Understanding Normal PTH Levels: What Your Parathyroid Hormone Levels Really Mean If you’ve been told your parathyroid ho...

Understanding Normal PTH Levels: What Your Parathyroid Hormone Levels Really Mean If you’ve been told your parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels are abnormal—or you’re unsure what “normal PTH levels” really mean—you’re not alone. Parathyroid hormone levels can be confusing, especially when calcium levels appear normal. However, understanding the role of PTH in your body is critical to diagnosing an...

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Hyperparathyroidism vs Hyperthyroidism Although the names sound alike, hyperparathyroidism vs hyperthyroidism are diagnos...

Hyperparathyroidism vs Hyperthyroidism Although the names sound alike, hyperparathyroidism vs hyperthyroidism are diagnosed using very different lab tests and clinical findings, because they affect entirely separate glands and systems in the body. Hyperparathyroidism involves the parathyroid glands, leading to elevated calcium levels due to increased parathyroid hormone (PTH) secretion. In con...

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Understanding Parathyroid Adenoma and Parathyroid Nodules: What You Need to Know What Is a Parathyroid Adenoma? A parath...

Understanding Parathyroid Adenoma and Parathyroid Nodules: What You Need to Know What Is a Parathyroid Adenoma? A parathyroid adenoma is a benign tumor on one of the four parathyroid glands located in your neck. These tiny glands—each about the size of a grain of rice—play a critical role in regulating calcium levels in your body through the production of parathyroid hormone (PTH). When a par...

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If you’ve recently been told you have high calcium in your blood, you’re not alone—and you’re probably wondering how to lo...

If you’ve recently been told you have high calcium in your blood, you’re not alone—and you’re probably wondering how to lower calcium levels safely and effectively. While there are many reasons calcium levels may be elevated, the most common cause in adults is a condition called primary hyperparathyroidism, a disease of the parathyroid glands. Here at the Norman Parathyroid Center, we speciali...

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Calcium is a vital mineral in the body, essential for strong bones, muscle function, nerve signaling, and many other physi...

Calcium is a vital mineral in the body, essential for strong bones, muscle function, nerve signaling, and many other physiological processes. However, when calcium levels are too high, it almost always indicates a problem with the parathyroid glands. At the Norman Parathyroid Center, we specialize in diagnosing and treating hyperparathyroidism, the most common cause of high calcium. The only c...

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High calcium symptoms are often overlooked or misdiagnosed, yet they can significantly impact your health and quality of l...

High calcium symptoms are often overlooked or misdiagnosed, yet they can significantly impact your health and quality of life. Elevated calcium levels, often caused by a condition called primary hyperparathyroidism, are typically the result of a benign tumor on one of the parathyroid glands. These symptoms can only be cured by surgery to remove the overactive gland, underscoring the importance ...

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Hypercalcemia, or elevated calcium levels in the blood, is a medical condition often pointing to underlying issues with th...

Hypercalcemia, or elevated calcium levels in the blood, is a medical condition often pointing to underlying issues with the parathyroid glands. This imbalance can lead to various health complications, particularly if the root cause isn’t addressed promptly. For those with primary hyperparathyroidism—the most common cause of hypercalcemia—effective treatment can mean the difference between lasti...

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The surgeons at the Norman Parathyroid Center are the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world, performing over ...

The surgeons at the Norman Parathyroid Center are the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world, performing over 10% of all parathyroid operations in the US. Dr. Drew Rhodes is a senior surgeon at the Norman Parathyroid Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa, Florida. Get to know expert parathyroid surgeon Dr. Drew Rhodes a bit better through the Q&A below! 1) What d...

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What is the Most Common Cause of High Calcium Levels? Calcium is crucial for bone health, muscle function, and nerve sign...

What is the Most Common Cause of High Calcium Levels? Calcium is crucial for bone health, muscle function, and nerve signaling, and maintaining normal calcium levels is essential for overall health. When calcium levels rise above the normal range (10.5 mg/dL), hypercalcemia occurs, often signaling an underlying condition. So, what is the most common cause of high calcium levels? The answer oft...

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Hyperparathyroidism is a condition that affects the parathyroid glands, which play a critical role in regulating calcium l...

Hyperparathyroidism is a condition that affects the parathyroid glands, which play a critical role in regulating calcium levels in the body. When one or more of these glands become overactive, it results in high levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and elevated calcium levels in the blood. While some people with hyperparathyroidism remain asymptomatic, many experience a wide array of troubling s...

