What can lead to loss of appetite and how to increase it?
A complete lack of appetite is a wake-up call signaling malfunctions in the body (endocrine disorders, rheumatic diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, etc.) Let's try to figure out what are the causes of poor appetite, whether it is possible to quickly establish nutrition and restore health.
Why does your appetite disappear?
A decrease in appetite or refusal to eat leads to an imbalance in the nutritional balance, a decrease in the content of nutrients and glucose in the blood, which is dangerous for the normal functioning of the body. The main functions of food - energy, bioregulatory, plastic, adaptive, protective, signal-motivational - ensure the vital activity of the organism and the constancy of the internal environment. Once in the body, food contributes to the construction of new cells, participates in the formation of enzymes and hormones, replenishes the body with proteins, minerals and vitamins.
If there is no appetite for a long time or any other violation of the habitual attitude to food appears, this is a signal that a person needs help. A psychotherapist, gastroenterologist, nutritionist, endocrinologist are specialists who will establish the causes of appetite disorders and help restore it.
Loss or decrease in appetite in adults can have a number of reasons:
- Intoxication of the body as a result of inflammatory processes and poisoning.
It occurs during the period of ARVI, intestinal infections, hepatitis B and C, chronic renal failure. Intoxication is accompanied by acute rheumatic diseases (lupus erythematosus, polyarthritis, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis), food poisoning, drugs, low-quality alcohol, carbon monoxide. A person has practically no appetite, weakness appears, since the body has difficulty digesting food. You cannot force-feed a patient so as not to harm. It is beneficial to drink plenty of fluids to help rid yourself of the toxins that have arisen during the body's fight against infection. To find out the cause of the ailment, it is recommended to pass a detailed blood test and feces culture for pathogens of intestinal infection.
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Acute conditions.
Digestive disorders occur with gastritis, enteritis, colitis, gastric ulcer, liver disease. They are accompanied by nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching with bitterness, pain in the esophagus and stomach. At the same time, a person is purely reflexively afraid to eat. Frequent fractional meals are recommended (liquid cereals based on oatmeal, buckwheat, semolina, rice groats, without salt and seasonings). This diet should be complemented by traditional medical treatment, as prescribed by your doctor. It is important to undergo an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, fibrogastroscopy (for gastritis), to do a complete blood count and liver function tests. To exclude viral hepatitis, it is recommended to donate blood for hepatitis B and C.
- Disorders in the endocrine system.
They lead not only to a loss of appetite, but also to fatigue, constant drowsiness, a decrease in blood pressure, and a slowdown in speech. These symptoms persist for many years. Thyroid pathologies are sometimes associated with malfunctioning of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.
It is necessary to be examined by an endocrinologist, donate blood for thyroid hormones T3, T4 and TSH. If you suspect a malfunction of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, the doctor will prescribe a computed tomography of the brain.
- Metabolic disorders due to oncology.
Malignant formations disrupt the metabolism in the body, therefore, taste sensations are distorted and appetite disappears. The person feels nauseous, weakness appears, often there is intolerance to meat and dairy products. If a malignant tumor is suspected, an oncologist prescribes examinations in accordance with clinical manifestations and, based on the results, prescribes treatment.
- Diseases of the nervous system, psychological disorders (loss of appetite in depression, neuroses, dementia).
Appetite can change both downward and upward. Loss of appetite due to nervousness is characterized by a lack of sensation of the taste of food. Sometimes the very mention of food or the smell of it causes a negative reaction, including nausea and vomiting. A person eats only to survive, because the food itself is not enjoyable, and even a small portion of the food taken causes a feeling of fullness in the stomach.
Anorexia nervosa is one of the mental disorders and is common among young girls. The pathological desire to correct the "flaws" of the figure at any cost, even with the usual weight, leads to refusal of food. Over time, a persistent aversion to food appears, muscles atrophy, and the work of the musculoskeletal system is disrupted. Patients refuse food for so long that it ceases to be absorbed by the body. There is a change in the psyche, and the person is no longer able to independently get out of this state. A psychotherapist will help, and in severe cases - and inpatient treatment.
Loss of appetite during pregnancy, in children and the elderly
If a child has lost his appetite, he does not receive enough vitamins, micro, macronutrients necessary for growth and development. Babies do not want to eat when their baby teeth are cut (period from 3 months to 3 years), since this process is often accompanied by fever and pain. Babies and older children refuse food with stomatitis (rashes and sores on the mucous membrane of the mouth), which causes pain.
Pregnant women may lose their appetite for a short time.
Pregnant women may lose their appetite for a short time. Products that a woman loved before pregnancy often cause disgust at the beginning of the term, morning or afternoon nausea appears, which does not contribute to appetite.
There are simple ways to increase your appetite:
- Eat less, but more often.
Fractional nutrition is better accepted by the body. It is recommended to eat small portions of 4-5 meals at the same time. Beautiful table setting will help whet your appetite.
- Fresh air, sports.
Walking in the fresh air and physical activity will energize and stimulate appetite.
- Get rid of bad habits.
Having lost the pleasure of nicotine and alcohol, the body will look for it in something else, and more often in food.
- Healing herbal infusions and products.
Wormwood infusion, tea with mint, radish juice, onions, garlic, parsnips, chicory, calamus, black currant, plantain, all citrus fruits, green vegetables increase intestinal motility, strengthen the stomach, increase appetite. A course of vitamins, minerals, ascorbic acid will strengthen the body and stimulate appetite.
- Increased drinking regime.
In case of poisoning or overeating, clean drinking water is the best medicine. It flushes out poisons and toxins from the body. Dehydration disrupts all vital processes at the cellular level.
- Treatment of the underlying disease.
With gastritis and other pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney diseases, diseases of a rheumatic nature, you need to get qualified medical advice and treatment.
- Fasting for one day and diet.
Improving appetite is facilitated by short-term fasting for 12 or 24 hours. The body will rest, get rid of the remnants of undigested food, poisons and toxins. Fasting is contraindicated for gastritis.
The inclusion in the diet of fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt) and fiber (microcrystalline cellulose, vegetables, fruits, bran) in large quantities restores the digestive system, normalizes the intestinal microflora and stimulates appetite.
Conclusion
To increase the appetite of a child or an adult, you need to find out and eliminate the causes of violations in a timely manner (cure diseases, change your lifestyle, adjust your diet). A healthy appetite will keep you in good health and mood for years to come.