Thyroid

What are the thyroid and parathyroid glands?

Your neck contains a number of nodes and glands that help regulate your body functions.

The thyroid gland produces hormones like thyroxine, that are responsible for controlling your metabolism, brain development, digestion, muscle control, and more. 

The parathyroid gland secretes parathyroid hormone (PTH) that regulates the calcium levels in your body and helps your nervous and muscular systems function properly.

Since these glands control such a wide range of body functions, any abnormal activity has wide-reaching effects. 

What are common disorders that affect these glands?

Some common thyroid and parathyroid disorders are:

Hyperthyroidism

If your thyroid gland is overactive and produces too much hormone, your body uses energy faster than it should and results in a condition known as hyperthyroidism. 

Hypothyroidism

An underactive thyroid that isn’t producing enough hormones causes your body to burn through energy at a much slower rate than it should and is known as hypothyroidism.

Hyperparathyroidism

When one or more of your parathyroid glands become overactive, it causes the levels of calcium in your blood to rise, resulting in a condition known as hyperparathyroidism.

Many cases of hyperthyroidism are due to growths of solid or fluid-filled lumps called nodules. Hyperparathyroidism is also caused by growths called adenomas. 

Most of these nodules and adenomas aren’t dangerous and don’t cause symptoms but a small percentage can indicate cancer, so it’s important to get checked by the practice’s oncologist Dr. Chen.

What are the treatments for thyroid and parathyroid disorders?

Your specialist at OasisMD performs a physical exam and uses blood tests to measure hormone and calcium levels in your blood to confirm your diagnosis. 

They may also order advanced imaging tests like an X-ray or MRI scan to check for nodules and adenomas that can’t be detected by a physical exam.

If you have a thyroid disorder like hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism, Dr. Chen can prescribe medication to bring your hormone levels back to normal and reduce any resulting symptoms. 

If your doctor confirms a case of hyperparathyroidism, they will perform surgery to remove the tumor and any enlarged glands and provide medication to treat the effects of abnormal calcium levels. 

Severe cases of hyperthyroidism may also require surgery to remove nodules or part of your thyroid gland.

If you receive a cancer diagnosis, your doctor can recommend different types of surgery to remove the diseased parts of your gland and refer you for radiation and chemotherapy.

To learn more about these disorders and the treatments available at OasisMD, call the office or use the online scheduling tool to book your appointment today.