Endocrine System
Your endocrine system works with your nervous system to control important bodily functions. The endocrine systems responsibilities include regulating growth, sexual development and function, metabolism and mood. The endocrine system also helps give your body the energy it needs to function properly. Endocrine glands secrete hormones into the bloodstream. Hormones are considered chemical messengers, coordinating your body by transferring information from one set of cells to another.
Your endocrine system health can be affected by hormone imbalances resulting from impaired glands. A hormone imbalance can cause problems with bodily growth, sexual development, metabolism and other bodily functions. Endocrine system diseases or conditions include diabetes, growth disorders and osteoporosis.
Recently Answered
- Q If imaging studies are negative, should I still have parathyroid surgery?
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Imaging studies help a surgeon determine if a patient is a candidate for a focused parathyroidectomy (an operation where the surgeon examines and removes just one hyperactive gland). Imaging studies do not determine if a patient has hyperparathyroidism,... Full Answer
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- Q What is radio-guided parathyroid surgery?
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Radio-guided parathyroidectomy is a form of minimally invasive parathyroid surgery that involves giving the patient a small injection of Tc-99 sestamibi the morning of surgery. This substance is taken up by the parathyroid glands (particularly abnormal... Full Answer
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- Q What is bilateral exploration in parathyroid surgery?
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Bilateral exploration is the traditional surgical approach to parathyroid surgery and may also be referred to as 4 gland exploration. This approach involves exploring and looking at all 4 parathyroid glands (typically two on the right, and two on the... Full Answer
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- Q Will I lose my voice after parathyroid surgery
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risk of losing your voice is extremely small with parathyroid surgery. However, it is not zero. Most experienced parathyroid surgeons have a 1-2% rate of permanent hoarseness after surgery. A complete loss of your voice would be exceedingly rare and... Full Answer
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- Q What should I do if I have numbness and tingling after parathyroid surgery?
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Numbness and tingling in your lips or fingers occurs when your body senses decreased levels of calcium. This is a common occurrence after parathyroid surgery. You may feel these symptoms when your calcium levels have decreased to normal, but since you... Full Answer
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- Q How will I feel after parathyroid surgery?
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How you feel after surgery will partly depend on whether you had general or local anesthesia. The side effects of anesthesia depend on the medications given, often being more significant for a general anesthetic. You have to give time for the anesthesia... Full Answer
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- Q Could my parathyroid problem be the reason for my fatigue?
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Patients with hyperparathyroidism have been shown to have more neuropsychological symptoms, including fatigue, when compared with the general population. However, it is difficult to ascertain if hyperparathyroidism is the actual cause of fatigue, as... Full Answer
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- Q Will parathyroid surgery fix my kidney stones?
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Surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism will not fix existing kidney stones but it decreases the formation of new kidney stones among those patients with kidney stones and primary hyperparathyroidism. A small group of patients (around 10%) will continue... Full Answer
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- Q Will parathyroid surgery improve my memory?
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Memory has been found to be impaired in many patients with hyperparathyroidism when tested. How primary hyperparathyroidism causes memory difficulty is unclear. Research has shown that patients with primary hyperparathyroidism demonstrated improved... Full Answer
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- Q What is the risk my hyperparathyroidism will come back?
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It depends on whether you have the most common single gland disease (85%) or the multi gland disease (15%) or the rarest parathyroid cancer (<1%). Their risk of recurrence can be 1%, 30%, or up to 70%, respectively. Full Answer
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