If a person is losing weight quickly reasons. With a normal diet, a cancer patient begins to lose weight, and loses only fat, but also muscle mass

Sudden weight loss or exhaustion (cachexia) is said to be when a person loses 5% of their total body weight weekly. Such significant losses negatively affect both the appearance and the well-being of the patient. Dramatic weight loss without a reason is impossible, you just need to look carefully for it. All factors causing depletion can be conditionally divided into 2 impressive groups: general and medical.

Common Causes

Common causes of severe weight loss in both women and men include:

Stress

Stress (change of residence, job change, session, death of a loved one) is the most common cause of sudden weight loss. In addition to weight loss, stress appears: sleep problems, frequent headache, irritability, alternating with tearfulness, absent-mindedness, decreased ability to work, depression. Cm.

Limiting food intake

It is more common in women, but also occurs in men who follow strict diets in order to lose weight. In some cases (in adolescents and young women under 25), voluntary refusal to eat develops a serious illness - anorexia nervosa.

Loss of teeth

This reason, leading to a sharp weight loss, is typical for older people, that is, after 60 years. Poorly chewed food is hardly absorbed in the digestive tract, leading to nutritional deficiencies and weight loss.

Drug / alcohol addiction

Regular use of drugs or alcohol suppresses the food center in the brain and the person loses their appetite, leading to exhaustion. Narcotic substances from light to heavy inevitably worsen tissue trophism, lead to rapid aging and progressive weight loss.

Heavy physical activity

Constant physical activity, including intense sports, accelerates catabolism, the energy generated from the food received is consumed very quickly, so the body has to use its own reserves of nutrients (see).

Taking medication

The use of a number of certain medications leads to a rapid decrease in body weight. Such drugs include: brain stimulants (piracetam, nootropil, modafinil, ritanil), psychotropic drugs (neuroleptics, tranquilizers),.

Medical reasons

Medical reasons cause dramatic weight loss in both sexes:

Intoxication

Most often, there is a significant weight loss in ARVI, which are accompanied by severe intoxication (weakness, fatigue, headaches and muscle pains, nausea and vomiting), which, accordingly, leads to loss of appetite.

Also, intoxication syndrome develops with the following chronic infections: hepatitis, a number of intestinal infections,.

Oncological diseases

In advanced stages with oncological disease of any localization, cancerous cachexia develops, caused by the disintegration of the tumor, the formation of toxic substances, the destruction of blood cells (,), metabolic disorders and problems with the digestive tract. Mass media .

Strokes

Circulatory disorders in the central nervous system (strokes) can interfere with swallowing due to the development of bulbar syndrome, which almost always involves parenteral or tube feeding, which becomes a prerequisite for losing weight up to cachexia. Cm. .

Mental illness

Mental disorders (schizophrenia, manic-depressive psychosis, phobias, etc.) often lead to the fact that the patient simply forgets about food.

Digestive tract diseases

In the first place are diseases such as, and the duodenum. Violation of the breakdown and absorption of nutrients in the stomach leads to significant depletion. Diseases are accompanied by pain in the upper abdomen, aggravated by hunger, after taking prohibited foods, nausea, rotten belching, upset stools.

Acute intestinal infections

with vomiting and diarrhea lead to loss of water and electrolytes, sudden weight loss and disorders in the work of muscles, heart, shortness of breath, dry skin and mucous membranes, atrophic processes in tissues, lesions of the central nervous system (see).

Slimming in women

The reasons for dramatic weight loss in women include:

Thyrotoxicosis

Pathology of the thyroid gland, in which its hormones (accelerating metabolism) begin to be produced in large quantities. males also suffer, but in women this disease occurs 2 times more often. It manifests itself, in addition to exhaustion, a violation of the cycle, emotional lability, hyperhidrosis, increased blood pressure and tachycardia, increased appetite, tremors, thirst and diarrhea.

Climax

Slimming in men

The reasons for dramatic weight loss in men are as follows:

Chronic pancreatitis

Stomach cancer

The disease is diagnosed in men twice as often as in women. Due to the difficulty of passing food from the stomach further into the digestive tract (the tumor squeezes the organ), there is a violation of its assimilation, a significant sharp weight loss. Also included are decreased appetite, fear of eating (the occurrence of pain, nausea, heartburn, vomiting), weakness, fatigue, rapid satiety (the tumor imitates a "full" stomach).

