Are you losing weight for no apparent reason and don’t understand what’s causing it? In this article, we will look at the most common causes of weight loss, and also figure out which doctor you need to see.

Sudden weight loss as a symptom

Often, losing weight is a conscious choice - we change our diet and increase physical activity to get rid of weight loss. extra pounds and be healthier. IN in this case even relatively sudden weight loss is normal.

On the other hand, some people lose weight precisely when they are faced with a serious illness. With the development of the most severe diseases, one or more other symptoms appear that appear even before losing a kilogram. In this situation, the reasons for sudden weight loss are quite understandable and even expected.

Sometimes it happens that the first symptom of development serious illness is precisely the loss of kilograms. Other symptoms in this case appear a little later. Below we look at the most common diseases for which weight loss May be the first symptom. Remember that all of the following violations are not related to your planned weight loss.

What diseases cause weight loss?

Possible causes of unexplained weight loss include:

Oncological diseases

In the vast majority of cases, the patient will develop other symptoms before losing weight. They can be very different, depending on the type and location of the malignant process. Sometimes sudden weight loss in oncology, this is the first symptom that a person notices.

Why do people lose weight with cancer? Weight loss in this case is partly due to increased activity of cancer cells that require nutrition. For more late stages illness, weight “loses” due to a combination of various factors.

Weight loss with diabetes

Often unexpected weight loss is a sign. In people with this disease, the hormone insulin is unable to force cells to use glucose as an energy source. When this happens, the body “burns” fat and muscle tissue, thus obtaining the necessary energy. This partly explains why sudden weight loss occurs in diabetes.

Hyperthyroidism

In this disorder, the thyroid gland produces too much of the hormone thyroxine. An excess of this substance causes an increase in metabolic processes (“accelerated” metabolism). Symptoms of this disorder are:

• Anxiety, nervousness, anxiety,
• Increased emotionality
• Irritability,
• Feeling of a strong heartbeat
• Trembling in the hands (tremor),
• Diarrhea.

Why does a person suddenly lose weight even despite a very good appetite? This can be explained by increased energy expenditure due to nervousness, anxiety and constant “running around”. All this is possible signs hyperthyroidism, which you will read about in.

Presence of chronic infection or inflammatory process

Typically, with a chronic infection, a person experiences not only weight loss, but also other symptoms. Although with some infections, such as tuberculosis or, the first visible symptom is sudden weight loss.

In some conditions, an inflammatory process occurs in one or more parts of the body. Again, in this case the person will encounter other symptoms. But with some inflammatory disorders, such as polymyalgia rheumatica, the first symptoms may be poor health and sudden weight loss.

Malabsorption syndromes

There are many diseases that affect the absorption of food in the intestines. They usually cause symptoms such as diarrhea. In some patients, the first noticeable sign of malabsorption syndrome is weight loss. Among food absorption disorders, celiac disease (celiac disease) and peptic ulcer are noted.

Dementia (decreased mental capacity)

In the early stages of dementia, people may feel well, but they may not actually be able to look after themselves well. They cannot create and adhere to a normal diet on their own, which is why they eat poorly and subsequently lose weight.

Causes of weight loss also include:

• Disease ,
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
• Heart and kidney diseases,
• Hypercalcemia ( increased level calcium in the blood)
• Parkinson's disease,

Other causes of weight loss

Sometimes weight loss is not directly related to diseases, but is a consequence of taking certain substances or psychological state person.

Eating disorders

Reasons for losing weight may include some conditions that are a result of lack of body image. With a disorder such as anorexia, a person strictly controls his diet and actively tries to get rid of what he thinks are extra pounds. People suffering from anorexia are severely underweight. This is a dangerous condition, which in most cases requires intervention not only from a clinical physician, but also from other doctors.

Side effects of taking medications

Sometimes taking medications causes side effects that lead to weight loss. Some drugs cause loss of appetite and dry mouth, and some cause heartburn or mild diarrhea. There are also medications that affect taste and smell. Any of these side effects can lead to a decrease in caloric intake and sudden weight loss.

