Dramatic weight loss (emaciation) in the medical literature is designated by the term "cachexia". The immediate causes of depletion are accelerated catabolism and impaired absorption of lipid, carbohydrate and protein compounds.
Important: A good reason for seeking help from specialists is the loss of 5% of weight in a short time!
Causes of dramatic weight loss in men
It is safe to say that most of the factors contributing to rapid weight loss are common to men and women.
Some of the reasons for dramatic weight loss in men include:
Important: among diseases of an infectious origin that cause cachexia, in particular, include.
Nowadays, many men are subject to frequent emotional stress. Stressful situations lead to dramatic weight loss in most of the stronger sex.
In addition to drastic weight loss, stress causes:
- sleep disorders ();
- rapid physical and mental fatigue;
- irritability.
In some cases, men find it difficult to cope with stress, and they need the help of an experienced psychotherapist, but many are embarrassed to see a doctor. Over time, the situation is increasingly aggravated, which can lead to serious metabolic disorders, the development of a number of diseases or exacerbation of existing chronic pathologies.
Often, dramatic weight loss in men is due to dysfunction of the internal secretion organs (hormonal pathologies).
Diseases of the thyroid gland (in particular -) can cause an acceleration of metabolism, that is, excessively rapid burning of calories from the alimentary way. In such cases, a sharp weight loss develops even against the background of (a sedentary lifestyle) and the consumption of high-calorie foods.
Signs of increased thyroid hormone levels (a characteristic sign of hyperthyroidism) are:
- rapid weight loss (10 kg or more) with increased appetite;
- (heavy sweating even in a cool room);
- constant tachycardia (up to 140 beats / min.);
- trembling fingers;
- increased nervous irritability;
- irritability;
- sleep disorders;
- sexual dysfunction (decreased libido and).
If such symptoms appear, it is necessary to urgently seek help from a specialist endocrinologist. The sooner adequate treatment is started, the sooner recovery can be achieved.
Such a serious and insidious disease as can also become the cause of a sharp weight loss.
Symptoms of pathology are:
- weight loss against the background of a significant increase in appetite;
- constant feeling of thirst;
- the smell of acetone from the patient's mouth;
- (not always).
If one or more symptoms appear, it is recommended not to postpone the visit to the doctor, you must first pass it. Early diagnosis is the key to successful treatment of the disease.
Another reason for dramatic weight loss is. It is believed that helminthic infestations occur mainly in children. This is not entirely true. Infection is possible not only if the rules of personal hygiene are not observed, but when eating meat or fish that has not undergone sufficient heat treatment. Men during outdoor recreation quite often eat poorly fried foods.
Clinical signs of helminthiasis:
Note: In men, worms can cause earlier baldness.
Unfortunately, in some cases, dramatic weight loss is caused by much more serious reasons - in particular, cancer of the digestive system. In malignant neoplasms, significant weight loss in a short time may be one of the first symptoms. If there are no other visible causes of cachexia, it is strongly recommended to be examined by an oncologist. It is possible that this will help identify the tumor at the initial stages of development, and promptly begin complex therapy.
Cachexia is very typical for people suffering from chronic. The disease is also susceptible to women, but among men it is more common. Addiction to alcohol causes damage to the liver and organs of the gastrointestinal tract. Against the background of alcohol abuse, the process of assimilating nutrients in the intestines is disrupted, which is the reason for a sharp weight loss even with a normal diet. In addition, during the period of hard drinking, patients eat very little or even refuse food, which leads to rapid exhaustion.
Severe thinness is a characteristic external feature of patients suffering from tuberculosis. For an active process, dramatic weight loss is very characteristic.
With the rapid loss of kilograms, opportunistic infections are often the cause.
Causes of dramatic weight loss in women
Women suffer from stress as often as men. Against the background of psycho-emotional overstrain, the fair sex often develops. This nervous disorder is also characterized by loss of appetite, leading to dramatic weight loss.
A common cause of malnutrition is a disorder characteristic of women -. To a greater extent, young girls are susceptible to it, who believe (often completely unreasonably) that they have a lot of weight. Patients refuse to eat, and if they are forced to eat, they artificially induce vomiting. Over time, the obsession with losing weight leads to the formation of aversion to food. Anorexia often causes irreversible damage to the body, which may well be fatal.
The symptoms of tuberculosis are weakness, fatigue, drowsiness, sudden weight loss, and bouts of coughing not associated with respiratory diseases. If there was contact with a carrier of the infection and similar clinical signs appeared, you should immediately contact a therapist and phthisiatrician, do
Some people, dreaming of losing weight, work out hard in the gym, sit on strict diets, but the kilograms go off slowly. However, it happens the other way around: the weight begins to decline by itself. Sudden weight loss is cause for concern. Find out what reasons can trigger dramatic weight loss in women and men.