Lymphogranulomatosis (Hodgkin's disease)

It is a malignant lesion of lymphoid tissue. The ratio of men and women in terms of frequency of occurrence is 1.4: 1. It is manifested by a sudden increase in lymph nodes, shortness of breath, cough, low-grade fever, torrential sweats at night, sudden weight loss and loss of appetite. It is more often diagnosed after 50 years.

Tobacco and alcohol

Reduces absorption, impairs the production of digestive enzymes, leads to atrophy of the gastrointestinal tract, increases oxygen starvation of tissues, impairing the absorption of nutrients.

Alcoholism is not only atrophic gastritis. But also chronic pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, intestinal dysfunction. These are all excellent prerequisites for progressive weight loss.

Weight loss in adolescents

The reasons for dramatic weight loss in adolescents include the following:

Malabsorption

This syndrome is accompanied by impaired absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. In this case, enzymatic breakdown of food occurs, but nutrients are not absorbed into the bloodstream. Thus, the adolescent's body lacks proteins, fats, carbohydrates necessary for its further growth and development, the adolescent begins to rapidly lose body weight.

Malabsorption is not an independent disease, but a syndrome that accompanies a number of diseases: inflammatory bowel processes, syndrome of excessive growth of intestinal microflora, chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The pathology manifests itself with the following symptoms: frequent stools, up to 6 times a day, polyfecal matter or a significant amount of feces, constant thirst and dry mouth, dry skin, hair, there are particles of undigested food in the feces, stomatitis, muscle atrophy.

Helminthic invasions

Helminths affect not only children and adolescents, but also adults. But the risk of helminthiasis in adolescents is much higher (school attendance, lack of a culture of personal hygiene, consumption of unwashed fruits and vegetables, close contact with animals).

Symptoms depend on the type of helminthiasis, but the constant steady loss of body weight should prompt the idea of ​​helminthic invasion. Signs of the most common helminthiasis are - itching of the anal region, increasing at night, abdominal pain, nausea, frequent loose stools, itching, rash is possible.

Hormonal storms

In adolescence, there are constantly ups and downs of certain sex hormones, which can provoke both a sharp weight loss and, on the contrary, a sudden weight gain. In addition, hormonal disorders are accompanied by the appearance of acne, oily seborrhea, an unstable psyche (from aggression to tearfulness), and irregular menstruation in girls.

Energy drinks

Use in a kind of chronic stress with constant activation of the adrenaline-noradrenal system and cortisol, which contributes to a faster breakdown of protein. Caffeine and similar substances disrupt sleep, keep a person in a constant cocked state, similar to hyperthyroidism.

Losing weight (emaciation) is a common symptom of disease. Dramatic weight loss is called wasting or cachexia (the latter term is often used to refer to extreme exhaustion). Moderate weight loss can be not only a symptom of the disease, but also a variant of the norm, due to a constitutional feature of the body, for example, in persons with an asthenic body type.

Weight loss can be based on insufficient or inadequate nutrition, impaired absorption of food, increased breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the body and increased energy consumption (exogenously and endogenously determined). Often these mechanisms are combined. In different diseases, the time of onset, the severity and the specific mechanisms of weight loss are significantly different.

Weight loss reasons

Weight loss can be caused by both external factors (restriction of food intake, injury, infection) and internal (metabolic disorders, digestion and absorption of nutrients in the body).

Causes	Mechanisms	States
Limiting food intake	Impaired consciousness	Traumatic brain injury, strokes.
	Swallowing disorder	Tumors, narrowing of the esophagus, larynx.
	Decreased appetite	Anorexia nervosa, intoxication.
Indigestion	Impaired digestion of proteins, fats	Atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer, pancreatitis, hepatitis, liver cirrhosis
	Impaired absorption of nutrients	Celiac disease, enteritis, colitis.
Metabolic (metabolic) disorders	The predominance of destruction processes (catabolism) over synthesis processes	Severe trauma, burns, malignant neoplasms, endocrine pathology, connective tissue diseases.

For what diseases does weight loss occur?

For any malignant neoplasms in the body of patients, the tumor takes up cellular metabolites (glucose, lipids, vitamins), which leads to disruption of biochemical processes, depletion of internal resources occurs and cachexia (depletion) develops. It is characterized by severe weakness, decreased ability to work and the ability to serve oneself, decreased or lack of appetite. In many cancer patients, cancer cachexia is the immediate cause of death.

