What are the Parathyroid Glands?
In most cases, humans have four parathyroid glands located on the rear of the thyroid gland. These endocrine glands produce parathyroid hormones, which are responsible for controlling the amount of calcium in our bodies – including how much calcium is found in our bones and in our blood.
Although the parathyroid glands are neighbors to the thyroid gland, the two are otherwise unrelated, save for their similar name. They do not serve the same function.
The sole function of the parathyroid glands is to regulate and maintain the amount of calcium in our bodies. In fact, this arguably makes calcium the most closely regulated element in our bodies because it is the only mineral/element that has its own regulatory system.
Proper calcium levels are required to maintain the body’s nervous and muscular systems. Calcium is also responsible for providing strength to our skeletal system. Generally speaking, the proper amount of calcium helps us feel healthy and parathyroid glands are responsible for allowing this to happen.
How Do the Parathyroid Glands Work?
The Parathyroid glands monitor the blood with calcium-sensing receptors that release the parathyroid hormone, PTH, when calcium gets too low. This hormone stimulates the body to break down part of the bones to release calcium into the bloodstream, thus regulating the amount of calcium delivered to our nervous and muscular systems.
Our bones function as a storage area for calcium, releasing it as needed when PTH is detected. PTH is also responsible for increasing the absorption of calcium by activating vitamin D receptors in the gastrointestinal area of the body to promote calcium re-absorption by the kidneys.
Parathyroid Quick Facts
- There are 4 parathyroid glands.
- These glands are located near the thyroid, but aside from sharing a similar name, they have nothing in common.
- Parathyroid glands are responsible for producing PTH, a hormone that regulates the amount of calcium found in our blood and our bones.
- Even though there are 4 parathyroid glands, they all do the same thing. In fact, you can live with just one parathyroid gland if necessary.
- When the proper amount of PTH isn’t necessary it results in hyperparathyroidism (parathyroid disease) when there is too much calcium in the blood or in hypoparathyroidism where there is not enough calcium in the blood.
- In hyperparathyroidism, one of the parathyroid glands grows large, resulting in a tumor.
- The only way to cure hyperparathyroidism is to have the tumor removed. Treatment is successful over 95% of the time.
- Minimally invasive surgery is available, resulting in a faster recovery time, less pain, less scarring and several other benefits for patients.
- There is no hormone replacement therapy for hypoparathyroidism currently.