If you began to rapidly lose weight, do not rush to rejoice, even if you have long wanted to lose a couple or three extra pounds. Weight never goes away just because you feel like it. There must be good reasons for this: changing the usual diet, getting rid of bad habits, physical activity. There have been no changes in your life, and the kilograms began to melt rapidly? This indicates that your body has failed. If there are no pronounced symptoms, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to determine the cause of sudden weight loss on your own: for this, consult a doctor. Below we will tell you why weight can drop sharply, but remember that everything is individual
Causes of dramatic weight loss in women
In women, weight loss can be due to constant stress and depression, such reasons are not uncommon in our time, when women have to take on numerous tasks. In addition, the fair sex is empathic by nature: many of them painfully experience both their failures and the failures of their loved ones. Against the background of stress, weight begins to decrease. If the experiences are protracted, then body weight can significantly decrease, and this entails various diseases, constant fatigue and irritability.
Dramatic weight loss in women can be caused by hormonal disruption, most often the reasons for such disruptions lie in the overactive thyroid gland. This phenomenon is called hyperthyroidism. If a sudden weight loss is a consequence of such a disease, then women also lose hair, and their nails become brittle. Such symptoms cannot be ignored - an urgent need to consult an endocrinologist. If hyperthyroidism is started, then the occurrence of tumor formations is possible.
The reasons for sudden weight loss can be different, but more often a decrease in body weight in women occurs against a background of various diseases. The rapid loss of kilograms may indicate that the digestive system has malfunctioned, the adrenal glands are not working well, the body is undergoing an inflammatory process, etc. With a normal diet, the reasons for rapid weight loss may lie in the presence of such a disease as diabetes mellitus: in women who are not aware of the diagnosis, there is an increase in appetite, but the numbers on the scales are rapidly decreasing. Such symptoms are a reason to sound the alarm. Sometimes with diabetes, there is an unquenchable thirst, dizziness, the smell of acetone from the mouth.
Why weight is lost without dieting and physical activity, only a doctor can accurately determine. Finding symptoms, making a diagnosis and prescribing treatment is the specialist's job, not yours.
Causes of dramatic weight loss in men
Men are known to lose weight faster than the fair sex. For many, it is enough just to give up harmful products, go to the gym a couple of times - and the kilograms go away. But in men, like in girls, a sharp weight loss signals that there have been malfunctions in the body. The reasons for losing weight can be very different, but they all say that men who lose pounds without effort have health problems.
Weight loss in the stronger sex can occur due to emotional stress, fatigue, stressful situations. Although men are less emotional than women, they also know the word "depression". There is only one way out of the situation - to put in order your psycho-emotional state, until it provokes the occurrence of violations in the work of organs. Weight loss in men can occur due to inappropriate nutrition, the causes of the problem may lie in the gastrointestinal tract.
If a man eats normally, avoids physical exertion, leads a sedentary lifestyle, but at the same time loses weight, he should have his thyroid checked. Dramatic weight loss provokes endocrine diseases. They significantly speed up the metabolism, which is why calories are burned too quickly. It is also necessary to take a blood sugar test and do a fluorography: with diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis, the appetite is normal, and the weight is reduced. It is recommended to check the presence of tumor formations: they also provoke a loss of kilograms.
" />Losing weight is not always desirable and beneficial. Excessive weight loss for no apparent reason can be a dangerous sign that requires medical attention.
The main mechanisms of weight loss can be as follows:
1. Fasting or malnutrition.2. Reduced absorption of nutrients.
3. Increased body needs (stress, illness).
Weight loss can be caused by a wide variety of infectious, oncological, gastrointestinal, metabolic, neurological diseases and various nutritional and vitamin deficiencies.
Medical reasons for weight loss include:
1. Anorexia nervosa, or anorexia nervosa... It is a psychogenic illness that affects young women and results in severe weight loss (10 to 50% of initial weight). Patients have hypotension, weakness, muscle atrophy, loss of adipose tissue, constipation, caries, susceptibility to infections, cold intolerance, hair loss, amenorrhea.Patients usually show anxiety about possible weight gain. They can exhaust themselves with exertion, induce vomiting after eating, use laxatives and diuretics.
2. Adrenal insufficiency... In this case, weight loss is accompanied by weakness, anorexia, irritability, nausea, abdominal pain, and stool disorder. Skin hyperpigmentation may occur.