Depression

With this condition, people very often lose their appetite and do not want to eat, which ultimately leads to weight loss. In addition, there is such a thing as nervous weight loss. If a person often faces stressful events and is constantly nervous, he may also lose pounds.

Alcohol abuse / alcohol addiction

Many people with alcohol addiction eat poorly and lose weight without realizing it. In this case, only relatives or friends can notice the changes.

What should you do if you experience sudden weight loss?

If you or your family for some unexplained reason started losing pounds, consult with. American experts recommend sounding the alarm if over the past 6-12 months a person, for an unexplained reason, has lost more than 5% of his total body weight. If the patient is an adult and has one or more serious illnesses, even a few lost kilograms is a reason to go to the doctor.

At the appointment, the specialist will analyze your medical history and also conduct a thorough physical examination. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe other diagnostic procedures.

In this article, we looked at what diseases cause weight loss and which doctors you need to contact to find the root cause. Although, in most cases, the cause of weight loss or problems with weight gain is simple malnutrition. If a person eats a lot and cannot gain weight, there is no need to look for hidden reasons. The best option– get professional advice from.

Sources:

1. Unexplained weight loss, Mayo Clinic,
2. Unexplained Weight Loss, Diabetes.co.uk,
3. Unintentional weight loss, NHS,
4. Weight Loss (Unintentional), Patient.org.

Severe weight loss or exhaustion (cachexia) is said to occur when a person loses 5% of their total body weight weekly. Such significant losses have a negative impact on both appearance, and on the patient’s well-being. Dramatic weight loss without a reason is impossible, you just have to look for it carefully. All factors that cause exhaustion can be divided into 2 impressive groups: general and medical.

Common reasons

TO common reasons sudden weight loss in both women and men include:

Stress

Stress (change of residence, job change, session, death loved one), are the most common cause of sudden weight loss. In addition to weight loss, stress causes problems with sleep, frequent headaches, irritability followed by tearfulness, absent-mindedness, decreased ability to work, and depression. Cm.

Restriction of food intake

More often characteristic of women, but also occurs in men who observe strict diets for the purpose of weight loss. In some cases (in adolescents and young women under 25) voluntary refusal to eat food, a serious illness develops - anorexia nervosa.

Loss of teeth

This reason, leading to sudden weight loss, is typical for older people, that is, after 60 years. Poorly chewed food is practically not absorbed in the digestive tract, which leads to deficiency nutrients and weight loss.

Drug/alcohol addiction

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

Heavy physical activity

Permanent physical exercise, including intense sports, accelerate catabolism; the energy generated from incoming food is consumed very quickly, so the body has to use its own reserves of nutrients (see).

Taking medications

Using a number of some medicines leads to rapid weight loss. Such medications include: brain stimulants (piracetam, nootropil, modafinil, ritanil), psychotropic drugs (neuroleptics, tranquilizers), .

Medical reasons

Medical reasons cause sudden weight loss in both sexes:

Intoxication

Most often, significant weight loss is observed during acute respiratory viral infections, which are accompanied by severe intoxication (weakness, fatigue, headaches and muscle pain, nausea and vomiting), which consequently leads to loss of appetite.

Intoxication syndrome also develops with the following chronic infections: hepatitis, a number of intestinal infections,.

Oncological diseases

In advanced stages of cancer of any location, cancer cachexia develops due to tumor disintegration, formation toxic substances, destruction of blood cells (,), metabolic disorders and problems with the digestive tract. Mass media .

Strokes

Circulatory disorders in the central nervous system (stroke) can impair swallowing due to the development of bulbar syndrome, which almost always involves parenteral or tube nutrition, which becomes a prerequisite for weight loss up to cachexia. Cm. .

