Bone and Gastrointestinal problems may be a sign of parathyroid disease

Parathyroid disease is a disorder of the parathyroid glands. The parathyroid glands are located right behind the thyroid and are extremely small in normal patients. The actual size of the parathyroid gland is approximately 20 mg, which is the size of a grain of rice. The parathyroids are the smallest glands in the neck and probably the smallest glands in the human body. There are usually four parathyroid glands, although patients may be born with fewer or additional glands.

Hyperparathyroidism is a one of the parathyroid gland diseases where the parathyroid glands are overactive. The parathyroid glands function by making parathyroid hormone, the body’s main regulator of calcium levels. When one or more of the glands are overactive, parathyroid hormone levels increase. An increase in parathyroid hormone results in high blood calcium levels and therefore symptoms of hypercalcemia.

Elevated blood calcium levels can affect the gastrointestinal system. Vague complaints of bloating and dyspepsia are associated with hypercalcemia. Although there are many causes of hypercalcemia, the most common cause in otherwise healthy patients is primary hyperparathyroidism. Cancer and high calcium levels have been associated, but this is rare and is restricted to situations where a known primary cancer may occur. When calcium levels are found to be too high, the appropriate diagnosis is made by checking for parathyroid hormone levels. High blood calcium levels may have many causes. High blood calcium levels are associated with high levels of parathyroid hormone is always related to primary hyperparathyroidism. In order to more correctly measure calcium levels, often ionized calcium levels are tested. The ionized calcium range is more precise and the ionized calcium test can therefore be a more accurate predictor of high calcium levels. Low serum calcium is less common and may be associated with a deficient diet. Vitamin D deficiency as well can result in poor absorption of calcium and therefore this will result in lowering of blood calcium and may affect the patient.

Further, the most common complaint associated with hyperparathyroidism is bone complaint. It is well-known that high levels of parathyroid hormone will remove calcium from the patient’s bones and will cause higher levels of circulating calcium in the blood. The loss of bone calcium results in osteopenia and possibly osteoporosis. The symptoms associated with hyperparathyroidism are often vague discomfort in the bones. Obviously, there is a point where the osteopenia can be detected by a bone scan. Most often this would be associated with elevated parathyroid hormone levels and excess calcium in the blood.