hypercalcemia
Definition
- Noun:
- A medical condition characterized by an abnormally high concentration of calcium in the blood serum. This condition is typically a symptom or result of an underlying disease process, not a disease itself.
Usage
- Hypercalcemia is a medical term used primarily in clinical, diagnostic, and scientific contexts.
- It is an uncountable noun. You refer to the condition as "hypercalcemia," not "a hypercalcemia."
- It is often discussed in relation to its cause, symptoms (e.g., fatigue, nausea, confusion), and required treatment.
Examples
- The patient's blood tests revealed significant hypercalcemia, prompting further investigation.
- Chronic hypercalcemia can lead to the formation of kidney stones.
- A common cause of hypercalcemia is overactivity of the parathyroid glands.
Advanced Usage
- "Hypercalcemia of malignancy": A specific and often severe form of hypercalcemia commonly seen in patients with advanced cancer, caused by bone destruction or tumor-produced hormones.
- Managing hypercalcemia of malignancy is a critical part of supportive cancer care.
Variants and Related Words
- Hypercalcaemia (noun): The British English spelling variant.
- Hypercalcemic (adjective): Describing something related to or characterized by hypercalcemia.
- The patient was in a hypercalcemic crisis.
- Hypocalcemia (noun): The antonym; the condition of having an abnormally low level of calcium in the blood.
Synonyms
- High blood calcium: A plain-language synonym, though less precise.
Different Meanings
- The word hypercalcemia has only one specific meaning in medical terminology. It does not have general or figurative uses.
Notes
- The word is formed from Greek roots: (over, above), (calcium), and (blood condition).
- Correcting hypercalcemia involves treating its underlying cause and may include hydration, medications, and dietary adjustments.
Noun
-
the presence of abnormally high levels of calcium in the blood; usually the result of excessive bone resorption in hyperparathyroidism or Paget's disease
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