Weight loss - as a leading symptom, is characteristic of a certain endocrine pathology (thyrotoxicosis, hypopituitarism, type 1 diabetes mellitus). In these conditions, there is a violation of the production of various hormones, which leads to a serious disorder of metabolic processes in the body.

Thyrotoxicosis Is a syndrome that includes conditions caused by an increase in thyroid hormones in the blood. In the body, there are increased processes of breakdown of protein and glycogen, their content decreases in the heart, liver, muscles. It is manifested by general weakness, tearfulness, unstable mood. Disturbing heart attacks, arrhythmias, sweating, hand tremors. An important symptom is weight loss while maintaining appetite. It occurs with diffuse toxic goiter, toxic adenoma, the initial stage of autoimmune thyroiditis.

Hypopituitarism- a syndrome that develops due to insufficient secretion of hormones from the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland. It occurs with pituitary tumors, infectious diseases (meningoencephalitis). It is manifested by a progressive decrease in body weight (up to 8 kg per month) with the development of exhaustion (cachexia), severe general weakness, dry skin, apathy, decreased muscle tone, and fainting.

Type 1 diabetes mellitus- This is a disease caused by absolute insulin deficiency as a result of autoimmune damage to the beta cells of the pancreas, which leads to disruption of all types of metabolism and, above all, carbohydrate metabolism (there is an increase in glucose in the blood and its excretion in the urine). The onset of the disease occurs in childhood and adolescence, and progresses rapidly. The most common symptoms of the disease are thirst, frequent urination, dry and itchy skin, progressive weight loss despite increased appetite, and abdominal pain.

Intoxication syndrome is typical for infectious diseases, tuberculosis, helminthiasis. The causative agent of the disease, penetrating into the human body, releases toxins that have a damaging effect on cellular structures, disrupt immune regulation, and a disorder of the function of various organs and systems occurs. It manifests itself as febrile or low-grade fever, loss of appetite, weight loss, increased sweating, and weakness. A significant decrease in body weight is characteristic of long-term, chronic infections.

Tuberculosis Is an infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis and is characterized by the formation of specific granulomas in various organs and tissues. The most common form of tuberculosis is pulmonary tuberculosis, which, in addition to the intoxication syndrome, is characterized by dry or sputum cough, shortness of breath, chest pain associated with breathing, hemoptysis, and pulmonary hemorrhage.

Helminthiasis is characterized by a gradual development of the disease, weakness, abdominal pain associated with eating, weight loss, with a preserved appetite, itching, allergic rashes, like urticaria.

A significant loss of body weight, up to cachexia, not associated with dietary habits as a result of immune disorders, is characteristic of connective tissue diseases - systemic scleroderma and polyarteritis nodosa.

Systemic scleroderma It manifests itself as a lesion of the skin of the face and hands in the form of "dense" edema, shortening and deformation of the fingers, pain and a feeling of stiffness in the muscles, damage to internal organs.

For polyarteritis nodosa changes in the skin are characteristic - marbling of the limbs and trunk, intense pain in the calf muscles, increased blood pressure.

Weight loss is typical for most diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Acute or chronic inflammation leads to a change in metabolism, towards catabolism (destruction), the body's need for energy increases, the processes of absorption and digestion of food are disrupted. To reduce abdominal pain, patients often limit food intake themselves. And dyspeptic phenomena (nausea, vomiting, loose stools) lead to the loss of proteins, trace elements, electrolytes, which leads to a disruption in the delivery of nutrients to the tissues.

Alimentary dystrophy is a disease that occurs due to prolonged malnutrition and starvation, in the absence of an organic disease that could cause weight loss. It is characterized by a progressive decrease in body weight. There are 2 forms: cachectic (dry) and edematous. In the initial stages, it is manifested by increased appetite, thirst, severe weakness. There are violations of water-electrolyte metabolism, amenorrhea (absence of menstruation). Then the weakness increases, the patients lose the ability to serve themselves, and a hungry (alimentary-dystrophic) coma develops. Causes of the disease: social disasters (hunger), mental illness, neurogenic anorexia (refusal to eat due to a desire to lose weight).

Weight loss screening

To detect weight loss, somatometric parameters are determined. These include: dynamics of body weight loss, Quetelet body mass index (body weight-kg / height m²), shoulder circumference (in the area of ​​the middle third of the shoulder of the non-working arm).

