Jou paratiroïede kliere bestaan uit vier klein kliertjie is jou nek, net agter jou tiroïed.
Luister Woensdag 11:30 – 12:00 na Gesondheid op RSG, waar prof. Justus Apffelstaedt gesels oor die paratiroïede en die chirurgiese behandeling as een van die vier kliere nie meer reg funksioneer nie.
Die paratiroïede is baie belangrik in die regulering van die kalsiumvlakke in jou liggaam.
Dit reguleer die kalsiummetabolisme deur die parathormoon wat dit afskei. As jou kalsiumvlakke in jou bloed te laag is, doen die parathormoon (PTH) die volgende:
1. Dit stimuleer die bene om kalsium uit die bene te haal en in die bloedstroom te stort as die kalsiumvlakke in die bloed te laag is. Dit kan beendigtheid verminder en tot osteoporose lei.
2. Dit het ‘n effek op die niere sodat die niere minder kalsium uitskei en meer terughou|
3. Dit maak seker dat meer sonlig in die liggaam omgeskakel word in Vitamien D wat noodsaaklik is vir beenbou.
4. Dit maak dat die spysverteringstelsel meer kalsium uit die dieet absorbeer.
Die funksies word in die skets hieronder uiteengesit.
Het jy simptome as jou kalsiumvlakke te laag is?
Ja, maar die simptome is baie vaag. Dit kan moegheid, rugpyn, maagpyn, dorsheid en vae depressie insluit. Sommige mense is selfs sonder simptome.
Tot 80% van mense met paratiroïedprobleme word nooit gediagnoseer nie. Dit kan opgespoor word met ‘n eenvoudige bloedtoets wat die kalsiumvlakke in jou bloed toets.
Maar as die lae kalsiumvlakke te lank voortduur, kan dit tot erge osteoporose, nierversaking, nierstene, hoë bloeddruk, gereelde urinering, naarheid, depressie en selfs kanker lei.
Die nuutste behandeling
Die foutiewe paratiroïed kan nou met minimale chirurgie wat slegs 20 minute duur en deur ‘n snit van 2 cm gedoen word, behandel word. In 96% van gevalle is een operasie voldoende.
Interessant genoeg kan die gesonde oorblywende paratiroïed kliere die regulering van die kalsiummetabolisme behartig. Selfs al is daar net ‘n halwe gesonde kliertjie oor, kan hy die kalsiumvlakke reguleer.
Wat Prof Apffelstaedt ook sê:
“Undiagnosed or untreated hyperparathyroidism can progress to irreversible complications,” says Apffelstaedt, “these include renal failure and hypertension with secondary detrimental effects. As breast cancer is linked to the endocrine system, we found that we were increasingly dealing with thyroid and parathyroid cases, so we’ve now formalised this service offering.”
“We have completed the upskilling of our staff and are now officially launching the service in the practice with the hope that we can provide a holistic service to our patients,” says Apffelstaedt. “I have seen many patients that have been undiagnosed for years with regards to thyroid disease, I hope to be able to educate patients enough to notice when they are experiencing thyroid health specific symptoms”.
The services that will now fall under Thyroid Health include:
Thyroid health assessment
Management of thyroid nodules or enlargement of the thyroid gland
Thyroid cancer multidisciplinary clinic
Thyroid cancer surgery
Surgical treatment of hyperthyroidism
Assessment of familial risk for thyroid cancer
The services that will now fall under Parathyroid Health include:
Assessment of parathyroid function
Ultrasound of parathyroids
Surgical therapy for primary, secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism
Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy
“Most thyroid disorders and diseases are very treatable. I have seen too many patients suffer for much longer than what was necessary before the thyroid disorder was diagnosed. We hope to break this cycle, get rid of misconceptions, and allow patients with thyroid disorders the opportunity to live a normal, long life”, concludes Apffelstaedt.
Visit www.apffelstaedt.com for more information.