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Hyperparathyroidism is a common but often misunderstood condition that can cause significant damage if left untreated. For...

Hyperparathyroidism is a common but often misunderstood condition that can cause significant damage if left untreated. For those diagnosed, the primary question becomes: What is the best treatment of hyperparathyroidism? The answer is straightforward—surgery is the only effective treatment of hyperparathyroidism. The Treatment of Hyperparathyroidism In this article, we will explore why surg...

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Selecting the best hospital for parathyroid surgery is crucial for ensuring optimal outcomes and patient satisfaction. Eve...

Selecting the best hospital for parathyroid surgery is crucial for ensuring optimal outcomes and patient satisfaction. Even though we may be biased…. the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa is the clear leader. As the world's only hospital exclusively dedicated to endocrine surgery, its focus on parathyroid surgery is truly unparalleled. The Best Hospital for Parathyroid Surgery: Hospita...

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Leaving primary hyperparathyroidism untreated can shorten your life expectancy, with some studies suggesting up to 5 years...

Leaving primary hyperparathyroidism untreated can shorten your life expectancy, with some studies suggesting up to 5 years shorter, depending on the length of time the disease is allowed to fester. Fortunately, early diagnosis and treatment of hyperparathyroidism has beneficial effects throughout the body, which can ultimately lead to increased life expectancy after parathyroid surgery. Let's ...

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In this article, we aim to shed light on the significant role of parathyroid surgery in treating hyperparathyroidism and r...

In this article, we aim to shed light on the significant role of parathyroid surgery in treating hyperparathyroidism and resolving hypercalcemia. Join us as we explore the effectiveness of surgical intervention and the immediate relief it can provide to patients. In most cases, about 85%, hypercalcemia is caused by hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroidism is a disorder where the parathyroid ...

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This article was written by Dr. Dan Ruan, who is passionate about hypoparathyroidism and served on the Board of Medical Ad...

This article was written by Dr. Dan Ruan, who is passionate about hypoparathyroidism and served on the Board of Medical Advisors for hypopara.org for 10 years. He is currently a senior surgeon at the Norman Parathyroid Center where he performs parathyroid surgery exclusively. World Hypoparathyroidism Awareness Day is a day dedicated to increasing awareness and understanding of hypoparathyroidi...

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National Osteoporosis Month: Unraveling the Connection - How Does Hyperparathyroidism Cause Osteoporosis? During National...

National Osteoporosis Month: Unraveling the Connection - How Does Hyperparathyroidism Cause Osteoporosis? During National Osteoporosis Month, it is crucial to shed light on the significant impact of parathyroid disease as a leading cause of osteoporosis. In this article, we’ll explore how hyperparathyroidism triggers osteoporosis and emphasize the role of surgery as the only cure for parathyro...

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What is Hyperparathyroidism and Why Should I Cure it? Hyperparathyroidism is a 100% curable disease that is caused by ove...

What is Hyperparathyroidism and Why Should I Cure it? Hyperparathyroidism is a 100% curable disease that is caused by over function of one or more of the parathyroid glands. Parathyroid glands are four small glands in the neck that help regulate calcium levels in the blood. The glands monitor our calcium level and produce parathyroid hormone (PTH) to help keep it at a normal level. If it gets ...

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Women are three times more likely than men to suffer from hyperparathyroidism (parathyroid disease). It is most common i...

Women are three times more likely than men to suffer from hyperparathyroidism (parathyroid disease). It is most common in women over the age of 50, though it does affect young people and men as well. Hyperparathyroidism is devastating is left untreated, and it often causes maddening and debilitation symptoms in many patients. However, the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism are different in diff...

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Life After Parathyroid Surgery Having to undergo surgery invariably generates a fair amount of anxiety. We wonder what it...

Life After Parathyroid Surgery Having to undergo surgery invariably generates a fair amount of anxiety. We wonder what it will be like to go through it, what we will feel like afterwards, how much pain we will experience, what our limitations will be, and what might go wrong. I perform surgery solely on patients with parathyroid disease with thousands of parathyroid operations being performed ...

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Parathyroid disease describes a group of diseases in which there is an excess of parathyroid hormone. These conditions can...

Parathyroid disease describes a group of diseases in which there is an excess of parathyroid hormone. These conditions can cause bone loss, kidney stones, kidney damage, increased cardiovascular risk, bone pain, fatigue, sleep issues, brain fog… the list goes on. Patients with untreated parathyroid disease have a shorter lifespan, and their quality of life suffers greatly. What kind of docto...