Laboratory indicators determine the severity of weight loss, possible causes. A general blood test reveals an inflammatory process, anemia. In a blood glucose test, diabetes mellitus is determined. The hormones TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), T3 and T4 (thyroid hormones) are examined to assess the function of the thyroid gland. Biochemical blood parameters: liver function tests (to assess liver function), creatinine (to detect renal failure), electrolytes. Proteinogram and acute phase proteins are examined to assess the degree of protein starvation and determine the inflammatory process. Rheumatic tests - to detect connective tissue diseases, immunodeficiency states. Analysis of feces for helminth eggs. According to the indications, specific antibodies to pathogens of infectious diseases, HIV infections, tumor markers, markers of tuberculosis are determined. They also conduct studies of the gastrointestinal tract: fibroesophagogastroduodenoscopy, colonoscopy, ultrasound of the abdominal organs. Chest X-ray - to detect inflammation, tuberculosis, oncopathology.

If an appropriate pathology is identified, consultations of specialists are necessary: ​​an infectious disease specialist, a rheumatologist, a phthisiatrician, an oncologist, an endocrinologist, a gastroenterologist.

If organic pathology is excluded and the diagnosis of "neurogenic anorexia" is confirmed, a psychiatric examination is required.

Weight Loss Treatment

Weight loss treatment should be started as early as possible, preventing the development of severe malnutrition, which is difficult to treat, until the clinical, laboratory and somatometric parameters stabilize. First of all, you need to establish food. It should be fractional 6-8 times a day, balanced, contain an increased amount of proteins, vitamins, have sufficient energy value, in combination with drugs that improve the digestion and absorption of food. It is necessary to limit coarse vegetable fiber, exclude fried, salted, pickled foods, alcoholic beverages, hot spices. In case of impaired consciousness, severe nausea, vomiting, enteral nutrition (through a tube) or parenteral (intravenous) with special nutritional mixtures is carried out.

Which doctor should i contact if weight loss occurs:

Changes in the body during weight loss cause serious disorders of the digestive system, metabolism, weaken the immune defense, cause dysfunction of the endocrine glands, therefore, when the first signs of a symptom appear, an urgent need to consult a general practitioner (therapist, pediatrician, family doctor).

You may also need a doctor's consultation:

Endocrinologist
- Oncologist
- Gastroenterologist
- Psychologist
- Infectionist

Weight loss is usually a desirable process when you are overweight. Most often, weight loss occurs with increased physical activity or diet. However, after eliminating these causes, the weight quickly returns to normal. Therefore, unexpected dramatic weight loss, the reasons for which are unknown, is a cause for serious concern. In this case, you need to seek help from specialists.

Reasons for drastic weight loss

Losing weight dramatically is called wasting or cachexia. Most often, a decrease in body weight occurs as a result of inadequate or insufficient nutrition, impaired absorption of food, in the case of increased breakdown of proteins, fats and carbohydrates in the body, or increased energy consumption. In addition, drastic weight loss with good appetite and abundant nutrition is very often the cause of the disease. The following factors can lead to significant weight loss:

• Limiting food intake. It occurs as a result of impaired consciousness in traumatic brain injuries, strokes or the presence of a tumor, narrowing of the larynx, esophagus, decreased appetite, anorexia nervosa or intoxication;
• Indigestion. It occurs with atrophic gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, hepatitis, pancreatitis, liver cirrhosis, enteritis, colitis. It is accompanied by problems with the absorption of nutrients and the digestion of proteins and fats;
• Metabolic disorders. In this case, the body is dominated by the processes of destruction (catabolism) over the processes of synthesis. The causes are severe injuries, burns, malignant tumors, thyroid problems, and connective tissue diseases.

The most common cause of weight loss is emotional stress. Psychological trauma can cause severe weight loss, although the body can be healthy overall. Usually in this case, after a while, the weight returns to normal. Also, the loss of kilograms occurs in the presence of mental disorders as a result of a lack of appetite.

A common cause of dramatic weight loss, especially in children, is helminthic invasion. In this case, there is a decrease in appetite, diarrhea or constipation is observed, signs of intoxication, general fatigue. Usually, such diseases are caused by non-observance of the rules of personal hygiene, eating poorly washed vegetables and fruits.

