Parathyroid hormone gland (the parathyroid gland is located behind the thyroid gland in the neck) helps to:
Move calcium from the bones to the blood
Make the kidney remove less calcium from the body
Digest more calcium
Tell the kidney to produce more vitamin D to absorb more calcium
Primary hyperparathyroidism
When there is high levels parathyroid hormone in blood released from the parathyroid gland causing:
An increase in calcium levels in blood, (this hormone cause calcium and phosphorus to be removed from the bones and into the blood).
Release calcium stored in the kidneys into the blood and releases phosphates to our urine (hypophosphatemia – low phosphate in our blood)
Releases vitamin D from the kidney into the intestine and this causes calcium to be reabsorbed in to the intestines and released into our blood.
Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
When there is high levels parathyroid hormone in blood released from the parathyroid gland but:
No change or a decrease in calcium levels in the blood- the body sends a response to release more parathyroid hormone to increase calcium levels in the blood however the body releases more parathyroid hormone over time but levels of calcium still remain low.
Medical treatment may be required to bring down the parathyroid hormone levels.
Tertiary hyperparathyroidism
When medical treatment is not effective and parathyroid hormone levels are very high.
The gland becomes enlarged and starts releasing parathyroid hormone on its own and is not released due to low calcium levels in the blood.
Surgery may be required to remove the parathyroid hormone gland.
the kidney helps to change vitamin D to a form that the body can use, if the kidney does not function as it should i.e. kidney disease then the usable vitamin D levels drop causing calcium levels to drop and activating the parathyroid hormone gland.
Vitamins, herbals and minerals
Severe Calcium deficiency – the body cannot absorb enough calcium from your diet
Severe Vitamin D deficiency – the body cannot absorb enough Vitamin D – Vitamin D helps calcium to be maintained at appropriate levels in the blood, it also helps your digestion to absorb calcium from your food and move calcium from the intestine into your blood.
Treatment of Parathyroid (Hypercalcemic) Crisis in hospital
The treatment of a parathyroid crisis is to normalize calcium levels.
The initial and most important step in the management of hypercalcemia is to administer intravenous isotonic saline for extracellular volume expansion and promote hypercalciuria, with or without the usage of loop diuretics to prevent volume overload.
Biphosphonate and calcitonin can also be used to treat parathyroid crises.
Hypercalcaemic crisis due to primary hyperparathyroidism: report of two cases. Sala TD, Mureşan S, Roman R, Lazăr A, Ion R, Paşcanu I. J Crit Care Med (Targu Mures) 2019;5:34–39. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] [Ref list]
Surgery to remove the parathyroid hormone gland or if one has cancer of the parathyroid hormone gland, if the above has not helped.
Bone and joint pain (osteitis fibrosa cystica – skeletal disorder resulting in a loss of bone mass, a weakening of the bones as their calcified supporting structures are replaced with fibrous tissue and the formation of cyst-like brown tumours in and around the bone.
High parathyroid hormone levels may increases the secretion of aldosterone from the adrenal glands directly as well as indirectly by activating the renin–angiotensin system in the kidneys, this may lead to:
Please talk to your healthcare professional (i.e. Medical Doctor/Pharmacist) for further advice
Detailed Information
Please copy and paste any key words from the title: Hyperparathyroidism in the following respective 'Medtick References and/or Sources' to find out more about the disease (this also may include diagnosis tests and generic medical treatments).
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