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Primary hyperparathyroidism is a destructive disease caused by benign growths of the parathyroid glands. It is is characte...

Primary hyperparathyroidism is a destructive disease caused by benign growths of the parathyroid glands. It is is characterized by high parathyroid hormone (PTH) production and causes accelerated bone loss, kidney injury, and it is associated with heart disease and stroke. People with hyperparathyroidism don’t live as long, or as well, as they should. The mechanisms that control how calcium ...

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Wegovy, Saxenda, and Mounjaro are three of the new miracle weight loss drugs that make almost all people lose weight in a ...

Wegovy, Saxenda, and Mounjaro are three of the new miracle weight loss drugs that make almost all people lose weight in a dramatic fashion. In a previous article I described 10 very different ways Wegovy caused weight loss for me and show how all ten mechanisms work together to cause a sustained and continuous drop of 1.5-2 pounds per week for several months. I called it a miracle drug because ...

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Wegovy is the first of the new “miracle” weight loss drugs approved by the FDA. Wegovy causes weight loss in a remarkable ...

Wegovy is the first of the new “miracle” weight loss drugs approved by the FDA. Wegovy causes weight loss in a remarkable fashion in almost everybody, but there is a lot going on to make this happen. The drug companies will tell you weight loss from Wegovy is due to its two main effects on the stomach and brain, but the drug companies are not telling the whole story about Wegovy. This image ...

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The surgeons at the Norman Parathyroid Center are the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world, performing over ...

The surgeons at the Norman Parathyroid Center are the most experienced parathyroid surgeons in the world, performing over 10% of all parathyroid operations in the US. Dr. Jamie Mitchell is a senior surgeon and serves as medical director of the Norman Parathyroid Center at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery in Tampa, Florida. Get to know expert parathyroid surgeon Dr. Jamie Mitchell a bit bette...

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Primary hyperparathyroidism is a disease where one or more of our four parathyroid glands becomes hyperactive. This result...

Primary hyperparathyroidism is a disease where one or more of our four parathyroid glands becomes hyperactive. This results in high calcium levels, which over time leads to a number of significant health problems in addition to causing a constellation of symptoms that can significantly affect quality of life. In most cases, making a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism is relatively simple...

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Last week we discussed what it means to have hyperactive parathyroid glands, this week we will discuss what to do about it...

Last week we discussed what it means to have hyperactive parathyroid glands, this week we will discuss what to do about it.  When it comes to hyperparathyroidism, parathyroid removal with a surgery is usually the treatment of choice.  After that comes parathyroid surgery recovery. As a brief review to set us up for this week, the word hyperparathyroidism just means an elevated parathyroid horm...

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Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is a destructive disease that causes osteoporosis, kidney damage, and it increases the ...

Primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is a destructive disease that causes osteoporosis, kidney damage, and it increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Surgery is the only cure for pHPT. Unfortunately, delays in the diagnosis and treatment of pHPT are common. For most, only two parathyroid tests are needed to establish or exclude the diagnosis of pHPT: serum calcium and parathyroid hormone ...

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Parathyroid Gland Dysfunction  Last week, we discussed what our parathyroid glands do for us when they are working proper...

Parathyroid Gland Dysfunction  Last week, we discussed what our parathyroid glands do for us when they are working properly. This week, we are exploring what happens when they malfunction. As a quick recap, parathyroid glands are responsible for regulating the calcium level in our blood. To be more specific, they help increase the calcium level in our blood if it gets too low (the same way a h...

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Parathyroid Function: What Do Our Parathyroid Glands Do? What Are Our Parathyroid Glands? While most people have heard ...

Parathyroid Function: What Do Our Parathyroid Glands Do? What Are Our Parathyroid Glands? While most people have heard of and have at least some understanding of the thyroid gland and what it does, far fewer of us have ever heard of the parathyroid glands or have any clue what they might do for us. There is often confusion about this, with the assumption being made that the parathyroid gland...

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World Hypoparathyroidism Awareness Day, observed on June 1 each year, brings increased awareness of hypoparathyroidism and...

World Hypoparathyroidism Awareness Day, observed on June 1 each year, brings increased awareness of hypoparathyroidism and the need for improvements in education, prevention, and treatment for this poorly understood condition. Hypoparathyroidism is characterized by inadequate parathyroid function, which typically is the result of an avoidable surgical complication. People with this condition...

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The best surgeons in the world all work together at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery...