Reasons for losing weight in women

There are many reasons for women to lose weight. If in a short time there is a loss of five percent or more of the body weight, it is necessary to urgently consult a specialist. A sharp weight loss is almost always accompanied by disorders in the nervous and cardiovascular system, there is a water-salt imbalance in the body and malfunctions in thermoregulation.

Sometimes, dramatic weight loss occurs when an energy deficit occurs. The reasons for its appearance are taking diet pills or long-term dieting. A poorly balanced diet causes the body to malfunction. Also, the reasons for losing weight in women can be irregular nutrition. That is, the body lacks vital substances, therefore it uses its own reserves.

It should be remembered that any low-calorie diet is only beneficial for a short period of time. If you constantly observe it, then the energy supply of vitamins, microelements and other useful substances will dry up in the body. As a result, diseases of the digestive system may develop. In particular, gastritis and pancreatitis are frequent companions of lovers of various diets.

When gastric juice is produced and food is not supplied in sufficient quantities, the enzymes secreted by the pancreas are included in the self-digestion process. This releases toxins that damage the kidneys, liver, lungs, brain and other organs. Therefore, on fasting days, it is recommended to drink plenty of fluids, while avoiding acidic drinks, coffee and strong tea.

It is worth noting that gastrointestinal diseases are often the causes of weight loss, both in women and men. This can be a violation of the patency of the alimentary canal, various inflammatory processes, impaired absorption in the stomach and small intestine. In acute or chronic inflammation, metabolic disorders (catabolism) are observed, and the body's need for energy increases. And nausea, vomiting and diarrhea lead to the loss of proteins, electrolytes and trace elements.

Diabetes mellitus causes significant weight loss even with increased appetite. With this disease, there is a violation of all types of metabolism, primarily carbohydrate metabolism. Symptoms of the disease are thirst, frequent urination, dry skin and progressive weight loss, abdominal pain.

Also, the reasons for losing weight in women are often an imbalance of female hormones (although, in this case, a set of extra pounds most often occurs), postpartum depression, breastfeeding.

Reasons for losing weight in men

Quite often, the reasons for losing weight in men, as well as in women, can be hormonal disorders and thyroid gland functioning. In the presence of problems with the endocrine system (Graves disease, adrenal dysfunction), a sharp acceleration of metabolism occurs. The release of hormones in these diseases increases the metabolic rate. Food calories are burned faster. That is, when the same amount of nutrients enters the body, their use by the body increases. This leads to a negative balance and, as a result, to dramatic weight loss.

Other reasons for dramatic weight loss in men and women are cancer. Almost always, in the presence of malignant tumors of the liver, pancreas and intestines, rapid weight loss occurs. Malignant neoplasms cause disturbances in biochemical processes that lead to the depletion of internal resources. There is a general weakness of the body, decreased performance, lack of appetite. In many cancer patients, it is cancer cachexia that causes death.

Diseases of the hematopoietic organs, radiation damage, neurological pathologies, destruction (decay) of their own tissues can also become the reasons for a sharp weight loss in men. It can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of rapid weight loss, especially if no additional symptoms are present. Therefore, in the presence of a progressive decrease in body weight, it is imperative to consult a specialist in order to establish the cause in time and begin treatment.

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There are contraindications, consult your doctor.

Surely among your friends there are people who never get better, regardless of age, and. But do not rush to envy them. It is possible that these people are not all right with their health. If a person's body weight is kept at the same level for many years, this is really great. But there are times when the weight is rapidly decreasing due to a serious illness.

Sometimes a person begins to "melt" literally before our eyes. Attempts to stop the rapid weight loss lead nowhere. Kilograms go away, and even a high-calorie diet does not save the patient. What to do? There is only one way out. You should immediately find out the reason for losing weight, and then, if possible, eliminate it. We will introduce you to several diseases that most often cause rapid weight loss.

Diabetes

In most cases, obese people suffer from diabetes. But this pattern is typical only for type 2 diabetes mellitus. It develops in older people on the background, and is associated with a decrease in tissue sensitivity to insulin, a hormone that promotes the penetration of glucose into the cell.

But type 1 diabetes mellitus affects mainly young people. Fortunately, it is relatively rare. The disease develops as a result of the destruction of the cells of the pancreas responsible for the secretion of insulin. Type 1 diabetes mellitus leads to a sharp decrease in body weight against the background of increased appetite.

