Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentPreventionFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Prevention
Frequently Asked Questions
Hyperparathyroidism(HPT)andhyperthyroidism (HT)sound a lot alike. While the glands involved are somewhat related, they produce different hormones that have different effects on your body. They have different symptoms and require different treatments, as well.
Yourthyroid glandis shaped like a butterfly. It sits at the front of your throat, right in the center. The fourparathyroid glandsare usually located just behind the thyroid, near the upper and lower tips of the “wings.” They’re about the size of peas.
This article will explore the differences between the two conditions, their symptoms and causes, how they’re diagnosed and treated, and how you can prevent them.
Verywell / Jessica Olah
Your parathyroid glands produce a hormone called parathyroid hormone. Its primary job is controlling calcium levels in your blood.
Your nervous system and muscles need calcium to function correctly. It also keeps your bones strong. HPT causes an increase in parathyroid hormone andhypercalcemia(high calcium levels).
When your parathyroid glands tell your body to raise calcium levels in the blood, your body leeches it from your bones and your kidneys hold onto it.
Your thyroid gland produces thyroid hormones. Their jobs are largely to do with homeostasis (your body’s automatic functions).
Thyroid hormones regulate heart rate, breathing, body temperature, body weight, cholesterol levels, energy expenditure, and menstrual cycles. HT causes all of these processes to speed up.
The conditions have some symptoms in common, but this is just a coincidence. The causes of the symptoms are different.
Symptoms they have in common include:
Some of their symptoms are opposites. For example, HPT causes constipation and decreased appetite. HT causes diarrhea and increased appetite.
The other symptoms of HPT and HT are unrelated.
HPT SymptomsAbdominal painVomitingExcessive thirstKidney stonesImpaired kidney functionPancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)Excess stomach acidHT SymptomsIncreased body temperatureUnintended weight lossExcessive sweatingThinning hairHigh blood pressureIrregular menstrual cycleTremorInsomniaGoiter (enlarged thyroid)
HPT SymptomsAbdominal painVomitingExcessive thirstKidney stonesImpaired kidney functionPancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)Excess stomach acid
Abdominal pain
Vomiting
Excessive thirst
Kidney stones
Impaired kidney function
Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
Excess stomach acid
HT SymptomsIncreased body temperatureUnintended weight lossExcessive sweatingThinning hairHigh blood pressureIrregular menstrual cycleTremorInsomniaGoiter (enlarged thyroid)
Increased body temperature
Unintended weight loss
Excessive sweating
Thinning hair
High blood pressure
Irregular menstrual cycle
Tremor
Insomnia
Goiter (enlarged thyroid)
RecapThe four parathyroid glands sit just behind the thyroid, which is in the front of your neck. The parathyroid glands regulate your blood calcium levels. In hyperparathyroidism, you have too much blood calcium.The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate your homeostasis. Hyperthyroidism speeds up everything.The conditions have a few symptoms in common. Others are opposites. However, most of them are unrelated to each other.
Recap
The four parathyroid glands sit just behind the thyroid, which is in the front of your neck. The parathyroid glands regulate your blood calcium levels. In hyperparathyroidism, you have too much blood calcium.The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate your homeostasis. Hyperthyroidism speeds up everything.The conditions have a few symptoms in common. Others are opposites. However, most of them are unrelated to each other.
The four parathyroid glands sit just behind the thyroid, which is in the front of your neck. The parathyroid glands regulate your blood calcium levels. In hyperparathyroidism, you have too much blood calcium.
The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate your homeostasis. Hyperthyroidism speeds up everything.
The conditions have a few symptoms in common. Others are opposites. However, most of them are unrelated to each other.
In HT, if there arethyroid nodules, your healthcare provider will order the appropriate test to make sure they are not cancerous.
However, both conditions have other causes as well.
Causes of Hyperparathyroidism
HPT can result from several things. In addition to growths on the gland (adenoma), they include:
Sometimes HPT results from another condition that depletes calcium. That can include:
Cause of Hyperthyroidism
HT is often due to one of the following:
Causes and Risk Factors of Hyperthyroidism
The diagnostic processes for HPT and HT both involve blood tests and imaging. However, the specific tests are different.
Diagnosing Hyperparathyroidism
To diagnose HPT, healthcare providers order several tests:
To check for possible complications of calcium dysregulation, your healthcare provider may also order:
How to Prevent Kidney Stones
Diagnosing Hyperthyroidism
The diagnostic process for hyperthyroidism is simple and includes:
Diagnosing these conditions generally involves a blood panel and imaging tests. Other tests may be used as well.
HPT and HT are treated completely differently.
Treating Hyperparathyroidism
HPT is usually diagnosed if the patient is under age 50 and blood tests show extremely high levels of calcium and parathyroid hormone. Markers of impaired kidney function, bone density loss, kidney stones, and 24-hour urine calcium excretion over 400 are also indicators of HPT.
If you have these symptoms, your healthcare provider will likely recommend surgery to remove the parathyroid growth and/or overactive gland (or glands). This cures the disease about 95% of the time.