The best surgeons in the world all work together at the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery The Hospital for Endocrine Surgery is the world’s top hospital for all types of endocrine surgery, including both open and robotic thyroid and parathyroid surgery for patients with thyroid disease, thyroid cancer as well as parathyroid tumors and primary hyperparathyroidism, respectively. The Hospital is als...

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What is Secondary Hyperparathyroidism and How is it Treated? Introduction Over the years I have seen a fair amount of co...

What is Secondary Hyperparathyroidism and How is it Treated? Introduction Over the years I have seen a fair amount of confusion from patients (and from doctors as well) concerning the concept of secondary hyperparathyroidism and how it is different from primary parathyroid disease.  The distinction between the two is an important one, and in this article I will discuss what secondary hyperpar...

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A parathyroid adenoma is a growth in a parathyroid gland. The glands help regulate your body’s calcium level. Each gland s...

A parathyroid adenoma is a growth in a parathyroid gland. The glands help regulate your body’s calcium level. Each gland secretes parathyroid hormone, or PTH, based on the calcium level. The role of PTH is to help raise the blood level of calcium through several different mechanisms. As the calcium level in the blood goes down, the amount of PTH produced should go up, and, if the calcium level ...

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If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you or someone you love has been told they need hyperparathyroidism surger...

If you are reading this blog, it is likely that you or someone you love has been told they need hyperparathyroidism surgery. At the time most people are given this news by their doctor, they have no idea what hyperparathyroidism is, or even know what parathyroid glands are. If you’re just starting your journey to learn more about such a broad topic like hyperparathyroidism surgery, it can be da...

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Parathyroidectomy is the procedure to treat hyperparathyroidism, a condition in which there is an over production of parat...

Parathyroidectomy is the procedure to treat hyperparathyroidism, a condition in which there is an over production of parathyroid hormone by one or more of the parathyroid glands. These glands help keep the calcium level in our blood at the appropriate point. The only treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism is surgery to remove the abnormal glands. Many people worry about their scar after sur...

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Parathyroid glands are tiny organs that reside deep in the neck that function as the master “thermostats” for calcium in t...

Parathyroid glands are tiny organs that reside deep in the neck that function as the master “thermostats” for calcium in the body. When blood calcium levels dip too low, the glands activate and release parathyroid hormone (PTH). This PTH circulates throughout the body, signaling the bones, kidneys, and the gut to work together to drive the blood calcium level up. In hyperparathyroidism, one or...

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Health care providers often attribute the very common signs of hyperparathyroidism to natural aging and other health issue...

Health care providers often attribute the very common signs of hyperparathyroidism to natural aging and other health issues, such as obesity and poor diet. Consequently, the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism is often delayed several years. This delay in recognizing the signs of hyperparathyroidism causes the continued destruction of body tissues such as kidneys, blood vessels, and bones. Thus, h...

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When evaluating patients with thyroid and parathyroid gland problems over the years, I have heard the same comments from t...

When evaluating patients with thyroid and parathyroid gland problems over the years, I have heard the same comments from them over and over again.  At the top of the list is “I did not even know I had parathyroid glands”, followed by “what is the difference between my thyroid and parathyroid glands, do they do the same things?”.  This is understandable since everybody has heard of a thyroid gl...

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Subtotal Parathyroidectomy in 5 questions; plus a bonus question you (probably) didn’t think of. A subtotal parathyroidec...

Subtotal Parathyroidectomy in 5 questions; plus a bonus question you (probably) didn’t think of. A subtotal parathyroidectomy is a phrase that describes one of the types of surgeries than can be performed to treat hyperparathyroidism. Hyperparathyroidism is a disease where the parathyroid glands are making too much of a specific hormone, called PTH. The gold standard for treating most cases of...

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Screening for High Calcium, Parathyroid Tumors, and Other Endocrine Tumors Begins at HCA Hospital Emergency Rooms In Asso...

Screening for High Calcium, Parathyroid Tumors, and Other Endocrine Tumors Begins at HCA Hospital Emergency Rooms In Association with the Norman Parathyroid Center and the Hospital for Endocrine Surgery Endocrine tumors (tumors arising in the adrenal gland, parathyroid glands, and thyroid gland) occur with enough frequency that they can be found in many patients who go to an emergency room fo...

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New method may improve nerve healing after thyroid surgery. "The Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Shield is the most important d...

New method may improve nerve healing after thyroid surgery. "The Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Shield is the most important development in thyroid surgery in 50 years" Dr Gary Clayman. Injury to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (vocal cord nerve injury) is the biggest worry people have when they are told they need to have a thyroid or parathyroid operation. There has never been shown anything the su...

