While there are many people who are trying to lose weight, there is something in particular that is worrying about the unexplained or baffling weight loss. This is because it is usually symptomatic of various underlying medical conditions, which may require necessary attention. It is okay to lose weight if that’s really what you want. However, if you don’t want to and yet you still experience a drastic change on your weight, then there might be a problem. In this particular article, you will get to understand about the possible causes, symptoms, and treatments for unexplained weight loss. So keep on reading on to learn more! Give this article a read and get to know about the treatments for unexplained weight loss.
Unexplained Weight Loss: What is this?
Weight loss can be intentional, just like when exercising and dieting, or unintentional and be an indication of an illness. Furthermore, weight loss may be a result of a reduction in the body fluid, fat, or muscle mass. A reduction in the body fluid may come from various medications. Illnesses, lack of fluid intake, or fluid loss. The decrease in the body fat may be intentionally due to dieting and exercise. However, the unexplained weight loss is far way different from the usual weight loss as it may be an indication of an illness. Most especially that you don’t know why you lose weight in the first place.
Losing a pound in our body weight may be the outcome of the fluctuations in the diet, medications, stress levels, sleep, work schedule, exercise regularity, substance abuse, and others. However, the unexplained weight loss is typically defined as the loss of more than 5% of the weight of the body in less than six months. Furthermore, this is what represents a significant loss, most especially if you are not trying to lose that much weight at all.
Moreover, the point wherein the unexplained weight loss turns out to be a medical concern. However, many doctors agree that a medical evaluation is necessary if you already lose more than 5% of your weight in just six months time.
Symptoms of Unexplained Weight Loss
If your body loses weight rapidly, the symptoms may often become serious. These include the following:
- A change in the frequency of going to the bathroom
- Depression
- Fatigue and muscle weakness
- Increase in illnesses
- Loss of appetite
- Slower metabolism
Depending on the root cause of the sudden weight loss, the symptoms may differ considerably. These may include the following:
- Abdominal cramps
- Anxiety
- Blood in the stool
- Cognitive confusion
- Coughing
- Irregular heartbeat
- Low blood pressure
- Numbness
- Shortness of breath
- Slow healing process of cuts and bruises
- Stiff muscles
- Vomiting
Causes of Unexplained Weight Loss
Here are some illnesses that may cause unexplained weight loss:
- Cancer: the growth of various tumors in the digestive system or gastrointestinal system may cause inflammation. Which may prevent the absorption of nutrients. Moreover, this is now what causes the food to simply pass into the body. Even without all the calories being taken in by the body.
- Celiac disease: this body’s inability to absorb or to process gluten may cause inflammation in the gut. This is now what makes the nutrient uptake far less efficient. This often comes with upset stomach and diarrhea.
- Depression: when depression, as well as anxiety strike, your appetite is frequently affected by the downpour of stress hormones in the body. This is what makes the idea of eating foods that are very unpleasant.
- Diabetes: when you first experience diabetes, your body will expel glucose, which may result in the frequent urination.
- Eating disorders: even though you don’t identify an eating disorder, anorexia is the most common in people who are stressed, dealing with self-image problems, or those who overworked.
Some other causes may include:
- Addison’s disease
- COPD
- HIV or AIDS
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Stomach problems
- Thyroid disorders
Treatments for Unexplained Weight Loss
Here are some of the treatments for unexplained weight loss:
- Bigger plates: one psychological approach in gaining weight is to use larger plates. This is what encourage larger portions and more calories intake every meal, thus helping to bulk you up and avert malnutrition.
- Eat more meals: it could be the most obvious solution of weight loss to simply eat more meals. Make sure that they are rich in calories and good fats, which may boost the body weight even without putting the heart and overall wellness in the jeopardy.
- Less water intake: if you are attempting to lose weight, a lot of people drink about 1 to 2 glasses of water to help filling the stomach and suppressing hunger. Thus, when trying to gain weight, avoid drinking water during or before meals. This will increase the increase the appetite and allow you in consuming more calories before feeling full.
- Protein shakes: protein is a very essential part of building muscles and as a lot of regular exercisers identify, the muscles weighs more than the fat. If you add protein shake every between meals, you can make sure that the body has raw materials in increasing muscle production and boost the overall mass.