Mental illness

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

Digestive tract diseases

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

Acute intestinal infections

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

Weight loss in women

Reasons for sudden weight loss in women include:

Thyrotoxicosis

Pathology of the thyroid gland, in which its hormones (which accelerate metabolism) begin to be produced in large quantities. Males are also affected, but in women this disease occurs 2 times more often. In addition to exhaustion, it manifests itself as cycle disruption, emotional lability, hyperhidrosis, increased blood pressure and tachycardia, increased appetite, tremor, thirst and diarrhea.

Climax

Weight loss in men

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

Chronic pancreatitis

Stomach cancer

The disease is diagnosed in men 2 times more often than in women. Due to difficulties in passing food from the stomach further into the digestive tract (the tumor compresses the organ), its absorption is disrupted and significant sudden weight loss occurs. Also included is decreased appetite, fear of eating (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 to women in terms of frequency of occurrence is 1.4:1. It manifests itself as a sudden enlargement of lymph nodes, difficulty breathing, cough, low-grade fever, heavy sweats at night, sudden weight loss and loss of appetite. 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. All of these are excellent prerequisites for progressive weight loss.

Weight loss in teenagers

The reasons for sudden weight loss in teenagers 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 teenager’s body lacks the proteins, fats, and carbohydrates necessary for its further growth and development, and the teenager 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 is manifested by the following symptoms: frequent stools, up to 6 times a day, polyfecal or significant volume feces, constant thirst and dry mouth, dry skin, hair, there are particles of undigested food in the feces, stomatitis, muscle atrophy.

Worm infestations

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

Symptoms depend on the type of helminthiasis, but a constant steady loss of body weight should suggest a helminthic infestation. Signs of the most common helminthiasis are itching of the anal area, increasing at night, abdominal pain, nausea, frequent loose stools, possible skin itching, rash.

Hormonal storms

During adolescence, there are constant surges and declines in certain sex hormones, which can provoke either sudden weight loss or, conversely, sudden weight gain. In addition, hormonal disorders are accompanied by the appearance of acne, oily seborrhea, unstable psyche (from aggression to tearfulness), and irregular menstruation in girls.

Energetic drinks

Used in a manner similar to chronic stress with constant activation of the adrenaline-noradrenal system and cortisol, which promotes faster protein breakdown. Caffeine and similar substances disrupt sleep and keep a person in a constantly wound up state, similar to hyperthyroidism.

Why am I losing weight for no reason? What are the consequences of the disease? Do I need to see a doctor or will it “go away on its own”? Every person should know that sudden weight loss is a great stress for the body, and visiting a doctor is an integral procedure for maintaining health.

A person can lose weight for no reason for a long period, and during this time there will be a load on the internal organs.

When a person begins to lose weight for no reason, becomes nervous, irritable, it is necessary to immediately sound the alarm. The sooner you start acting, the more effective the treatment will be.

“I’m losing weight for no reason” - the consequences of the disease

The consequences of the disease can be completely different. It all depends on how long the weight loss process lasts, what harm it caused to the body, how many kilograms the person lost, what the reason was, and after what time the treatment was prescribed.

• Muscle weakness develops, prolonged constipation occurs, and the person becomes quite lethargic and indifferent.
• The main functions of the endocrine glands change.
• The size of the heart decreases.
• There are noticeable disruptions in the breathing process.
• Gradual destruction of the liver occurs.
• If, during the process of sudden weight loss, a person’s brain stops receiving glucose, a decrease occurs. mental activity: concentration of attention is impaired (the person becomes distracted, looks lost or scared); the patient incorrectly perceives the surrounding reality.

After studying the consequences of the disease, a person will not think for a long time: “Why am I losing weight for no reason,” but will immediately consult a doctor or consult with a specialist.

As for the aesthetic side, the patient’s appearance changes greatly: folds appear, the skin becomes flabby and sagging on the buttocks, abdomen, chest and other noticeable places. It turns out that the body functions in a certain mode, and if sudden weight loss occurs, malfunctions begin to occur. They leave a mark not only on the appearance of a person, but also on the internal organs.

