Living with Hypoparathyroidism
A hormone condition in which the parathyroid glands make too little parathyroid hormone, causing low calcium.
Understanding Hypoparathyroidism
Common signs include belly pain, brittle nails, cataracts, dry hair and skin, muscle cramps, tetany (muscle spasms), pain in the face, legs, and feet, seizures, and tingling. Children may have weak tooth enamel. It may be caused by injury to the parathyroid glands, for example during surgery.
Signs & symptoms
Symptoms vary from person to person. GARD's summary describes these:
- Muscle cramps and spasms (tetany)
- Tingling feelings
- Belly pain
- Brittle nails
- Dry hair and skin
- Seizures
Not everyone has every symptom. GARD's list comes from the Human Phenotype Ontology.
Diagnosis
- 1Talk with your doctor
Share the symptoms you've noticed, when they started and your family health history. Notes and photos can help.
- 2See a specialist
Your doctor may refer you to a specialist who knows rare conditions.
- 3Ask which tests can help
Your care team will decide which exams and tests can confirm the diagnosis.
- 4Connect with expert centers
HypoPARAthyroidism Association, Inc. may keep lists of experts for this condition.
Care & treatment
- Care team
- A doctor familiar with rare conditions, plus specialists as needed
- Expert care
- Expert lists: HypoPARAthyroidism Association, Inc.
- Treatment
- GARD doesn't list specific treatments for this condition. Your care team will tailor care to your symptoms.
- Research
- Clinical trials and observational studies may be options. See the research section below.
General information, not medical advice. Your care team makes the decisions.
Everyday life
Living with a rare condition is easier with support.
- Connect with HypoPARAthyroidism Association, Inc.
- Keep notes on symptoms, changes and questions for appointments
- Ask about patient registries that help research
- Look into financial aid and travel resources for care visits
Quick facts
It may be caused by injury to the parathyroid glands, such as during surgery.
Also known as: decreased parathyroid hormone secretion; deficiency of parathyrin; deficiency of parathyroid hormone; deficiency of pth (parathyroid hormone); low parathyroid hormone
Patient organizations
- HypoPARAthyroidism Association, Inc.Hypoparathyroidism · United States
You are more than your diagnosis
Perspectives from people navigating life with Hypoparathyroidism.
Explore research for Hypoparathyroidism
Explore actively recruiting Hypoparathyroidism studies with HealthSpark.
Find actively recruiting studies for Hypoparathyroidism with HealthSpark. Share your city to explore research near you.
- Recruiting studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
- Share your city to look for research near you
- Eligibility is confirmed by the study team
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Powered by HealthSpark, our AI chat helper · Study information from ClinicalTrials.gov · Eligibility is confirmed by the study team.
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