Decreased appetite in adults: possible causes and diagnosis

Under the decline of appetite, doctors understand a partial or complete refusal to eat.This happens for various reasons, including serious diseases and, in the absence of qualified care, leads to severe consequences.

Contents: General information Causes of decreased appetite Symptoms Diagnosis What to do if appetite is gone

General information

The concepts of hunger and appetite should be distinguished.Hunger is a reflex that manifests if, at a certain time, the body does not receive food from .The mechanism of its development is the following: the blood glucose level decreases, after which the signal enters the centers of hunger.At this moment a person can feel the increased allocation of saliva, an exacerbation of the sense of smell, a pulling sensation "under the spoon".This area is a projection of the stomach, so it always gives the person to know about the feeling of hunger.

Please note! With the appearance of hunger, a person does not have a desire to eat only certain foods.He eats everything.

Appetite is a special manifestation of a feeling of hunger, in which individual favorite foods are selected. It affects the time of day, emotional state, the nationality of a person, religion, finally.

By reducing appetite is understood a state where a person does not want anything .There is the concept of changing appetite, when the habitual taste needs are violated.Also, doctors diagnose a complete lack of appetite leading to anorexia.

Causes of decreased appetite

The loss of appetite is usually preceded by:

• Intoxication of the body due to inflammation or poisoning.In view of the fact that at such times he spends all his energy on the withdrawal of toxins, the digestion of food recedes into the background.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which are accompanied by pain, discomfort.
• Failures in the work of the endocrine system in case of diabetes mellitus, hormonal imbalance.
• Oncology( cancer of the stomach, large intestine or blood).
• Autoimmune diseases( scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis).
• Depressions, neuroses, neuropsychiatric disorders.
• Side effects after taking anesthetic medications - morphine, ephedrine.
• Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
• Pregnancy.Excess fatty foods in the diet.
• Metabolic disorders due to malnutrition.
• Adaptation of the body during physical exertion, which it gives first time.
• Slight mobility and sedentary work.
• Individual lactose intolerance, celiac disease.
• Bad habits - smoking, alcohol, drugs.

Important! Dulling appetite can also cause quite innocuous habits, namely: the abuse of chocolate, coffee, powerful power engineers .

It should be noted that there are diseases in which a person also has a desire to eat.

This is about:

• Bronze disease, or Addison's disease, is an endocrine disease associated with adrenal dysfunction.
• Stilla-Schofer diseases - juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
• Abdominal typhoid.
• Dementia.
• Gastroesophageal reflux - when the contents of the stomach are thrown back into the esophagus.
• Ulcer of the stomach and duodenum.
• Schizoaffective disorder.

Associated Symptoms

There is an opinion that a good appetite is a sign of health.In view of the fact that during the day hunger and appetite replace each other, a person sates his body while remaining in the same weight.This is a kind of balance that ensures normal life activity.

In case of violation of this balance for psychological or other reasons, the appetite may disappear.Together with him, sometimes the feeling of hunger disappears.

Please note! The lack of a desire to eat for several hours is not a cause for frustration.This happens when, at a previous meal, a person eats a high-calorie dish.In other words, at such times the organism is provided with energy for a longer period of time.

The absence of hunger for 5 to 8 hours makes you think.By the time they expire, the blood glucose level is likely to drop, and the person will feel a breakdown, weakness. After saturation, the stomach full of food will be stretched, the glucose concentration will increase and the signal will come to the brain and the need to stop saturation.

It is interesting that scientists established: a person subconsciously chooses the products that his body needs at this time.Athletes after training prefer to eat salty dishes to make up for the loss of salt due to the release of sweat.

Diagnostics

In case of a decrease in appetite, you should consult a doctor.He will prescribe a complete examination of the body, including:

• a clinical blood test, an analysis for the content of sugar levels, hormones for the elimination of diabetes mellitus, hormonal failure, liver disease;
• urine analysis to exclude inflammation of the kidney;
• chest X-ray for the detection of pneumonia, lung cancer;
• HIV test;
• ultrasound of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract;
• pregnancy test.

What to do if the appetite of disappeared

If a disease is identified that could cause a decrease in appetite, therapy is prescribed to eliminate them. In parallel, doctors recommend setting a schedule and portioning of meals. In other words, they advise eating 5 - 6 times a day in small portions.The last meal should be 4 hours before bedtime.One take-up of food should be given about 30 minutes, chewing the pieces slowly.

Snackbites should be excluded.Sweets need to be replaced with fruits, sauces and marinades with spices, as they excite appetite.To some patients, doctors prescribe vitamin B, zinc, which increase the sense of smell. It is also important to follow the drinking regimen, especially when doing sports.

Please note! Nausea during this period is removed with prometazine and other similar drugs.To improve the functioning of the thyroid gland, hormone replacement is prescribed.Dementia is treated with high-calorie nutrient mixtures, inflammations - with antibiotics.

How to improve the appetite

To return to the previous state help:

• easily digestible dishes - porridge, fish, vegetables, lean meat;
• beautiful serving and delicious design of dishes;
• a varied diet with the optimal amount of proteins and carbohydrates;
• healthy sleep and physical activity;
• love of pickled canned foods that stimulate the production of gastric juice;
• products with vitamin C, improving appetite;
• special infusions and decoctions of bitter herbs that have the same properties.

Traditional medicine for improving appetite

Folk healers offer several recipes for improving appetite, including:

• Chamomile infusion.For its preparation 1 tbsp.L.Raw pour boiling water, insist half an hour, and then take it like tea.This infusion also improves mood and relieves stress.
• Yarrow juice.To improve the taste, it is mixed with honey and drunk on a teaspoon before eating.The drug is suitable for preventing and treating the ailments of the gastrointestinal tract, getting rid of weakness.
• Infusion of wormwood.1 tsp.Raw materials pour 200 ml of boiling water and leave for half an hour.Take 1 tbsp.L.before meals.Infusion of dandelion roots.
• .For its preparation 2 tsp.Raw materials pour 200 ml of boiling water and leave for 8 hours.Drink 50 ml 2 - 3 times a day to improve appetite and improve immunity.

The prognosis depends on the causes that triggered a decrease in appetite. If the disease is successfully treated, the appetite is returned when all recommendations are followed.The main thing is to reveal it in time.And for this it is necessary to monitor your health and regularly undergo preventive examinations.

Chumachenko Olga, medical reviewer