Among other things, an unplanned hormonal imbalance will affect your teeth, hair, and nails. And that's not all: let's take the psychological side of the disease. People who suddenly lose weight become embittered and react inappropriately to others. These factors can trigger the onset of a disease called anorexia.

Anorexia is a disease that involves complete or partial refusal of food. A person can die if he is not helped in time.

Losing weight for no reason: treatment

Before starting treatment, it is necessary to establish the reason for the weight loss. When it is installed, experts offer the following solution to the problem:

One way or another, going to see a doctor is main recipe from illness.

Stress follows us at every step. work and rest, a strong emotional shock can contribute to weight loss, but, as a rule, we are talking about two to three kilograms, which are soon restored. But if we are talking about something significant without obvious reasons, then it is necessary to find out why a person is doing this, because it can be caused by serious diseases.

The reason to see a doctor is the loss of 4.5-5 kilograms in 6 months.

Diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder in which there is high level glucose in the blood due to the body not producing enough insulin or not responding to insulin. Sudden weight loss is a symptom of type 1 diabetes. Other signs include frequent urination, thirst, extreme hunger, fatigue, slow healing of wounds and cuts, and a tingling sensation.

Depression

Depression is a deep emotional disorder in which a person is haunted by feelings of anger, melancholy, and emptiness for weeks, or even months. Indeed, in such a state a person literally melts before our eyes, refuses to eat, and sleeps poorly. Typically, weight is restored once the underlying depression is resolved.

Hyperthyroidism

The thyroid gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism, e.g. heartbeat and digestion. A thyroid hormone called calcitonin controls calcium levels in the blood. If it works too actively, then an excessive amount of hormones is produced. This condition is called. In addition to sudden weight loss, hot flashes, mood swings, fatigue, and decreased libido are also observed.

Addison's disease

Crohn's disease

Crohn's disease causes inflammation of the intestinal walls. A person experiences severe pain in the intestines. The stool is liquid and mixed with blood. This process is accompanied by a sharp and significant weight loss.

Weight loss also accompanies such severe and serious diseases as cancer and AIDS. However, the symptoms of these diseases are quite extensive and are not the primary symptom.

The incubation period for the development of AIDS can last from 3 weeks to 5 years, or even more. For homosexuals and children born from infected mothers, this time period is significantly shortened. The virus multiplies in a healthy body so actively that antibodies to HIV are detected 1-2 months after infection.

A Brief History of AIDS

The prevalence and impossibility of curing human acquired immunodeficiency syndrome has given society new problem, referred to as the plague of the 20th century. Its danger lies in the fact that the nature of the disease remains not fully understood. Only one thing is known for sure - AIDS is viral in nature.

Where did this misfortune come from? For the first time, an incomprehensible disease was discussed in the late 50s of the last century, when a resident of Congo, one of the countries of West Africa, died. In the process of analyzing his medical history, scientists of that time identified it as the first recorded case of a disease of unknown nature and considered it a consequence of a rare form.

The primary form of AIDS is called onco-AIDS, and it manifests itself as Kaposi's sarcoma and brain lymphoma.

A couple of decades later, homosexuals in the USA and Sweden, as well as heterosexuals in Haiti and Tanzania, began to turn to specialists with signs of the same disease. American experts have identified over 400 carriers of the dangerous virus. Due to the fact that most of the patients were homosexuals, the new disease was called “homosexually transmitted immunodeficiency.”

How does AIDS get infected?

In a healthy person, AIDS can occur as a result of contact with the biological fluids of a patient - blood and sperm. The birth of AIDS patients is explained by their infection through the maternal placenta during. Infection of healthy babies can occur when.

In everyday life, infection conditions can be created by using one toothbrush, through razors and other personal items. The disease is not transmitted by airborne droplets or fecal-oral routes.