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High cholesterol doubles your rate of heart disease and stroke, but did you know that high blood calcium is far more dange...

High cholesterol doubles your rate of heart disease and stroke, but did you know that high blood calcium is far more dangerous than high cholesterol? Hyperparathyroidism caries many significant health risks. High Blood Calcium Risks High blood calcium levels are almost never normal and increases the chances of developing a number of other health problems and even early death if ignored. For...

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Parathyroid disease and hyperparathyroidism are associated with weight gain.  The worries about gaining weight after para...

Parathyroid disease and hyperparathyroidism are associated with weight gain.  The worries about gaining weight after parathyroid surgery are understandable but unfounded. It is a myth that parathyroid surgery and removing a parathyroid tumor causes you to gain weight. Weight gain is a common concern for patients with many hormone problems, including hyperparathyroidism. This blog was prompted...

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Today's hyperparathyroidism case is quite sad and completely avoidable. Today we operated on a 15 year old high school fre...

Today's hyperparathyroidism case is quite sad and completely avoidable. Today we operated on a 15 year old high school freshman from Baton Rouge, Louisiana who had quite severe hyperparathyroidism. He was eventually brought to our center by his parents when his orthopedic surgeon made the diagnosis. Sadly, their family doctor and pediatrician remain unaware and were "keeping an eye on the high ...

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"My OB doctor is freaked out!". Today we operated on a 30 year old female with a parathyroid tumor and high blood calcium...

"My OB doctor is freaked out!". Today we operated on a 30 year old female with a parathyroid tumor and high blood calcium of 11.7 mg/dl. She is 20 weeks pregnant and the high calcium is a real and direct threat to the baby. She was sent to us by her OB in Los Angeles, California. Today's operation took 18 minutes. We evaluated all four parathyroid glands showing three normal parathyroid glands...

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Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of parathyroid adenomas is a procedure we would love to see disappear! One of the para...

Fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy of parathyroid adenomas is a procedure we would love to see disappear! One of the parathyroid operations that I performed this week that really stood out from the others was in a wonderful, somewhat chatty lady from New Jersey. Her PCP noted that she had high calcium and correctly proposed that the high calcium was why "Little Miss Chatty" was feeling so tire...

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The Risks and Benefits of Daily Calcium Supplementation. Is taking calcium every day dangerous?  For most people, taking ...

The Risks and Benefits of Daily Calcium Supplementation. Is taking calcium every day dangerous?  For most people, taking calcium pills every day for bone health is safe. But there are certain circumstances that may make daily calcium supplements inappropriate or even increase your risk for cardiovascular disease. Over the last few years, you may have seen reports warning of the risks associate...

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Primary hyperparathyroidism in children is rare, but when it occurs it can destroy a child’s life with kidney stones, depr...

Primary hyperparathyroidism in children is rare, but when it occurs it can destroy a child’s life with kidney stones, depression, fractures, and a failure to thrive and be happy.  “Primary Hyperparathyroidism:  The Silent Destruction of My Teenager” is a mother’s story of how a dozen doctors ignored the obvious parathyroid problem that ruined the life of her teenage daughter for nearly 6 years....

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<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> Parathyroid venous sampling is an expensive and dangerous test that probably should ne...

<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> Parathyroid venous sampling is an expensive and dangerous test that probably should never be done because it doesn't work. It is also called: "Selective Parathyroid Venous Sampling" and you should not let it be done on you! <% end %> Selective parathyroid venous catheterization is an invasive x-ray test performed by an invasive-radiologist. The goal of the t...

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The last four years of my life have been miserable because of mistakes I made when choosing my parathyroid surgeon. I have...

The last four years of my life have been miserable because of mistakes I made when choosing my parathyroid surgeon. I have written this blog and asked the Blog Editor David Moon to post it for me, changing my name to "Susan".  I successfully sued my first surgeon-not just for his treatment of me in the operating room, but for his marketing ploys that greatly over-state his expertise and the siz...

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Parathyroid surgery can be tricky, and when things don't go well, they can go quite badly. Here are the 5 most basic quest...

Parathyroid surgery can be tricky, and when things don't go well, they can go quite badly. Here are the 5 most basic questions you should ask your parathyroid surgeon when choosing who will perform your operation.  If you have hyperparathyroidism, the best thing you can do for your health is find a good parathyroid surgeon. Not every surgeon can do a parathyroid operation, and experience with ...

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Parathyroid Punk is a amazing music video who's purpose is to teach about hyperparathyroidism caused by a "punk" parathyro...

