1. Primary
HyperparathyroidismYou might not need treatment if your kidneys are working fine, if your calcium levels are only slightly high, or if your bone density is normal. In this case, your primary care provider might monitor your condition once a year and check your blood-calcium levels twice a year.
Your primary care provider will also recommend watching how much calcium and vitamin D you get in your diet. You’ll also need to drink plenty of water to reduce your risk of kidney stones. You should get regular exercise to strengthen your bones.
If treatment is necessary, surgery is the commonly used treatment. Surgical procedures involve removing enlarged parathyroid glands or tumors on the glands. Complications are rare and include damaged vocal cord nerves and long-term, low levels of calcium.
Calcimimetics, which act like calcium in the blood, are another treatment. These drugs can trick your glands into making less PTH. Primary care providers prescribe these in some cases if surgery is unsuccessful or not an option.
Bisphophonates, which keep your bones from losing calcium, can help reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Hormone replacement therapy can help bones hold on to calcium. This therapy can treat postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, although there are risks involved with prolonged use. These include an increased risk of some cancers and cardiovascular disease.
2. Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Treatment involves bringing your PTH level back to normal by treating the underlying cause. Methods of treatment include taking prescription vitamin D for severe deficiencies and calcium and vitamin D for chronic kidney failure. You might also need medication and dialysis if you have chronic kidney failure.