What are the Causes of Loss of Appetite?
December 9, 2020 Lifestyle Diseases 1339 ViewsEnglish हिन्दी Bengali Tamil العربية
Loss of Appetite
Nowadays, the problem of lack of appetite is increasing in children. Some adults also face problems related to appetite. The main reason for this problem is not eating at the right time. Due to some diseases, the appetite of a person decreases. Many people do not feel hungry or do not feel like eating food due to constipation or other stomach related problems. Sudden loss in body weight is the reason for decreased appetite. If you eat forcefully against your will, then it can cause vomiting or nausea. The condition of decrease in appetite or reduced desire to eat is known as anorexia in medical terms. After eating food, one should take a short walk in the open air so that food can be digested properly. Apart from this, you can exercise a little before meals to increase your hunger. To treat the problem of loss of appetite, the doctor may do some blood tests, X-rays, and abdominal ultrasound. Let us explain the problem like the symptoms and the causes of loss of appetite in this article.
- What are the Causes of Loss of Appetite?
- What are the Symptoms of Loss of Appetite?
- Diagnosis of Loss of Appetite
- What are the Treatments for Loss of Appetite?
What are the Causes of Loss of Appetite?
Loss of appetite can be a sign of an underlying disease. Some infections can also cause a loss of appetite. If the problem of loss of appetite is due to some internal cause, then the doctors try to prevent the condition with proper treatment. There may be some symptoms due to the spread of some infection.
- Such as: Hepatitis
- Kidney infection
- Liver inflammation
- Pneumonia
- HIV infection
- Some diseases cause a loss of appetite.
- Such as: Crohn’s disease
- Colon cancer
- Celiac disease
- Some medicines reduce appetite as a side-effect.
- When a person is mentally stressed, there is a decrease in appetite.
- Some risk factors that cause the problem of loss of appetite.
- Heart failure
- Pain
- Anemia
- Difficulty in breathing
- Dementia disease
- First month of pregnancy
- Stomach bloating
What are the Symptoms of Loss of Appetite?
Symptoms of loss of appetite depend on the underlying cause. Decreased appetite in children can make them malnourished. When food is not supplied properly, there is a loss of muscle tissues. Some people have decreased appetite for less amount of time while others may have it for a longer time. Some of the symptoms of loss of appetite have been described in detail below.
- Only smelling the food and not eating it.
- Not liking the taste of the food.
- Having difficulty in swallowing food.
- Feeling full by eating only a small quantity of food.
- Eating one type of food every day.
- Trying to eat when you don’t like food.
- If your child is losing weight suddenly, then you should contact a doctor and get treatment.
Diagnosis of Loss of Appetite
When there is a lack of appetite, the doctor asks the patient about his or her past medical history, they also measure the patient’s height and weight and compare them with previous measurements. They ask about past medications in detail to make a diagnose. Questions related to the diet can also be asked. Some other questions are also asked such as: What all symptoms are you experiencing or how much is your weight. Apart from this, some tests can be done to examine the patient.
- Chest X-ray
- Abdominal ultrasound
- Blood tests
- Liver and thyroid examination
- Evaluation of mental stress
- CT scan of chest and head
- Advise quitting alcohol.
- HIV screening of pregnant women.
What are the Treatments for Loss of Appetite?
For the treatment of reduced appetite, firstly the doctor tries to understand the underlying cause, after which treatment is planned to overcome the problem. If there is a loss of appetite due to infection, then some medications are given to treat the infection. Loss of appetite is mostly due to internal factors, that should be treated quickly. Some serious problems are treated through various treatments.
- The doctor recommends some of the following tips to increase your appetite and get rid of the problem of loss of appetite.
- You should exercise daily. This increases your appetite.
- You can cure this problem by taking medicines that stop the stool.
- If you have weakness, then start consuming nutritious food.
- Try to reduce your anxiety and stress.
- In case of constipation, fatigue, stomach cramps, it is recommended to consume supplemental electrolyte.
- In some serious problems, the clinician restores the patient’s nutritional deficiencies by supplying the nutrients through a tube.
If you are experiencing the problem of loss of appetite, then contact the General Physician.
Our aim is to give you information through the article. We do not recommend any kind of medicine, treatment, surgery. Only a doctor can give you good advice because no one else is better than them.
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