3. Cryptosporidiosis... This opportunistic protozoal infection can cause weight loss, watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, fever, and muscle pain.
4. Depression... Severe depression leads to loss of appetite and weight loss. Depression is usually manifested by drowsiness, apathy, fatigue, pessimistic reasoning, a sense of hopelessness, lack of desire for any achievements, and sometimes suicidal thoughts.
5. Diabetes... With this disease, both weight gain and weight loss can be observed. Losing weight can be even with increased appetite. The disease is accompanied by symptoms such as intense thirst, increased urine output, fatigue, weakness, etc.
6. Esophagitis. Painful inflammation of the esophagus causes the patient to avoid eating, leading to weight loss. Intense pain in the front of the chest and mouth is accompanied by hypersalivation, impaired swallowing, and rapid breathing. Sometimes there is vomiting with an admixture of blood.
If a stricture (narrowing) develops, then impaired swallowing, weight loss may be constantly disturbing.
8. Herpes (Herpes simplex type 1 virus). With a herpes infection, painful, fluid-filled blisters around the mouth make eating unpleasant. This sometimes leads to malnutrition and weight loss.
9. Oncological diseases. Weight loss can be a sign of many types of cancer. Other symptoms may include the following: fatigue, nausea, fever, anorexia, bleeding. Cancer symptoms are highly dependent on the type of cancer and its location.
10. Leukemia (blood cancer). Acute leukemia causes progressive weight loss, accompanied by weakness, fever, bleeding gums, and other signs of bleeding disorders. Shortness of breath, tachycardia, abdominal and bone pain may also occur. As acute leukemia progresses, neurologic symptoms may develop.
Chronic leukemia also causes weight loss, fatigue, enlarged spleen, bleeding, anemia, skin lesions, and fever.
11. Lymphoma. Hodgkin's disease (Hodgkin's lymphoma) can cause gradual weight loss. Associated symptoms include fever, fatigue, enlarged spleen and liver (hepatosplenomegaly), and swollen and tender lymph nodes. Itchy skin may also develop.
12. Pulmonary tuberculosis. This infectious disease causes anorexia, gradual weight loss, weakness, fatigue, night sweats, low-grade fever. Other manifestations of tuberculosis include: cough, discharge of mucopurulent sputum, hemoptysis, shortness of breath, chest pain.
13. Stomatitis. Inflammation of the oral mucosa during stomatitis makes it difficult for people to eat normally, leading to weight loss. The mucous membrane is usually red, edematous, ulcerated. The disease is accompanied by fever (not always), hypersalivation, pain in the mouth, bleeding gums, etc.
14. Thyrotoxicosis. With thyrotoxicosis, the level of thyroid hormones increases. This causes increased metabolism and weight loss. Other characteristic symptoms include: nervousness, heat intolerance, diarrhea, increased appetite, palpitations, sweating, trembling limbs. An enlargement of the thyroid gland and exophthalmos (bulging of the eyeballs) are also possible.
15. Crohn's disease. With Crohn's disease, weight loss can be combined with pain and cramps in the abdomen, lack of appetite. Patients may complain of diarrhea, nausea, fever, tachycardia, rumbling in the abdomen, weakness and fatigue.
16. Ulcerative colitis. In this disease, weight loss is accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea mixed with blood or pus, nausea, tenesmus, and sometimes fever. The symptoms of the disease are similar to Crohn's disease. Patients lose appetite, lose weight, look weak and emaciated.
17. Whipple's disease. The disease is associated with damage to the intestinal villi and impaired absorption of nutrients. It is a rare condition that manifests itself with weight loss, abdominal pain, diarrhea, steatorrhea, joint pain, fever, swollen lymph nodes, hyperpigmentation, and enlarged spleen.
18. Medicines. Amphetamines and other psychostimulants, thyroid hormones, laxatives, and cancer chemotherapy drugs can all cause weight loss.
In young children, weight loss can be caused by the so-called FTT syndrome (nutritional underdevelopment). Significant weight loss in children may be associated with diabetes.
Chronic, progressive weight loss in children is often caused by fasting, poor diet.
In older people, slow, gradual weight loss may be associated with aging and decreased muscle mass. Other possible causes are difficulty in chewing food, loss of teeth, alcoholism and psychiatric disorders.
Rapid weight loss for unknown reasons in older adults is statistically associated with a high risk of premature death or disability.
Konstantin Mokanov
It is one thing if you managed to get rid of extra pounds thanks to stubborn exercise and diets, but quite another when weight loss occurs quickly without any changes in lifestyle. In this case, you need to consult a doctor as soon as possible for examination and consultation. The presence of a serious illness may be indicated by the fact that in less than a year a person loses more than five percent of their body weight. Let's talk about ten diseases, one of the symptoms of which is a sharp weight loss.
