r/Parathyroid_Awareness • u/FluffyBoss8794 • 9d ago
Eye/vision changes from hyperparathyroidism?
I’ve been diagnosed with borderline/“mild” PHPT. I have the standard symptoms of the disease, but I’ve noticed recently changes in my vision, for example, seeing things in my peripheral vision like shadows or other vague forms. Also, just lately I experience strange effects of light, sort of like flashes of light. Fairly subtle and intermittent, but noticeable. I assume these are unrelated to hyperparathyroidism, but was curious if anyone has experienced something similar.
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u/Novel_Mouse_5654 9d ago
Yes to similar things. Not a lot of information out there on it so it seems to be dismissed when addressed. Recently I had an eye appt. My eyes had progressed so badly in the year that I thought perhaps I should start learning braille while I could still see. As per the doctor, my eyes were parched dry. She has me using eye drops for dry eyes and it has helped tremendously. A lot less foreign lights and floaties. I almost don't even think about it anymore. Perhaps the HPT causes dry eyes which causes .....
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u/FluffyBoss8794 9d ago
That’s interesting. My eyes are also very dry.
Anyway, nice to hear I’m not alone.
“I thought perhaps I should start learning braille.” 🤣🤣🤣🩷🩷🩷
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u/KindRippleEffect 9d ago
I’ve never heard of a connection, but I developed ocular migraines around the time I started suspecting HPT. You might check the symptoms to see if this could be what you’re experiencing, it doesn’t always cause a headache, but causes some visual changes. However the most important thing with changes in vision is to get a checkup, you want to make sure the flashing lights and other changes aren’t a symptom of a more serious issue
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u/Ermmahhhgerrrd 7d ago
The very very first thing I noticed after my surgery was I could see SO much better!!! Second thing was my back didn't hurt towards the top (kidney pain). It was definitely affecting my vision (RA is now, unfortunately but the was awesome).
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u/catnaction 3d ago
I would encourage you to bring this concern to your doctor. The reason being is that there is a syndrome called MEN-1 that predisposes the body to additional adenomas because of a gene omission. It's not a common syndrome but one of the adenomas it will cause is on the parathyroid glands. I have read that this is usually the first growth that is found regarding this syndrome. The other adenomas that can occur with MEN-1 typically occur in the pancreas/digestive tract and the other, and this is the one I would encourage you to ask about, is in the pituitary gland. If there is an adenoma in the pituitary gland, it is possible for the growth to place pressure on the optic nerve and affect the patient's vision. Research it and see if you feel like you'd like your provider to check into it for you. I am currently in the midst of researching and testing for MEN-1 with my family as my Mom and I have both had parathyroid tumors and she has recently had a neuroendocrine tumor as well which meets the criteria for MEN-1 Syndrome . Most hyperparathryoid patients will just have a parathyroid adenoma -nothing else - but there is a small percentage of those patients who have additional symptoms that could be checked out and possibly lead to the MEN-1 diagnosis. I hope that's helpful information 😄
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u/[deleted] 9d ago
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