Parathyroid Punk is a amazing music video who's purpose is to teach about hyperparathyroidism caused by a "punk" parathyroid gland that makes people miserable by causing high calcium. Here is my story and the genesis of Parathyroid Punk! https://www.parathyroid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/PunkVideoFront-300x159.jpg PunkVideoFrontLink to the video is at the bottom of the page. My name...

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Hyperparathyroidism (parathyroid disease) occurs most commonly at age 61, thus Medicare pays for thousands of parathyroid ...

Hyperparathyroidism (parathyroid disease) occurs most commonly at age 61, thus Medicare pays for thousands of parathyroid operations per year. New data shows where Medicare patients go for parathyroid surgery. This graph shows where 100% of all parathyroid operations were performed on Medicare patients in 2012. The data was made public in April, 2014 (link to government Medicare database below...

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Canadians with hyperparathyroidism claim expertise in parathyroid surgery and long wait times as the reasons for traveling...

Canadians with hyperparathyroidism claim expertise in parathyroid surgery and long wait times as the reasons for traveling to Tampa for surgery. https://www.parathyroid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/CalgaryHeraldNespaperArticle.jpg Parathyroid surgery in Canada Canadians travel to Tampa for parathyroid surgery. On April 6, 2014, the Calgary Herald published an article about the drama...

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GERD (Gastro-Esophageal-Reflux Disease) occurs in 65% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and high calcium. Remov...

GERD (Gastro-Esophageal-Reflux Disease) occurs in 65% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and high calcium. Removing the parathyroid tumor cures the GERD in the majority of patients. A 51 year old male school teacher presented with fatigue, tiredness, memory loss, and GERD-typical signs and symptoms of primary hyperparathyroidism. His primary care provider was “monitoring” his blood c...

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Chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and even fibromyalgia are misdiagnosed in patients who have high blo...

Chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and even fibromyalgia are misdiagnosed in patients who have high blood calcium from hyperparathyroidism.  Mental health issues occur in over 90% of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism and even slightly high blood calcium. A guest Parathyroid Blog by a leading psychiatrist that regularly finds people sent to her office with symptoms du...

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Measuring parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the operating room has some theoretical benefits, but in real life, the intra-opera...

Measuring parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the operating room has some theoretical benefits, but in real life, the intra-operative PTH assay (io-PTH testing) doesn't really help and may hurt. Measuring parathyroid hormone in the operating room cannot determine if a patient is cured of hyperparathyroidism. Intra-operative PTH Assay: The theory of measuring PTH in the operating room (io-PTH). Since...

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Parathyroid surgery can be tricky which is why all your doctors will tell you "get the most experienced parathyroid surgeo...

Parathyroid surgery can be tricky which is why all your doctors will tell you "get the most experienced parathyroid surgeon you can" or you can have a failed parathyroid surgery or a bad complication. The fact that we have a business that is exclusively parathyroid surgery is evidence that this is not always a simple operation. If parathyroid surgery were simple, and if every town had an exper...

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What is hyperparathyroidism? How are we getting the word out? Hyperparathyroidism is a disease that is dramatically under-...

What is hyperparathyroidism? How are we getting the word out? Hyperparathyroidism is a disease that is dramatically under-diagnosed. We now have so many technological outlets to help spread the word about hyperparathyroidism that it is getting harder to escape the knowledge that high calcium is bad. I recently gave an interview to a radio station in Austin, Texas (1370 AM Talk Radio). It was t...

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Thyroid and parathyroid surgeons have been told that monitoring vocal cord laryngeal nerves during surgery may decrease th...

Thyroid and parathyroid surgeons have been told that monitoring vocal cord laryngeal nerves during surgery may decrease the incidence of vocal cord nerve injury, but the data shows vocal cord nerve monitoring dramatically increases nerve damage. Surgeons don’t like hurting their patients. We will do anything, it seems, to prevent injuring our patients while they lie on an operating table allow...

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<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> Hyperparathyroidism sneaked up on me. I was feeling tired and old. I'm a family practi...

<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> Hyperparathyroidism sneaked up on me. I was feeling tired and old. I'm a family practice doctor so my job is to take care of other people-to make them feel better. Yet I was miserable myself. My name is  Ashok Goyal MD and this is my story. <% end %> I found myself not enjoying my job like I used to. I was tired all the time and I just thought I was over wor...

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I'm a nurse; a parathyroid nurse.  I've taken care of thousands of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism over the year...

