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UCLA Health - Signs and Symptoms of Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Thumbnail of the video “UCLA Health - Signs and Symptoms of Primary Hyperparathyroidism”
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Author: UCLA Health
Categories: Health
Tags: health
Views: 2 · Last viewed: 2026-10-16 15:02 UTC

Short Summary

Main recommendation: If you have symptoms of primary hyperparathyroidism, or your routine blood work shows high calcium, see a clinician about the overactive parathyroid glands causing it. The video describes symptoms by their underlying cause rather than as a list, and notes that not all patients have symptoms, and many are now diagnosed via routine blood calcium testing before symptoms develop.

Key Points

  • Primary hyperparathyroidism occurs when one or more of the four parathyroid glands make too much parathyroid hormone; these small glands, about the size of a grain of rice when normal, sit at the base of the neck around the thyroid.
  • Excess hormone pulls calcium out of the bones, causing bone mineral density loss, possible osteoporosis and fractures, and bone pain.
  • The kidneys waste less calcium and the intestines absorb more, raising blood calcium, so the kidneys respond by increasing urination, leading to frequent urination, dehydration, and thirst.
  • Extra urinary calcium can form kidney stones, which may cause back pain, flank pain, or painful urination.
  • High calcium affecting muscles and nerves can cause vague symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, mood changes, difficulty concentrating, vague abdominal pain, and worsened heartburn.

Details Worth Noting

  • Concrete instructions: The video gives no specific steps, doses, or procedures for self-management. The speaker invites viewers to visit the UCLA Endocrine Center website for more information on primary hyperparathyroidism and its surgical treatment.
  • Many patients are now diagnosed through routine blood testing that finds high calcium, often before the disease has been present long enough to cause symptoms.
  • Symptoms are subtle and nonspecific, so the speaker frames the causes behind them, not a symptom checklist, as the most useful way to understand the condition.
  • Kidney stone and urinary symptoms are associated with the kidneys trying to clear excess calcium, while bone symptoms reflect calcium being released from bone.
  • The video is a general educational overview by an endocrine surgeon at UCLA and does not replace individual medical evaluation.

Bottom Line

Primary hyperparathyroidism is often found incidentally through blood calcium testing, and its symptoms trace back to calcium leaving the bones and accumulating in the blood and urine.