Function of parathyroid gland

What is parathyroid hormone (PTH)? Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is a hormone that your parathyroid glands make and release to control the level of calcium in your blood, not your bones. Calcium is one of the most important and common minerals in your body. PTH also helps control the levels of phosphorus (a mineral) and vitamin D (a hormone) in your blood and bones. Hormones are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body by carrying messages through your blood to your organs, muscles and other tissues. These signals tell your body what to do and when to do it. What are parathyroid glands? Most people have four pea-sized parathyroid glands located behind their thyroid gland — the butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. Like your thyroid, your parathyroid glands are part of your A gland is an organ that secretes (releases) certain substances for use inside your body or excretes substances out of your body. You have several different types of glands, including sweat glands, endocrine glands and salivary (spit) glands. The main job of your parathyroid glands is to release parathyroid hormone (PTH). Sometimes, your parathyroid gland can release too little PTH, which results in low amounts of calcium in your blood (hypocalcemia), or too much PTH, resulting in high amounts of calcium in your blood ( What is calcium and what does it do? Calcium is one of the most important and common minerals in your body. Most of your calcium is stored in your bones, but you have and nee...

Anatomy The parathyroid consists of four individual glands in the neck. These glands vary in size from one person to another. However, a healthy parathyroid gland will be somewhere between the size of a grain of rice and a pea. These four glands are typically attached to the back of the thyroid at the top and bottom of each lobe. Parathyroid hormone release triggers the body to release some of the calcium our body has stored in our bones. The bones will release this calcium into the bloodstream. The blood carries the calcium through our body and releases it into the digestive system, where it will be absorbed and put to work. Hyperparathyroidism creates excess calcium in the bloodstream, which negatively affects multiple organs and can potentially lead to organ failure. One dangerous consequence is an abnormal heart rhythm; the condition can also cause kidney stones or fragile bones that can break easily. Hyperparathyroidism is considered more dangerous than parathyroid cancer. Hypoparathyroidism can occur if the parathyroid glands are malfunctioning or if the kidneys and bones are not correctly registering the presence of PTH. Often it occurs following injury to the parathyroid during a neck procedure, such as thyroid surgery, or after radiation treatment for head or neck cancer. But it can also be due to an autoimmune process or other causes. During this test, you are given a radioactive chemical. The nurse or radiology technician will give you this chemical either as so...

Endocrine system The endocrine system includes the pituitary gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid glands, adrenal glands, pancreas, ovaries and testicles. Hypopituitarism is a rare disorder in which your pituitary gland fails to produce one or more hormones, or doesn't produce enough hormones. The pituitary gland is a kidney-bean-sized gland situated at the base of your brain. It is part of your body's endocrine system, which consists of all the glands that produce and regulate hormones. Despite its small size, the pituitary gland creates and releases a number of hormones that act on nearly every part of your body. Hypopituitarism is when you have a short supply (deficiency) of one or more of the pituitary hormones. These hormone deficiencies can affect any number of your body's routine functions, such as growth, blood pressure or reproduction. Symptoms typically vary, based on which hormone or hormones you are missing. If you have hypopituitarism, you'll likely need to take medication for the rest of your life. Medication helps replace the missing hormones, which helps control your symptoms. Symptoms The signs and symptoms of hypopituitarism usually develop gradually and get worse over time. They are sometimes subtle and may be overlooked for months or even years. But for some people, signs and symptoms develop suddenly. Signs and symptoms of hypopituitarism vary from person to person, depending on which pituitary hormones are affected and to what degree. In people who have ...

Overview Hyperparathyroidism is when your parathyroid glands create high amounts of parathyroid hormone in the bloodstream. These glands, located behind the thyroid at the bottom of your neck, are about the size of a grain of rice. The parathyroid hormone produced by the thyroid glands helps maintain the right balance of calcium in the bloodstream and in tissues that depend on calcium for proper functioning. This is especially important for nerve and muscle function, as well as bone health. There are two types of hyperparathyroidism. In primary hyperparathyroidism, an enlargement of one or more of the parathyroid glands causes overproduction of parathyroid hormone. This causes high calcium levels in the blood, which can cause a variety of health problems. Surgery is the most common treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism. Secondary hyperparathyroidism occurs due to another disease that first causes low calcium levels in the body. Over time, increased parathyroid hormone levels occur as the body fights to keep the calcium level up in the standard range. This is common in kidney disease and after certain intestinal surgeries or diseases. Symptoms Primary hyperparathyroidism is often diagnosed before signs or symptoms of the disorder occur. This is usually because an elevated level of calcium is found on routine blood tests. When symptoms do occur, they're the result of damage or dysfunction in other organs or tissues. This damage or dysfunction is due to high calcium level...

Autoimmune Type You can develop autoimmune hypoparathyroidism if your immune system mistakenly attacks your parathyroid glands or the parathyroid hormone. It might also occur in a rare and complex inherited immune condition called autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 1 (APS1). Hypoparathyroidism doesn’t always occur with APS1. Congenital Type Some people have congenital hypoparathyroidism—a type of hypoparathyroidism that appears at birth. It is often the result of gene mutations involved in the parathyroid hormone production process. A person can also be born without parathyroid glands, which can lead to congenital hypoparathyroidism. Seizures A seizure is a period of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. The type of seizure a person may experience will depend on the part of the brain affected. For example, generalized widespread seizures affect large parts of the brain, and focal seizures only affect small parts of the brain. In people with hypoparathyroidism, there is a reduction of calcium ions in the blood. Calcium is vital in helping muscles properly contract and release chemical messengers to and from nerve cells. When there are large amounts of activity in muscles and nerves, people with hypoparathyroidism and low calcium levels will experience seizures. Episodes of brain fog will come in waves, leaving a person unable to think clearly for hours or days. People who experience brain fog often report difficulty performing day-to-day tasks, organizing their tho...