I'm a nurse; a parathyroid nurse.  I've taken care of thousands of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism over the years and am very familiar with the high blood calcium and all the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism. This can't be happening to me!?  I have a parathyroid tumor!? Let me put parathyroid problems and hyperparathyroidism aside for a minute and give you a little background.  I am n...

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<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> The internet is full of surgeons who claim to be experts at parathyroid surgery. But a...

<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> The internet is full of surgeons who claim to be experts at parathyroid surgery. But are they really doing expert work, or are they cheating and doing a simple operation that any joe-blow surgeon could do? <% end %> Parathyroid surgery can be very tricky for a number of reasons.  First, there are four parathyroid glands and a person with hyperparathyroidism ...

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<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> As an endocrinologist, nearly 95% of my patients are referred from primary care physic...

<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> As an endocrinologist, nearly 95% of my patients are referred from primary care physicians who know the patient feels bad, but hasn't uncovered the true problem: primary hyperparathyroidism.  A Parathyroid Blog by guest writer: Lee Metchick, MD, an endocrinologist in Lake Mary, Florida. <% end %> Most of the time the patients sent to my office who have hyper...

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Sexual dysfunction and loss of sexual desire and interest in sex is common in patients with high blood calcium and hyperpa...

Sexual dysfunction and loss of sexual desire and interest in sex is common in patients with high blood calcium and hyperparathyroidism.  Both women and men have a nice benefit to their sex lives from parathyroid surgery and cure of the high blood calcium / hyperparathyroidism. We have known for years that people with primary hyperparathyroidism and high blood calcium become depressed, fatigued...

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Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels are typically steady and constant in the patient with normal parathyroid glands, but a pa...

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels are typically steady and constant in the patient with normal parathyroid glands, but a parathyroid tumor can make PTH levels jump around in a chaotic, disorderly fashion.  This PTH variability routinely confuses doctors and patients. Problems with parathyroid hormone levels that jump up and down cause a delay in the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism when they sh...

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Hyperparathyroidism should be easy to diagnose in about 95% of cases. Unfortunately many doctors and endocrinologists don'...

Hyperparathyroidism should be easy to diagnose in about 95% of cases. Unfortunately many doctors and endocrinologists don't have much experience diagnosing parathyroid problems and thus it takes too long and too many tests are performed.  How do we diagnose hyperparathyroidism when many doctors don't know how?  medium https://www.parathyroid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/LeaveNameDiagno...

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A broken parathyroid tumor can be a devastating complication of parathyroid surgery. Parathyroid tumor cells will grow alm...

A broken parathyroid tumor can be a devastating complication of parathyroid surgery. Parathyroid tumor cells will grow almost anywhere, so they must not be broken during surgery! Parathyroid tumor implants are very hard to cure.  Today's story illustrates one of the most important rules of parathyroid surgery - "do not break the parathyroid adenoma; it must be removed from the patient's neck c...

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Parathyroid tumors located in the chest can almost always be removed via a small neck incision. Don't split your sternum o...

Parathyroid tumors located in the chest can almost always be removed via a small neck incision. Don't split your sternum open to remove a parathyroid adenoma in your chest! https://www.parathyroid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PTH-Location.gif Parathyroid glands can be located from chin to bottom of heart. Parathyroid glands are located in the chest in about 2% of all people. This is ...

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Parathyroid disease has only one cure: Surgery. Parathyroid drugs don't exist. There are just medicines directed at the sy...

Parathyroid disease has only one cure: Surgery. Parathyroid drugs don't exist. There are just medicines directed at the symptoms. Take a drug for your hyperparathyroidism and be disappointed! June is 74 years old, and she recently discovered that she has a parathyroid tumor (hyperparathyroidism). The cure is surgery, but that has not been recommended to her. She is being prescribed parathyroid...

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Blood calcium levels vary as we age, but labs don't give normal calcium ranges according to age. The highest blood calcium...

Blood calcium levels vary as we age, but labs don't give normal calcium ranges according to age. The highest blood calcium levels are seen between the ages of 15 and 25.  Adults over 40 should not have calcium levels above 10.1 mg/dl. High blood calcium is never normal. Unfortunately, very few doctors understand that the normal range for blood calcium changes as we age. This graph shows how bl...

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<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> Ectopic parathyroid glands occur in 5% of people, occasionally located high in the nec...

<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> Ectopic parathyroid glands occur in 5% of people, occasionally located high in the neck under the jaw (called an un-descended parathyroid gland). Inexperienced surgeons almost always overlook parathyroid adenomas when they are in uncommon or rare positions (ectopic parathyroids). <% end %> https://www.parathyroid.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/PTH-Loca...