A person constantly feels "wild" hunger, but at the same time continues to lose weight. The reason is that without insulin, glucose cannot pass from the blood to the cells. It is excreted in the urine, so the body is deficient in energy. He quickly consumes fats, because he has nothing else to eat. After all, carbohydrates, which are the main energy substrate, do not enter the cells.

It is very important to identify type 1 diabetes mellitus in time and start insulin therapy. Otherwise, everything can end in a fatal diabetic coma. This disease used to be a death sentence. Today, diabetes is still not cured, but with the right approach, daily administration of the hormone under the skin can fully compensate for the insulin deficiency.

Thyrotoxicosis

Several hormones are produced in the thyroid gland. Among them is triiodothyronine, which accelerate. If the function of the thyroid gland increases, then too much hormones are produced, and the metabolism speeds up significantly. A person consumes energy quickly. He sleeps less, is constantly in a state of nervous excitement, the work of all muscles increases.

The tone of not only skeletal muscles increases, but also smooth ones. This leads to diarrhea or constipation, biliary dyskinesia of the hypertensive type, increased blood pressure, increased heart rate. With this disease, there is an increased appetite. But, despite the increased diet, a person continues to rapidly lose weight.

How to deal with this problem? The method of treatment depends on the cause of the thyrotoxicosis. There are medications that decrease the activity of the thyroid gland, such as Mercazolil... Potassium iodide is also prescribed. Unfortunately, such treatment does not always help. In extreme cases, the thyroid gland is surgically removed or destroyed with radioactive iodine. Then the patient is shown lifelong thyroxine replacement therapy.

Chronic psychogenic stress

Chronic stress leads to weight loss. It should not be confused with ordinary emotional stress. It causes discomfort, but at the same time it is of a short-term nature, and does not lead to a rapid loss of body weight. While stress is a tool for the adaptation of the body. It causes significant changes in metabolism.

Stress helps people adapt to new living conditions. Each person has their own stress threshold. For some, the adaptation mechanism may turn on, for example, after a change of job or place of residence. Others need a stronger irritant: the death of a close relative, disability, family breakdown, complete loss of property, imprisonment, etc.

Stress mobilizes all the forces of the human body. At the same time, there is a significant consumption of energy, and body weight decreases. It can be dangerous to human health and life. If the state of stress continues for too long, reserves are depleted. This leads to the development of diseases of the internal organs, and sometimes to death.

Intestinal dysbiosis

Intestinal dysbiosis in many cases is accompanied by a significant decrease in appetite, which leads to weight loss. This is a violation of the quantitative or qualitative composition of the normal microflora, which occurs as a result of prolonged use of antibiotics, malnutrition, immunological diseases, intestinal infections.

Often, after eating, a person experiences abdominal cramps and pain. Over time, he has a fear of discomfort, and the patient deliberately refuses to eat, which also entails weight loss. It should be noted that dysbiosis is only a syndrome (a set of symptoms), but not an independent disease.

The method of treatment depends on the type of pathogen. Currently, there are many effective anthelmintic drugs, they usually help to cope with the problem. But at the same time, there are cases when only surgically it is possible to remove the worm from the intestines, liver, lungs and even the human brain.

Oncological diseases

Malignant neoplasms cause rapid weight loss. Cancer is a glucose trap. It not only "draws" sugar from human blood, depriving it of the main energy substrate, but also activates gluconeogenesis in the liver - the process of glucose formation from non-carbohydrate components. As a rule, they are used. They are formed as a result of the breakdown of protein, therefore, body weight is reduced not only due to adipose tissue, but also due to skeletal muscles. In the later stages of cancer, patients develop cachexia - complete exhaustion of the body.

We have listed far from all diseases leading to rapid weight loss. But, as you can see, most of them are dangerous to health and life. Therefore, if you find that your weight is decreasing, you should see your doctor immediately. Only a specialist is able to quickly determine the cause of weight loss and prescribe high-quality treatment that will save you from the more serious consequences of the disease.

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If you are rapidly, uncontrollably losing weight for no apparent reason and effort, then this can be an extremely dangerous factor that requires timely diagnosis and comprehensive treatment.

Description of fast weight loss

Rapid weight loss usually refers to a sharp decrease in body weight and visual emaciation of a person. At the same time, there are no external factors contributing to such a symptom: the patient does not engage in active sports, continues to eat well and leads a usual lifestyle. At the same time, the patient's well-being may be normal for some time, but after a certain period of time, he feels weak, possibly intoxication, a high temperature and other symptoms of a disease appear.