Parathyroid Surgery: What You Need to Know
Treating Hyperthyroidism
Hyperthyroidism can be treated in a few different ways.
Radioactive iodine and surgery are considered cures. However, afterward you’ll likely havehypothyroidism(low thyroid hormones) and need to take thyroid-replacement hormones for the rest of your life.
There’s no known way to prevent HPT or HT. However, some risk factors may be changeable and therefore reduce your risk.
Preventing Hyperparathyroidism
Risk factors for HPT include:
If you know you’re at risk, you should:
Preventing Hyperthyroidism
While these aren’t proven to prevent HT, they may help lower your risk:
Summary
Despite sounding alike and dealing with glands that are close to each other, hyperparathyroidism and hyperthyroidism are very different diseases.
Both conditions are diagnosed using a combination of blood tests and scans.
HPT treatment depends on its severity. It may include medications, supplements, and surgery. HT treatments involve medications, radioactive iodine, and surgery.
No proven ways exist to prevent HPT or HT. By focusing on changeable risk factors, you may be able to reduce your risk.
A Word From Verywell
If you have symptoms that could point to hyperparathyroidism or hyperthyroidism, talk to your healthcare provider. Both conditions are treatable, so you don’t have to live with symptoms. Getting a proper diagnosis and treatment can make you feel better now and prevent complications down the road.
Frequently Asked QuestionsYes, it’s possible to have HPT without noticing symptoms. Much of the time, HPT is discovered during routine testing.Yes, they both can. Autoimmune hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease) can include a complication called Graves’ ophthalmopathy. It causes bulging, dry, itchy, and painful eyes.Both conditions are tied to compression of the optic nerve, which can lead to abnormal vision.HPT can cause calcium deposits in the corner of the eyes, but this usually doesn’t cause symptoms. It’s also associated with band keratopathy, which is when part of the cornea (colored part) becomes cloudy.Learn MoreWhat is Thyroid Eye Disease?Yes, the most common cause ofhypoparathyroidism(low parathyroid activity) is damage to the parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery. It’s usually mild and goes away in a matter of weeks. Permanent parathyroid damage is rare, with a risk of less than 5%.Learn MoreThyroid Surgery: Preparation and Recovery
Yes, it’s possible to have HPT without noticing symptoms. Much of the time, HPT is discovered during routine testing.
Yes, they both can. Autoimmune hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease) can include a complication called Graves’ ophthalmopathy. It causes bulging, dry, itchy, and painful eyes.Both conditions are tied to compression of the optic nerve, which can lead to abnormal vision.HPT can cause calcium deposits in the corner of the eyes, but this usually doesn’t cause symptoms. It’s also associated with band keratopathy, which is when part of the cornea (colored part) becomes cloudy.Learn MoreWhat is Thyroid Eye Disease?
Yes, they both can. Autoimmune hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease) can include a complication called Graves’ ophthalmopathy. It causes bulging, dry, itchy, and painful eyes.Both conditions are tied to compression of the optic nerve, which can lead to abnormal vision.HPT can cause calcium deposits in the corner of the eyes, but this usually doesn’t cause symptoms. It’s also associated with band keratopathy, which is when part of the cornea (colored part) becomes cloudy.
Yes, they both can. Autoimmune hyperthyroidism (Graves’ disease) can include a complication called Graves’ ophthalmopathy. It causes bulging, dry, itchy, and painful eyes.
Both conditions are tied to compression of the optic nerve, which can lead to abnormal vision.
HPT can cause calcium deposits in the corner of the eyes, but this usually doesn’t cause symptoms. It’s also associated with band keratopathy, which is when part of the cornea (colored part) becomes cloudy.
Learn MoreWhat is Thyroid Eye Disease?
Yes, the most common cause ofhypoparathyroidism(low parathyroid activity) is damage to the parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery. It’s usually mild and goes away in a matter of weeks. Permanent parathyroid damage is rare, with a risk of less than 5%.Learn MoreThyroid Surgery: Preparation and Recovery
Yes, the most common cause ofhypoparathyroidism(low parathyroid activity) is damage to the parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery. It’s usually mild and goes away in a matter of weeks. Permanent parathyroid damage is rare, with a risk of less than 5%.