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Race car drivers die because of lethal injuries caused by 6 different mechanisms  which are examined here in detail. Much ...

Race car drivers die because of lethal injuries caused by 6 different mechanisms  which are examined here in detail. Much has been done, but much more must be done as most of racer deaths in the past few years are preventable with changes to track design. Today (October 9, 2014) I update this article because of Jules Bianchi terrible accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix. Although Jules has...

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Parathyroid tumors may look benign (harmless) under a microscope, but they damage many organs in the body over time-making...

Parathyroid tumors may look benign (harmless) under a microscope, but they damage many organs in the body over time-making hyperparathyroidism act more like a cancer tumor. While parathyroid cancer is extremely rare, benign parathyroid tumors causing high blood calcium can mimic the effects of cancer. "It's a benign parathyroid tumor. Why do we need to remove it?" Phyllis's doctor in Virginia ...

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Parathyroid cysts are uncommon, but can cause lots of symptoms of hyperparathyroidism sometimes, and no symptoms at all at...

Parathyroid cysts are uncommon, but can cause lots of symptoms of hyperparathyroidism sometimes, and no symptoms at all at other times. Cysts are fluid-filled sacks. Parathyroid cysts, therefore, are fluid-filled sacks that are growing out of one of the parathyroid glands. Parathyroid cysts are rare, occurring in about 1 out of 200 parathyroid operations for hyperparathyroidism.  We perform ab...

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Because 30% of people with hyperparathyroidism will have more than one parathyroid tumor, the most successful parathyroid ...

Because 30% of people with hyperparathyroidism will have more than one parathyroid tumor, the most successful parathyroid surgery only happens when surgeons examine all four parathyroid glands. This week we performed 52 parathyroid operations. Seven of these 52 had a previous parathyroid surgery somewhere else that was not successful so they came to see us.  In three cases, the surgeon could n...

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Parathyroid symptoms can vary, but almost everybody will have them. Fatigue is by far the most common of all symptoms. Let...

Parathyroid symptoms can vary, but almost everybody will have them. Fatigue is by far the most common of all symptoms. Let's look at Crabby Abby! Crabby Abby will forever live in my mind, because she described parathyroid symptoms and the effects of high calcium on your brain better than any patient ever. If somebody says "people with hyperparathyroidism don't have many symptoms," don't tell t...

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High blood calcium is almost never normal, and it makes people feel miserable! It is the duration of high calcium, not the...

High blood calcium is almost never normal, and it makes people feel miserable! It is the duration of high calcium, not the actual number! Lisa is a 57-year-old lady from Ohio with primary hyperparathyroidism. She has seen her primary care doctor for several years and is always noted to have high blood calcium levels, but they are "just a little bit high." Her blood calcium level is just above ...

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High blood calcium over a number of years can cause kidney failure (renal failure). Nephrocalcinosis (calcification of the...

High blood calcium over a number of years can cause kidney failure (renal failure). Nephrocalcinosis (calcification of the kidney) is a completely avoidable complication of hyperparathyroidism. Kidney failure due to high blood calcium is less common than kidney stones, but the consequences are far more severe. Kidney stones are a well known complication of high blood calcium due to primary hyp...

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<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> High blood calcium almost always makes people feel bad. Sometimes it make them fatigue...

<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> High blood calcium almost always makes people feel bad. Sometimes it make them fatigued and depressed… and sometimes it makes them angry and crazy!  Just listen to Robert's story! <% end %> High blood calcium due to hyperparathyroidism is well known to cause "psychiatric" problems. It's part of the classic "Bones, Stones, Groans, and Psychic Overtones" that ...

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Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) and high blood calcium due to pri...

Atrial fibrillation (A-fib) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heart beat) and high blood calcium due to primary hyperparathyroidism is a leading cause.  A-fib is the rapid contraction of the upper two chambers of the hear (the right and left atrium). This rapid contraction is not coordinated so it is ineffective in pumping blood. Thus patients with A-fib have an irregular heart ...

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<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> The Hyperparathyroidism Blog Has Begun! Interesting and compelling stories from the pa...

<% content_for(:page_summary) do %> The Hyperparathyroidism Blog Has Begun! Interesting and compelling stories from the parathyroid patients we see every day. Fun reading, and great learning! <% end %> A new blog starts today on the topic of parathyroid disorders, hyperparathyroidism and high calcium. Patients and doctors seeking information on parathyroid topics will have a fresh choice-a blo...

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