With diabetes, a person can either gain excess weight or lose pounds unexpectedly. Losing weight in diabetes occurs mainly for two reasons. First, due to frequent urination, the body loses a lot of water. And secondly, because of blood sugar, the body absorbs calories worse. In addition, when insulin is low, the body begins to burn fat for energy, thereby causing overall weight loss.
Studies have shown that significant weight loss is a common symptom in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Weight loss in diabetes can be accompanied by other important signs of the disease: excessive thirst, constant fatigue, frequent urination, intense hunger, long-lasting wounds, tingling in the limbs, etc.
2. Weight loss due to hyperthyroidism
Sudden weight loss and decreased appetite may indicate a problem with the thyroid gland, in particular a disease such as hyperthyroidism. With it, there is an increased activity of the thyroid gland and an excess of its hormones in the blood. This subsequently increases the metabolic rate and the body's ability to burn fat. In addition to rapid weight loss, signs of hyperthyroidism include rapid heart rate, hot flashes, excessive sweating, mood swings, depression, panic attacks, bulging eyes, muscle weakness, and fatigue.
3. Stomach ulcer
People suffering from peptic ulcer disease, too, often suddenly begin to lose weight. At the heart of a stomach ulcer is inflammation that develops on the inside of the stomach wall or the upper part of the small intestine. This causes palpable pain and leads to loss of appetite. Due to a person's refusal to eat, frequent attacks of nausea and vomiting during the period of peptic ulcer disease, weight loss occurs. Some of the more common symptoms of this ailment of the digestive system: feeling full after a few bites of food, bloody stools, chest pains, chronic fatigue.
5. Depression
While it may sound strange, depression can also lead to unintentional weight loss. This common mental disorder results in persistent feelings of sadness, loss, frustration, or even anger that can affect various aspects of daily life. Often in this case, the appetite decreases, which causes weight loss. Research in applied physiology shows that during depression there is a tendency towards hypoglycemia, in which the levels of thyroid hormones (T3 and T4) decrease.
In addition to impaired appetite, depression is characterized by poor concentration, negative or even suicidal thoughts, sleep problems, and other difficulties. However, in some cases, during depression, a person gains excess weight, trying to get rid of problems with frequent meals of high-calorie foods.
6. Cancer
Unexplained weight loss is one of the first visible signs of various types of cancer, including cancer of the prostate, breast, lung, pancreas, ovaries, and colon. The uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells speeds up the metabolism, which causes the entire body to wear out, making the most of its resources. This leads to a loss of muscle and fat mass.
When cancer cells begin to spread throughout the body, it can adversely affect the functioning of various internal organs. Cancer can cause chemical changes in the body that make it difficult to gain weight, even with a high-calorie diet.
Cancer treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy can also lead to weight and appetite loss. In addition to this, the treatment causes many side effects: nausea, vomiting, mouth ulcers, which makes the process of eating painful and uncomfortable.
It is a bowel disease caused by inflammation of the lining of the digestive tract. One of its symptoms is dramatic weight loss. This is due to decreased appetite, food apathy, poor absorption of nutrients, loss of calories due to frequent diarrhea, or gastrointestinal bleeding. Crohn's disease is characterized by relatively low levels of hunger and loss of pleasure in eating. Other symptoms of the disease: low-grade fever, diarrhea, decreased energy, cramps, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
8. Tuberculosis
Unexplained weight loss and decreased appetite are some of the known symptoms of TB. This infectious disease caused by mycobacteria affects the lungs, but can also affect other parts of the body (lymph nodes, bones, digestive, reproductive and nervous systems). In addition to rapid weight loss, tuberculosis includes symptoms such as: frequent and severe cough that lasts more than a month, chronic fatigue, fever, night sweats, etc.
These diseases most often develop in middle-aged and elderly people. These health problems also cause weight loss. A 2005 study by researchers at the London Institute of Psychiatry showed that weight loss is often observed even before the onset of the characteristic symptoms of dementia. The accumulation of beta-amyloid (a peptide in the brain) disrupts the body's weight regulation mechanism, leading to accelerated weight loss and is one of the initial symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
10. HIV infection
People infected with HIV also lose weight quickly. Their immune system cannot get rid of the virus that gradually destroys it, and the body stops fighting infections and diseases. If HIV is not detected and controlled in time, AIDS can develop. In addition to weight loss, signs of this infection include night sweats, fever, sore throat and sore muscles, rashes, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
Regardless of gender, everyone wants to be in perfect physical shape and lose weight. If the result is achieved through a competent diet and significant physical activity, then in such cases everything is quite natural, especially in men. If you start running every day, swim in the pool or work out in the gym, then a man will be able to lose everything unnecessary in a fairly short time.
