If you feel bone pain that cannot be located, then this may indicate hyperparathyroidism. This doesn’t mean that you have cancer or some other serious condition; it just means there is a possibility of parathyroid disease.
When you are an otherwise healthy individual who wants such symptoms to go away, you should be willing to consider parathyroid surgery. Here are some common warning signs that indicate that surgery may be necessary:
Generalized Fatigue
Feeling tired all the time suggests your glands are overactive and working too hard to regulate calcium levels in the blood vs. bones. Feeling tired all the time suggests your glands are overactive and working too hard to regulate calcium levels in the blood vs. bones.
Weight Loss
If you are losing your appetite and weight, then it might be due to hyperparathyroidism.
Mild Depression Symptoms
This type of condition is not common, but some people report mild symptoms of depression that can suggest parathyroid disease.
Muscle Weakness
A general feeling of being weak, tired, and achy all the time may indicate your glands are overactive and working too hard to regulate calcium levels in the blood vs. bones.
Changes in Bowel Function
Feeling constipated or not as regular as you should be may mean that your parathyroid gland is not regulating electrolyte balance correctly.
Bruising Easily
If it takes a lot of minor trauma before bruise forms, hyperparathyroidism might affect calcium levels in the blood vs. bones and platelets.
Feeling Cold When Everyone Else Is Warm
Fatigue can cause you to feel cold when everyone else is warm. Still, suppose you are always cold or shivering all the time despite being bundled up under many layers of clothing. This suggests your glands are overactive and working too hard to regulate calcium levels in the blood vs. bones.
Eczema
If you have bumps under your skin that often itch, it might be due to parathyroid disease. It also means you might benefit from parathyroid surgery.
Numbness or Tingling in the Arms, Hands, Fingers, Feet, Toes
If you feel numbness or tingling in your hands and arms all the time, it could be due to hyperparathyroidism.
Kidney Stones
Typically, kidney stones are calcium deposits in the kidneys. The body can usually pass them without too much trouble, but if, for some reason, they become lodged, it can be quite painful.
Hormonal Changes
Sometimes, you may experience hormonal imbalances related to the parathyroid gland (not including calcium). It happens due to hyperparathyroidism in some cases, so consult your doctor.
Heart Problems
Hyperparathyroidism is known to cause irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrhythmia that can be serious. This is not something to ignore or take lightly, so if you have any of these symptoms, be sure to see your physician for an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment.
Any of these symptoms can mean you need parathyroid surgery, but an experienced doctor is the only one who can give you this diagnosis. Any of these symptoms can mean you need parathyroid surgery, but a professional doctor is the only one who can give you this diagnosis.
What to Expect Out of Your Surgery?
Even though surgeons attempt to remove all or most parathyroids during surgery, sometimes, this might not be possible due to scar tissue or other anatomical reasons. For example, if the gland has sprawled across various places in your neck area, then complete removal may not even be possible. The surgeon will discuss what to expect and highlight all possibilities related to parathyroid surgery before it is performed.
The surgeon will try to keep your vocal cords open during the surgery, so they are free for speaking after surgery. Sometimes, it is possible to reach the parathyroid gland by simply making a tiny incision in your neck and using your fingers to expose the gland. There are other times when it is necessary to make a larger incision that takes a little longer to heal.
Sometimes, making this second incision does not matter as much if you have been experiencing symptoms for an extended period. On the other hand, it could be crucial if your symptoms are relatively new and mostly related to hyperparathyroidism as opposed to any other condition. It just depends on what is going on inside your body.
After Surgery
After the surgery, patients are placed under observation either as an overnight stay or for a few hours, depending on the case and cause of the operation. In most cases, patients can return to work in just a few days or sooner after undergoing this relatively painless surgery.