Causes of Excess Calcium & Ganglion Cysts

Hard calcifications and bumps in your body can cause pain or make you worry about cancer or heart disease, but sometimes these lumps are not medically serious. Excess calcium and ganglion cysts have a variety of causes, and complications may be mild or severe. The safest option is to consult your doctor if you develop ganglion cysts or have symptoms of excess calcium.

Background

Ganglion cysts are fluid-filled sacs that can occur in your wrist joints, your hands or in your feet. Treatment options to remove ganglion cysts include aspiration, or draining, with surgery to remove them, or ice or ibuprofen to reduce pain, according to Langone Medical Center 5. Possible situations for excess calcium include too much calcium in your blood and calcium deposits, such as in your kidneys or arteries.

Causes of Ganglion Cysts

Toenail Soft Spots

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The exact cause of ganglion cysts is not known, but they tend to grow with more activity. Cysts may develop gradually or slowly. You may see or feel a soft bump or experience mild pain on your wrist or other cyst site, according to Langone Medical Center 5. Women, anyone between the ages of 20 and 50 years, and gymnasts are at highest risk for developing ganglion cysts 1. Cysts are noncancerous bumps, but they can restrict movement or cause pain.

Causes of Hypercalcemia

Hypercalcemia, or a high concentration of calcium in your blood, can result from too much parathyroid activity, according to MedlinePlus 4. Other possible causes include certain kinds of cancer, medications that interact with parathyroid hormone, tissue damage causing high levels of vitamin D and dehydration. Too much calcium from supplements may lead to hypercalcemia, but hypercalcemia is unlikely to result from normal amounts of calcium from your diet 4.

Calcifications

Causes of Swelling in Legs, Hands & Feet

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Adequate calcium is essential for strong bones and healthy teeth, but excess calcium in your body can result when your kidneys do not excrete the excess. Renal deposits, or kidney stones, can be made of calcium oxalate crystals. They can be asymptomatic, but they can cause pain or lead to kidney disease. Atherosclerosis, or arteriosclerosis, is calcification of the walls of your arteries and a risk factor for heart disease.