This is due to a special hormone testosterone, which is produced in the body during physical activity and contributes to the rapid burning of accumulated fat.
If a man begins to quickly lose pounds, and a sharp weight loss is observed, without making absolutely any effort for this process, it is necessary to seek medical help. Regardless of the reasons for such weight loss, their essence will be the same - serious health problems.
Emotional overload and male weight
The most common prerequisite for dramatic weight loss is precisely stress and all those situations that are associated with it. In modern life, there are many cases when a man can succumb to emotional stress, and it leads to the fact that a sharp weight loss begins. This can happen not only at work, but also at home or just on vacation. There is even statistics that clearly show that after the slightest stressful situation, the arrow of the scales begins to jump to a higher mark in a man, and these are significant reasons. In addition, against the background of nervous experiences, a man can comprehend:
- sleep disorders;
- frequent headaches;
- excessive irritability;
- absent-mindedness;
- early fatigue;
- depression.
Often, the body of men is able to independently cope with any life situations. However, if this cannot be achieved, then the process begins to worsen, accompanied by weight loss, and the reasons are always on the surface. In such cases, it is better not to delay and consult a doctor.
The connection between stress and weight loss can be easily explained by the fact that the male body, suffering from latent ailments, tries with all its might to draw the lack of energy from fat and muscle tissue. This happens against the background of good nutrition, which leads to even greater experiences.
Losing weight without a good reason is a direct indication to undergo a thorough examination to identify diseases that could be a prerequisite for weight loss.
Thyroid and weight
There are enough cases when weight problems in men arise due to various pathological processes in the thyroid gland. In cases when problems begin with the organ, the human body begins to feel the accelerated formation of compounds. As a result, a lightning-fast burning of calories begins, which enter the man's body with food.
Even in the case of increased nutrition and a sedentary lifestyle, it is almost impossible to stop the process of losing weight. In the absence of timely medical care, hyperthyroidism begins against the background of problems with the thyroid gland. This ailment is characterized by overproduction of thyroid hormones.
Hyperthyroidism symptoms:
- rapid weight loss (up to 10 kilograms) in the absence of problems with appetite;
- rapid heartbeat (120 to 140 beats per minute);
- excessive sweating (even during the cold season);
- tremor of the fingers;
- sleep disturbance;
- sexual dysfunction.
The only way to prevent the occurrence of hyperthyroidism or get rid of it at the very beginning of development is to contact an endocrinologist. It is at the initial stage of the course of the disease that an unreasonable loss of kilograms will not begin to occur.
With a timely examination, it will be possible to make the correct diagnosis and begin effective treatment.
Weight loss and diabetes
The reasons for rapid weight loss may lie in diabetes. This disease is too serious and insidious. At the very beginning of its course, there may be a constant and irresistible desire to consume food in large quantities while losing weight.
Signs of the development of diabetes mellitus:
- constant feeling of thirst;
- excessive irritability;
- the smell of acetone from the mouth as well.
In addition, diabetes is characterized by the occurrence of short-term syncope.
If we talk about the initial stage of the disease, then the man does not feel any other uncomfortable sensations, except for weight loss, although the reasons for such weight loss are on the surface.
At the slightest suspicion of diabetes, for example, if you find characteristic symptoms in yourself, you will first need to donate blood. This is required to detect the level of sugar in it.
Other reasons for losing weight
There are other prerequisites for weight loss in men, for example, cancer, for example, it also manifests itself in weight loss. A man can seriously lose weight with the development of cancerous lesions of any of the organs of the digestive system. However, such a symptom is not inherent in the initial stage of the course of this serious disease. As a rule, such a symptom begins to appear at about the third stage of the disease and cannot be used for diagnosis.
In addition, you can lose weight if there are helminthic invasions in the body. Helminths can be found not only in children, but also in adults. It is possible to suspect them when a man loses weight in such situations:
- appetite abruptly disappeared;
- there were unpleasant sensations around the anus;
- digestive disorders begin;
- suffer from constipation or diarrhea;
- constant weakness is felt, even after a good rest;
- possibly an increase in body temperature.
It has been proven that helminthic infestations can cause rapid male pattern baldness.
The rapid dumping of body fat and muscle mass and dramatic weight loss may indicate not only these diseases in men. This symptom can also become characteristic of:
- tuberculosis;
- poor nutrition;
- infectious diseases;
- drug addiction;
- problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract.