Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
This article discusses the symptoms and causes of hypoparathyroidism in addition to diagnosis, and treatment.
What Are the Main Symptoms of Hypoparathyroidism?
Signs and symptoms of hypoparathyroidismare most often related to low calcium levels. In severe situations, the elevated phosphorus levels can have some effects as well.
Common effects of hypoparathyroidism include:
Severe effects of hypoparathyroidism, which are less common, include:
Less common effects of hypoparathyroidism that specifically result from high phosphorus levels include:
The most important effect ofhyperphosphatemia(high phosphorus levels) is actually low calcium, which results from the complex interactions between calcium, phosphorus, bones, kidneys, and PTH.
Hypoparathyroidism Causes
Hypoparathyroidism has a number of causes, the nature of which help classify the disease.
Primary hypoparathyroidism is a disease of the parathyroid glands, while secondary hypoparathyroidism results from damage to the glands.
Sometimes there is no identifiable cause, and the condition may be categorized as idiopathic hypoparathyroidism.
Causes of primary hypoparathyroidism include:
Causes of secondary hypoparathyroidism:
You can generally make enough PTH if you have only one or a portion of a parathyroid gland. However, damage to the whole region can cause symptoms.
Diagnosing Hypoparathyroidism
The evaluation of the symptoms of hypoparathyroidism usually begins with a laboratory test that measures levels of electrolytes in the blood, including calcium and phosphorus. The combination of low calcium levels and high phosphorus levels generally triggers further testing of PTH levels to verify hypoparathyroidism.
Reference RangesCalcium levels: Normal range is 8.5 to 10.5 mg/dL.Phosphorus levels: Normal range is 2.5 to 4.5 mg/dL.PTH levels: Normal range is 10 to 65 ng/L.
Reference Ranges
Calcium levels: Normal range is 8.5 to 10.5 mg/dL.Phosphorus levels: Normal range is 2.5 to 4.5 mg/dL.PTH levels: Normal range is 10 to 65 ng/L.
If you have had thyroid surgery, radiation, or neck trauma, the potential for developing hypoparathyroidism may have been already anticipated as a possible complication of your condition. However, in children or adults who have no history of damage to the neck, tests may be performed to evaluate the cause of hypoparathyroidism.
Tests for evaluation of hypoparathyroidism include:
The effects of hypoparathyroidism also need to be assessed and followed to determine the right course of treatment.
Hypoparathyroidism
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How Do You Fix Hypoparathyroidism?
Treatment for hypoparathyroidismincludes supplemental calcium and vitamin D, taken in oral form.Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and eliminate excess phosphorous, so it acts similarly to PTH and can help compensate for the hormone deficiency.
Sun exposure is an important way to raise your vitamin D levels, even if you are takingvitamin D supplements. The recommended amount is 10 to 15 minutes of direct sunlight at least twice a week. Do not spend excessive time in the sun, as this may increase your risk of skin cancer.
Calcium supplementation is taken as calcium carbonate or calcium citrate, with each dose not exceeding 500 milligrams (mg) for a maximum of 2000 mg daily. Vitamin D is taken as Calcitriol (1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D), which comes in tablets of 0.25 or 0.5 mcg or as an oral solution.
These medication doses are adjusted based on your calcium and phosphorus levels and generally must be taken several times per day to prevent excessive fluctuations in your blood level. When taking these supplements, your calcium and phosphorus levels will be periodically monitored to ensure they are in the normal range.
If your calcium level becomes drastically low, you may need to have intravenous (IV) calcium to quickly get it into your bloodstream to prevent serious complications.
Diet and Lifestyle
Eating a diet rich in calcium and low in phosphorous is important if you have hypoparathyroidism, even if you are being treated with vitamin D or recombinant PTH.
Calcium-rich foods include:
Health Benefits of Calcium
Your healthcare provider may recommend that you avoid these phosphorus-rich foods:
Note that dairy products are high in calcium and phosphorus, so talk with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian to determine whether to include these foods in your diet.
