Quite a few patients would get thyroid and parathyroid mixed up. Actually parathyroid is not thyroid condition. Although both are part of the endocrine system, they are completely different organs and secrete different hormones for different functions. Parathyroid hormones are mainly responsible for maintaining the body’s calcium and phosphorous balance.
Chances of hyperparathyroidism
According to some research, roughly 1 in every 1,000 people will get hyperparathyroidism
Most patients are female
Risks of getting hyperparathyroidism increase with age
Symptoms of hyperparathyroidism
Not all hyperparathyroidism patients experience symptoms but the consequences can be very serious
Main symptoms include osteoporosis, pathological fractures, kidney stones, calcium phosphate deposition in the kidney, weakness, fatigue, depression and muscle pains
As the condition worsens, patients may lose appetite, experience nausea, vomiting, constipation, become deluded, unable to think, suffer from memory loss, thirst and polyuria etc.
Hyperparathyroidism patients are more likely to have high blood pressure, peptic ulcers and pancreatitis
Studies have shown, that long-term high blood calcium could lead to cancer and other chronic diseases
How do you treat hyperparathyroidism?
Primary hyperparathyroidism can be cured through surgery and carries a success rate of between 95% and 98%. Surgery can be divided into traditional parathyroid resection and minimally-invasive parathyroid surgery.
The latter uses advanced localization technologies such as ultrasound, isotope scanning and magnetic resonance. It has become a popular choice amongst patients in recent years. The benefits of this approach include:
Reduced wound size
Operation time shortened under localized anesthesia
Shortened hospital stay and helps reduce hospital expenditures (could even take place in the form of outpatient surgery)
Reduces complications (hypocalcemia)
Does parathyroid surgery carry any complications?
Generally speaking, risks of complications are very low if the operation is performed by an experienced surgeon
Around 1% of patients may have their pronunciation affected if they sustain injury in their vocal cord
1% to 5% of patients could have hypocalcemia and must take calcium and vitamin D as part of their treatment
