Question from Peter in CT
Hi, Debra:
I usually try to provide answers that might be helpful to subscribers to Green Living, but this time I have a question and some information that might be helpful to those who have sensitivities.
My wife Joanne, who is chemically sensitive, has recently been diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism, which usually is caused by a non-malignant adenoma (tumor) on one or more of the four parathyroid glands located in the neck. Hyperparathyroidism causes too much calcium to circulate in the bloodstream, which can cause a host of problems including neurological, cardiac, autoimmune, and skeletal problems.
If I may make a request to your readers, Debra, I would really appreciate it. I’d like to know if any of your chemically sensitive subscribers has hyperparathyroidism and if they have or have had it would they either respond to this post. I’m looking for information on their diagnoses and treatments, as well as whether they’re sensitivities lessened after treatment and whether the disease runs in their families. I’m interested in this because numerous people in Joanne’s family are chemically sensitive and at least one of them has been diagnosed with “calcification of the brain,” which indicates a calcium regulation problem. Hyperparathyoridism is very often familial and we’re wondering if their is a correlation between this disease and some cases of chemical sensitivity
Also, I’d like to pass along an excellent web site by the top parathyroid surgeon in the country, Dr. James Norman, the inventor of the mini-parathyroid surgery used today to remove tumors: www.parathyroid.com. The site provides exhaustive info on this underdiagnosed condition.
One final thought. Dr. Norman stresses one point over and over again on his site. High calcium on a blood test is overwhelmingly caused by primary hyperparathyroidism from a tumor on one of the parathyroid glands in the neck. Many GPs know very little about calcium and the parathyroid glands and they will take a “wait and see” attitude towards elevated calcium levels. Because calcium levels in the body are so tightly regulated by the parathyroid glands and there are so few reasons why calcium levels can become elevated, he recommends that patients get the combination parathyroid hormone and ionized calcium level test done, even if the calcium level is 10.3, where 10.2 is the top of normal reference. So, if you or a loved one have even slightly high calcium, please get tested.