Summary
10 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.Medline Plus.Hypoparathyroidism.Mannstadt M, Bilezikian JP, Thakker RV, et al.Hypoparathyroidism.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3:17055. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2017.55Merck Manual Professional Version.Hypoparathyroidism.Hypoparathyroidism News.Differences between primary and secondary hypothyroidism.Bauer JL, Toluie S, Thompson LDR.Metastases to the Parathyroid Glands: A Comprehensive Literature Review of 127 Reported Cases. Head Neck Pathol. 2018 Dec;12(4):534-541. doi: 10.1007/s12105-017-0850-xMajumder A, Basu S.Hypoparathyroidism in a Case of Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia. J ASEAN Fed Endocr Soc. 2020;35(1):129-132. doi: 10.15605/jafes.035.01.23Durdana S.Hypoparathyroidism- An unusual presentation of Wilson’s disease. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Nov-Dec;25(6):576-578. doi: 10.4103/ijem.ijem_420_21Tecilazich F, Formenti AM, Frara S, Giubbini R, Giustina A.Treatment of hypoparathyroidism.Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;32(6):955-964. doi:10.1016/j.beem.2018.12.002National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Calcium.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Phosphorus.Additional ReadingTriantafyllou E, Yavropoulou MP, Anastasilakis AD, Makras P.Hypoparathyroidism: is it that easy to treat?.Hormones (Athens). 2019;18(1):55-63. doi:10.1007/s42000-018-0032-6
10 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.Medline Plus.Hypoparathyroidism.Mannstadt M, Bilezikian JP, Thakker RV, et al.Hypoparathyroidism.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3:17055. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2017.55Merck Manual Professional Version.Hypoparathyroidism.Hypoparathyroidism News.Differences between primary and secondary hypothyroidism.Bauer JL, Toluie S, Thompson LDR.Metastases to the Parathyroid Glands: A Comprehensive Literature Review of 127 Reported Cases. Head Neck Pathol. 2018 Dec;12(4):534-541. doi: 10.1007/s12105-017-0850-xMajumder A, Basu S.Hypoparathyroidism in a Case of Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia. J ASEAN Fed Endocr Soc. 2020;35(1):129-132. doi: 10.15605/jafes.035.01.23Durdana S.Hypoparathyroidism- An unusual presentation of Wilson’s disease. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Nov-Dec;25(6):576-578. doi: 10.4103/ijem.ijem_420_21Tecilazich F, Formenti AM, Frara S, Giubbini R, Giustina A.Treatment of hypoparathyroidism.Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;32(6):955-964. doi:10.1016/j.beem.2018.12.002National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Calcium.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Phosphorus.Additional ReadingTriantafyllou E, Yavropoulou MP, Anastasilakis AD, Makras P.Hypoparathyroidism: is it that easy to treat?.Hormones (Athens). 2019;18(1):55-63. doi:10.1007/s42000-018-0032-6
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.
Medline Plus.Hypoparathyroidism.Mannstadt M, Bilezikian JP, Thakker RV, et al.Hypoparathyroidism.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3:17055. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2017.55Merck Manual Professional Version.Hypoparathyroidism.Hypoparathyroidism News.Differences between primary and secondary hypothyroidism.Bauer JL, Toluie S, Thompson LDR.Metastases to the Parathyroid Glands: A Comprehensive Literature Review of 127 Reported Cases. Head Neck Pathol. 2018 Dec;12(4):534-541. doi: 10.1007/s12105-017-0850-xMajumder A, Basu S.Hypoparathyroidism in a Case of Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia. J ASEAN Fed Endocr Soc. 2020;35(1):129-132. doi: 10.15605/jafes.035.01.23Durdana S.Hypoparathyroidism- An unusual presentation of Wilson’s disease. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Nov-Dec;25(6):576-578. doi: 10.4103/ijem.ijem_420_21Tecilazich F, Formenti AM, Frara S, Giubbini R, Giustina A.Treatment of hypoparathyroidism.Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;32(6):955-964. doi:10.1016/j.beem.2018.12.002National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Calcium.National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Phosphorus.
Medline Plus.Hypoparathyroidism.
Mannstadt M, Bilezikian JP, Thakker RV, et al.Hypoparathyroidism.Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017;3:17055. doi:10.1038/nrdp.2017.55
Merck Manual Professional Version.Hypoparathyroidism.
Hypoparathyroidism News.Differences between primary and secondary hypothyroidism.
Bauer JL, Toluie S, Thompson LDR.Metastases to the Parathyroid Glands: A Comprehensive Literature Review of 127 Reported Cases. Head Neck Pathol. 2018 Dec;12(4):534-541. doi: 10.1007/s12105-017-0850-x
Majumder A, Basu S.Hypoparathyroidism in a Case of Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia. J ASEAN Fed Endocr Soc. 2020;35(1):129-132. doi: 10.15605/jafes.035.01.23
Durdana S.Hypoparathyroidism- An unusual presentation of Wilson’s disease. Indian J Endocrinol Metab. 2021 Nov-Dec;25(6):576-578. doi: 10.4103/ijem.ijem_420_21
Tecilazich F, Formenti AM, Frara S, Giubbini R, Giustina A.Treatment of hypoparathyroidism.Best Pract Res Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2018;32(6):955-964. doi:10.1016/j.beem.2018.12.002
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Calcium.
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.Phosphorus.
Triantafyllou E, Yavropoulou MP, Anastasilakis AD, Makras P.Hypoparathyroidism: is it that easy to treat?.Hormones (Athens). 2019;18(1):55-63. doi:10.1007/s42000-018-0032-6
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