Learn MoreThyroid Surgery: Preparation and Recovery
11 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Society for Endocrinology.Parathyroid glands.Cleveland Clinic.Hyperparathyroidism.St. Luke’s Hospital.Hyperparathyroidism.Han GS, Cheng JG, Li G, Ma XC.Shielding effect of thyroid collar for digital panoramic radiography.Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2013;42(9):20130265. doi:10.1259/dmfr.20130265Messina M.Soy and health update: Evaluation of the clinical and epidemiologic literature.Nutrients. 2016;8(12):754. doi:10.3390/nu8120754Santos LR, Neves C, Melo M, Soares P.Selenium and selenoproteins in immune mediated thyroid disorders.Diagnostics. 2018 Oct 4;8(4):70. doi:10.3390/diagnostics8040070Azizi F, Mehran L, Hosseinpanah F, Delshad H, Amouzegar A.Primordial and primary preventions of thyroid disease.Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2017;15(4):e57871. doi:10.5812/ijem.57871Walker MD, Silverberg SJ.Primary hyperparathyroidism.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2018;14(2):115-125. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2017.104Cleveland Clinic.Thyroid eye disease.Chopra R, Chander A, Jacob JJ.The eye as a window to rare endocrine disorders.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2012;16(3):331-338. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.95659American Thyroid Association.Thyroid cancer: Risk of hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy.Additional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Hyperthyroidism.Cleveland Clinic.Hyperparathyroidism.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Society for Endocrinology.Parathyroid glands.Cleveland Clinic.Hyperparathyroidism.St. Luke’s Hospital.Hyperparathyroidism.Han GS, Cheng JG, Li G, Ma XC.Shielding effect of thyroid collar for digital panoramic radiography.Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2013;42(9):20130265. doi:10.1259/dmfr.20130265Messina M.Soy and health update: Evaluation of the clinical and epidemiologic literature.Nutrients. 2016;8(12):754. doi:10.3390/nu8120754Santos LR, Neves C, Melo M, Soares P.Selenium and selenoproteins in immune mediated thyroid disorders.Diagnostics. 2018 Oct 4;8(4):70. doi:10.3390/diagnostics8040070Azizi F, Mehran L, Hosseinpanah F, Delshad H, Amouzegar A.Primordial and primary preventions of thyroid disease.Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2017;15(4):e57871. doi:10.5812/ijem.57871Walker MD, Silverberg SJ.Primary hyperparathyroidism.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2018;14(2):115-125. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2017.104Cleveland Clinic.Thyroid eye disease.Chopra R, Chander A, Jacob JJ.The eye as a window to rare endocrine disorders.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2012;16(3):331-338. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.95659American Thyroid Association.Thyroid cancer: Risk of hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy.Additional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Hyperthyroidism.Cleveland Clinic.Hyperparathyroidism.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Society for Endocrinology.Parathyroid glands.Cleveland Clinic.Hyperparathyroidism.St. Luke’s Hospital.Hyperparathyroidism.Han GS, Cheng JG, Li G, Ma XC.Shielding effect of thyroid collar for digital panoramic radiography.Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2013;42(9):20130265. doi:10.1259/dmfr.20130265Messina M.Soy and health update: Evaluation of the clinical and epidemiologic literature.Nutrients. 2016;8(12):754. doi:10.3390/nu8120754Santos LR, Neves C, Melo M, Soares P.Selenium and selenoproteins in immune mediated thyroid disorders.Diagnostics. 2018 Oct 4;8(4):70. doi:10.3390/diagnostics8040070Azizi F, Mehran L, Hosseinpanah F, Delshad H, Amouzegar A.Primordial and primary preventions of thyroid disease.Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2017;15(4):e57871. doi:10.5812/ijem.57871Walker MD, Silverberg SJ.Primary hyperparathyroidism.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2018;14(2):115-125. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2017.104Cleveland Clinic.Thyroid eye disease.Chopra R, Chander A, Jacob JJ.The eye as a window to rare endocrine disorders.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2012;16(3):331-338. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.95659American Thyroid Association.Thyroid cancer: Risk of hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy.
Society for Endocrinology.Parathyroid glands.
Cleveland Clinic.Hyperparathyroidism.
St. Luke’s Hospital.Hyperparathyroidism.
Han GS, Cheng JG, Li G, Ma XC.Shielding effect of thyroid collar for digital panoramic radiography.Dentomaxillofac Radiol. 2013;42(9):20130265. doi:10.1259/dmfr.20130265
Messina M.Soy and health update: Evaluation of the clinical and epidemiologic literature.Nutrients. 2016;8(12):754. doi:10.3390/nu8120754
Santos LR, Neves C, Melo M, Soares P.Selenium and selenoproteins in immune mediated thyroid disorders.Diagnostics. 2018 Oct 4;8(4):70. doi:10.3390/diagnostics8040070
Azizi F, Mehran L, Hosseinpanah F, Delshad H, Amouzegar A.Primordial and primary preventions of thyroid disease.Int J Endocrinol Metab. 2017;15(4):e57871. doi:10.5812/ijem.57871
Walker MD, Silverberg SJ.Primary hyperparathyroidism.Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2018;14(2):115-125. doi:10.1038/nrendo.2017.104
Cleveland Clinic.Thyroid eye disease.
Chopra R, Chander A, Jacob JJ.The eye as a window to rare endocrine disorders.Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2012;16(3):331-338. doi:10.4103/2230-8210.95659
American Thyroid Association.Thyroid cancer: Risk of hypoparathyroidism after total thyroidectomy.
Cleveland Clinic.Hyperthyroidism.Cleveland Clinic.Hyperparathyroidism.
Cleveland Clinic.Hyperthyroidism.
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