The artificial route of transmission of AIDS is as follows:
therapeutic and diagnostic manipulations;
endoscopic procedures;
organ and tissue transplantation;
artificial insemination;
administering injections with a non-sterile syringe;
tattooing in unsanitary conditions.

The risk group consists of the following categories of the population: drug addicts who inject themselves with one syringe, prostitutes and homosexuals who neglect to use a condom. In children, AIDS can occur after contact with a sick mother.

Why is AIDS dangerous?

The immunodeficiency virus gradually affects the human body over 10-12 years, without revealing itself in any way. In most cases, patients do not take even the initial signs seriously, considering them to be symptoms of another cold.

Significant symptoms of AIDS include prolonged pneumonia, unfounded weight loss, prolonged diarrhea and fever, and swollen lymph nodes.

Thus, it is not carried out in a timely manner, which is fraught with the onset of the final stage. The body affected by the virus turns into a base for the development of various infectious diseases.

Sources:

• AIDS: history of origin, spread, symptoms. Reference

About 40% of the adult population of the Earth spend their entire adult lives at war with overweight. A matter of honor, so to speak. And there are people who are forced to decide how to gain the missing kilograms due to rapid weight loss. A person who has lost a lot of weight and has made more than one attempt to get back into shape begins to worry seriously about his health. “Why am I losing weight for no reason” is a rather incorrect way of asking the question. The reason for what is happening may not be obvious, but, nevertheless, it is always there. A person quickly losing weight must find the “beginning” of the problem, which probably lies in the body, and only then look for a diet to regain the previous weight.

Weight loss and human age

It has been scientifically proven that a man loses weight faster than a woman. This is how the body of the strong half of humanity works - it was initially designed for heavy loads, so accelerated metabolism “burns” weight very quickly. If a person’s energy expenditure (men or women, it doesn’t matter) is not proportional to his weight loss, the cause may be an undiagnosed disease. You should immediately consult a doctor when a person “melts” before your eyes, despite a good appetite.

In older people, age-related metabolic disorders can cause not only severe weight loss, but also rapid weight gain. The question of why teenagers lose weight without any reason is even easier to answer. If a growing child has a good appetite, a healthy appearance and no complaints, rapid weight loss may be associated with the physiological characteristics of the growing body. Moreover, weight loss is not always uniform: for example, arms and legs may first stretch out and lose weight, then the face becomes thinner and the torso decreases in volume.

What diseases make us lose weight?

There are many somatic diseases and mental conditions that contribute to rapid weight loss. Some of them, unfortunately, are so serious that they cannot be treated with prescriptions alone. traditional medicine not enough. Let's look at some of them.

General classification of diseases that cause weight loss

1. Diseases associated with loss of appetite, in which the body does not fully receive the vitamin-mineral complexes and nutrients it needs. Such diseases include chronic pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis, stomach cancer and other gastrointestinal pathologies. Also in this group is anorexia, a disease of mental origin.
2. Diseases that disrupt metabolism, making it impossible for the body to accumulate nutrients. This is, for example, diabetes, celiac disease, helminthic infestations.
3. Diseases that “eat up” everything vital energy person. These include spastic paralysis, oncology, thyrotoxicosis.
4. Nervous exhaustion of the body, chronic psychogenic stress. The answer to the common question “Why do you lose weight when you’re nervous?” obvious. All energy resources are spent on solving complex problems, and even the appetite disappears due to stress. All often nervous people, as a rule, are not curvy.
5. The recovery period after a complex injury or illness. Few people have a rested, blooming appearance after protracted serious illnesses. In such a situation, weight begins to decline.

Some examples of diseases that cause weight loss

A person who goes to the doctor and has lost weight for no apparent reason is certainly doing the right thing. If nothing hurts, but the weight is “burning off,” you can’t console yourself with the hope that nothing bad is happening. Sudden weight loss may be only the first symptom of a serious illness. The sooner the “enemy” is identified, the more likely it is that victory will be yours!