What is Osteoporosis?
- Osteoporosis makes bones weak and thin over time.
- Bones with this condition break much more easily than healthy bones.
- Most people do not have symptoms until they actually break a bone.
- It commonly affects the hips, wrists, and spine.
- The body normally replaces old bone with new bone, but this process slows down as we age.
Your Parathyroid Glands
- You have four tiny, pea-sized glands in your neck called parathyroid glands.
- These glands control the amount of calcium in your blood and bones.
- They send out a hormone (PTH) to keep these levels balanced.
- Sometimes these glands grow too large or develop a small, non-cancerous lump, which makes them work too hard.
The Link Between These Glands and Weak Bones
- When these glands work too hard, they produce too much hormone (hyperparathyroidism).
- This extra hormone tells your bones to release their calcium into your bloodstream.
- Calcium acts like the “bricks” that make bones hard; without it, bones become full of tiny holes.
- This loss of calcium directly leads to osteoporosis and raises the risk of painful breaks.
How Doctors Treat These Conditions
- Surgery: This is the most common cure. Surgeons remove the overactive gland through a small cut in the neck.
- Medication for Glands: If you cannot have surgery, doctors use pills to lower the hormone levels in your blood.
- Medication for Bones: Doctors use various treatments to help strengthen bones:
- Bisphosphonates: These slow down the breakdown of bone.
- Hormone Therapy: This helps the body build new bone or maintain density.
- Bone Scans: Doctors use special X-rays to check your bone strength and plan your care.
Summary
If your parathyroid glands produce too much hormone, they “steal” calcium from your bones. This makes your bones fragile. Fixing the glands through surgery or managing the bone loss with medicine helps keep your skeleton strong and prevents fractures.
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Source: medicalnewstoday.com
