance engine.
If you are diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism, it means we can reliably predict that one, sometimes more, of your parathyroid glands is overproducing PTH. In experienced hands, a simple outpatient operation can find and remove that abnormal parathyroid gland and restore your calcium level to normal. Period. Just like that. We can be certain of that, just based on those test results.
So if you are looking for answers about a high calcium level, get your parathyroid function checked. And if you do have hyperparathyroidism, let us help you get your high performance engine back in tune! You can find more information at our website, https://www.parathyroidatlanta.com/.