Causes

The main mechanisms of this process include inadequate poor nutrition or complete starvation, a sharp increase in the body's needs after exertion and illness, as well as a significant decrease in the absorption of nutrients into the body and hyperexchange, in which the main vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, carbohydrates are excreted naturally through without their penetration into the body.

A sharp weight loss is most often caused by a variety of diseases of the neurological, gastrointestinal, infectious, metabolic, oncological type, as well as an acute deficiency of vitamins or nutrients involved in metabolic processes.

Possible diseases

A sharp decrease in body weight, as mentioned above, can be caused by a huge range of diseases and negative conditions. Here are just a few of them:

1. A problem with the adrenal glands. Usually, adrenal insufficiency is accompanied by anorexia, weakness, sudden weight loss, irregular bowel movements, and mental irritability. Sometimes the patient is haunted by attacks of nausea, as well as focal manifestations of strong skin pigmentation.
2. Diabetes. It is widely believed that diabetes only causes obesity - this is not at all the case! This disease causes a malfunction of metabolic processes and provokes not only a set, but also a sharp weight loss, depending on the specific state of the body. In addition to weight loss, diabetes is accompanied by fatigue, intense thirst, and frequent urination.
3. Neurological anorection. This neurological disease is typical for women from 18 to 30 years old and is accompanied by a very sharp weight loss (up to 50 percent) in a short time period. In patients with this diagnosis, there is muscle atrophy, loss of hair, general weakness, hypotension, frequent constipation, and regular uncontrolled vomiting.
4. Systemic depression. Severe forms of systemic depression are sometimes accompanied by drowsiness, suicidal thoughts, loss of appetite and weight, and general fatigue.
5. Cryptosporidosis. Protozoal infections of this type provoke muscle pain, sudden weight loss, severe diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and nausea with vomiting.
6. Herpes viral infections. Herpes, despite the classic sluggish form of the disease, sometimes contributes to malnutrition due to unpleasant sensations while eating, which in turn provokes weight loss.
7. Gastroenteritis. Gastroenteritis quite strongly affects the processes of absorption of fluids into the body, slowing them down, which in turn lead to serious weight loss, dehydration, fever, dryness of all mucous systems of the body, tachycardia and other manifestations of the disease.
8. Esophagitis. Inflammation in the esophagus region brings severe pain in the process of eating food - a person can de facto avoid this event or reduce it to a minimum. Such violations of the swallowing function provoke a strong and sharp weight loss, often the patient has regular vomiting.
9. Leukemia. Such a terrible disease as blood cancer causes a rapidly progressive loss of body weight, the occurrence of tachycardia, general weakness of the body, pain in muscles and bones, anemia, broad spectrum fevers, enlargement of the spleen, etc.
10. Various oncology. Almost every cancer can be a catalyst for the process of rapid weight loss, which is distinguished by symptoms depending on the location and type of disease.
11. Stomatitis. Various inflammations of the oral mucosa interfere with proper nutrition and thus provoke weight loss.
12. Pulmonary tuberculosis. A serious infectious disease can cause, in addition to sweating, weakness, chest pain, hemoptysis, shortness of breath and low-grade fever, weight loss with anorexia.
13. Lymphomas. In acute lymphomas, dynamic, smooth weight loss is usually observed, which occurs against the background of enlarged lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and itching of the skin.
14. Thyrotoxicosis. This disease provokes a significant increase in the level of hormones in the thyroid gland, which "accelerate" metabolic processes, cause severe diarrhea, sweating, fevers, sudden weight loss, tremors of the limbs.
15. FFT syndrome. In newborns and young children, nutritional underdevelopment is rarely, but periodically diagnosed, as a result of which the baby loses weight and strength extremely quickly.
16. Whipple's Syndrome. This condition is characterized by significant damage to the intestinal epithelium and an almost complete cessation of the absorption of fluid and nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract, which in turn provokes a sharp loss of body weight, diarrhea, steatorrhea and various anorexic manifestations.
17. Ulcerative colitis. Ulcerative colitis causes decreased appetite, physical exhaustion and weight loss and fever.
18. Crohn's disease. During the development of the disease, patients experience weakness, fatigue, persistent diarrhea, abdominal cramps and rapid weight loss, even with adequate nutrition.
19. Medicines. Certain thyroid medications, brain stimulants, laxatives, and chemotherapy are catalysts for extremely rapid weight loss with overall wasting.
20. Physiological reasons. Physiological causes of weight loss include aging (and therefore a decrease in lean body mass), psychiatric disorders, alcoholism, tooth loss (difficulty in chewing food), etc.

