Calcium, whose importance for bone health is known by everyone, also provides electrical energy for the nervous and muscular system.
The balance of calcium, which is so important for the body, is regulated by the parathyroid gland. Calcium imbalance in the blood; It can occur with many different symptoms such as osteoporosis, kidney stone formation, stomach ulcer, constipation, nausea, increased blood pressure, and forgetfulness. Scarless parathyroid surgeries come to the fore in the treatment of parathyroid diseases. Associate Professor of General Surgery at Memorial Ataşehir Hospital. Dr. Ömer Uslukaya gave information about parathyroid diseases and treatment methods.
Himself small task big
The parathyroid gland is 4 glands located just behind the thyroid gland in the middle of the neck. It can be around 5-6 per thousand and more than 4. They are small yellow glands approximately the size of a lentil grain and weigh 30-50 mg each. Despite being so small, the tasks performed by the parathyroid glands are great. The parathyroid hormone secreted is the most abundant cation in the body, namely the positively charged element / mineral, which regulates calcium metabolism. Calcium provides the strength of the bone structure and provides electrical energy for the muscle and nervous system.
Your bone pain may be caused by the parathyroid gland.
Calcium imbalance in the blood is usually related to the functioning of the parathyroid gland. In cases where the parathyroid gland works too much, that is, hyperparathyroidism is experienced, the calcium value in the blood may increase. Excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone can cause the calcium that should be in the bones to dissolve and enter the blood. Osteopenia, also known as low bone density, and osteoporosis, known as osteoporosis, can be seen in patients. In cases that progress with bone and joint pain due to hyperparathyroidism, bone cysts or even pathological bone fractures, in other words, cases of bone fractures may occur. Overworking of the parathyroid gland can rarely cause benign bone tumors known as Brown tumors.
It affects not only the bones but also the digestive system
Overwork of the parathyroid gland can adversely affect not only the bones but also the kidney and digestive system. A high blood calcium level can cause kidney stones, but it can also cause pancreatitis by acting on the pancreatic gland. The high level of calcium in the blood can also increase gastric secretion, causing ulcers and gastritis, and complaints such as constipation, nausea and vomiting can be seen.
Check your calcium levels if you have palpitations
Hyperparathyroidism can also affect the vascular system. Palpitations may cause abnormal findings in high blood pressure and ECG controls. Sometimes the blood calcium level rises so much that when the hypercalcemic crisis is not treated, coma or even life-threatening pictures can occur in the patient.
Your forgetfulness may be due to high calcium
Increased calcium levels in the blood can affect the entire nervous system, including the brain. Complaints such as understanding disorder, forgetfulness, speech disorder called dysphasia, weakening of the tongue muscles called tongue atrophy, tinnitus, depression and muscle weakness can be experienced. Just as high in calcium, low calcium can also cause problems. In a condition called hypoparathyroidism, in which the parathyroid gland is inadequate and the level of calcium in the blood is low; There may be numbness and tingling sensation in the fingers, around the mouth and at the tip of the nose. If the treatment is not started, the contraction of the hands of the patient results in the appearance called the midwife's hand. The condition called hypopathyroidism can be seen after thyroid surgery or, rarely, after radiotherapy applied to the neck.
Scarless thyroid surgeries come to the fore
If the calcium level is outside of normal limits in blood tests, parathyroid hormone,
It should be checked for parathyroid gland diseases by checking the vitamin D and phosphorus levels. Diagnosis of parathyroid gland diseases can be clarified with high resolution neck ultrasonography and syntigarfic imaging. Surgery is the only treatment for parathyroid gland diseases. Closed scarless parathyroid gland surgeries have come to the fore in recent years in surgical methods. The advantages of closed scarless thyroid surgeries called TOEPVA compared to conventional surgical methods are;
- No surgical scars on the patient in cosmetic terms
- Short operation time
- Short hospital stay
- Making secondary operations more comfortable
- If minimal surgery is performed under local anesthesia, the possibility of nerve injury is further reduced by the cough reflex due to the vocal cords.