What to do and how to stop?

If the diagnostics did not reveal serious health problems, then it is necessary to apply a number of physiological procedures in order to normalize metabolism and systematize the diet.

1. Exercise regularly, preferably outdoors.
2. More often on a sunny day on the street, "work up" your appetite.
3. Significantly increase your breakfast, lunch, and dinner calories. Eat densely, include a variety of baked goods, pasta, fish dishes, and plenty of vegetable oil in your diet.
4. Drink decoctions to increase your appetite.

In the event that a sharp weight loss is associated with stress or emotional stress, it is worth:

1. Learn to fully relax. Take meditation and yoga courses.
2. Use aromatherapy to normalize your emotional background.
3. Drink decoctions that will lift your spirits and relieve stress.
4. Sign up for relaxation massages.

If your problem is still associated with an illness, then you should definitely visit a doctor, especially in the case when weight is rapidly losing for more than a month, there are other ailments, and your total body weight is 15-20 percent less than the average.

Are you losing weight dramatically, and at the same time there is a constant urge to vomit, and the nausea does not go away even after using medication? There may be several reasons for this, and all of them are associated with possible manifestations of diseases.

The combination of the above two symptoms is typical for:

1. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract of a wide range. In this case, the underlying factor is the inflammatory process, which blocks the absorption of nutrients and disrupts digestion. Such dispersed phenomena as loose stools, vomiting with nausea, provoke a more active excretion of useful substances from the body, which causes tissue hypoxia, as well as an acute lack of "fuel" for the body.
2. Hormonal disruptions, in particular hypothyroidism caused by a lack of basic thyroid hormones. Autoimmune disease is characterized by constant nausea, drowsiness, fatigue, and a sharp increase or, conversely, weight loss.
3. Cancer of various etymologies. Some of the basic symptoms of advanced cancers are nausea, weight loss, and blood clots in the stool.
4. Pregnancy with concomitant toxicosis. In the first trimester of pregnancy, expectant mothers often experience bouts of nausea, their weight decreases, their appetite disappears, and a general weakness of the body is observed. This physiological process is a consequence of toxicosis and should take place by 20-22 weeks of pregnancy. If the alarming symptoms do not disappear, then it is urgent to undergo a comprehensive diagnosis of the state of your body.
5. Addison's syndrome (hypocorticism). With insufficiency of the adrenal cortex, along with other symptoms, the weight of the patient is almost always significantly reduced, who experiences regular nausea and the urge to vomit.

Weight loss and temperature

Rapid and sharp weight loss, as well as accompanying this process, high temperature, usually indicates the presence in the body of diseases such as ulcerative colitis, gastroenteritis or pulmonary tuberculosis. Quite often, these symptoms indicate an extreme depletion of the whole body or a chronic lack of fluid, which feeds all systems of the body.

A smooth dynamic weight loss with an increasing amplitude, as well as a constant subfebrile temperature that increases in the evenings, may indicate the development of oncology and cancerous tumors.

Weight loss during pregnancy

Weight loss during pregnancy in the first trimester is considered normal if it is accompanied by toxicosis. During this period, the expectant mother experiences regular vomiting, aversion to certain types of food, general weakness. Usually, toxicosis passes by 20-22 weeks and, from a physiological point of view, does not harm either the baby or the fair sex. However, if toxicosis is significantly delayed or you lose weight in the absence of an apparent reason for a long period of time, and especially in the second and third trimester, then this is a reason for an urgent visit to a doctor who, using a comprehensive diagnosis, will help determine the true cause of weight loss.

Weight loss under stress

Stressful situations, depression, as well as a variety of neurologies, can provoke both obesity and significant dramatic weight loss. In some cases, these conditions provoke the development of anorexia, especially if they are caused deliberately in an attempt to reduce weight by provoking vomiting after meals.

The problem can be eliminated exclusively by qualified assistance from specialists who will prescribe appropriate drug treatment, physiological procedures and recommend psychological assistance.

Carefully and carefully monitor your own health, prevent the development of diseases and be happy always!

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