Rapid weight loss what is the cause

But other effects can be very damaging to your physical and mental health in the long run. Photo: Active Health. A loss in muscle mass often comes with decreasing metabolism rate, which further destabilises the fat-to-muscle ratio. Weaker muscles translate to more inconvenience in day-to-day activities like carrying heavy groceries or climbing the stairs.

Even if the number on the weighing scale ends up looking nicer, your quality of life may not be as rosy. Many of our bodily functions are regulated by naturally occurring elements. Any imbalance to the proportion of these elements could be potentially dangerous and may cause conditions such as seizures and arrhythmia irregular heartbeats.

Electrolytes in particular are critical to cellular function and integrity. If the latter were to break down, it wouldn't be long before the rest of the body follows suit. Extreme weight-loss deprives your body of the essential nutrients that are necessary for healthy function. Furthermore, deficiencies in certain nutrients like vitamin D and calcium can lead to an increased risk of developing certain health conditions or predispose you to injury. One such example of a disease associated with nutritional deficiency is anaemia, which is characterised by feelings of weakness and fainting spells and can occur when you your intake of iron is insufficient.

When gallstones form, severe pain is experienced along with indigestion. These juices then harden inside the gallbladder and can block the opening, causing indigestion which leads to further pain and discomfort. Consuming insufficient calories or expending too many of them will definitely lead to adverse effects on your energy levels. Apart from feeling physically tired, your cognitive functions may take a hit as well as your productivity. Your mood can also be affected — drastic weight-loss is often accompanied with constant feelings of irritation.

An over-active thyroid can cause rapid weight loss, despite causing constant feelings of hunger. Hyperthyroidism results in the production of excessive amounts of thyroxine, which can push your body's metabolism past its limits.

How do inflammatory conditions affect your weight? The more identifiable, obvious symptom is a sharp decrease in appetite which could be due to an infection. The more insidious reason is that inflammation in the gut affects how nutrients are absorbed and lead to cases of malnutrition. A dysfunctional gut can lead to diarrhoea and vomiting, which dehydrates your body and makes you lose more weight. Inflammation and absorption issues could be caused by tumours in the colon and bowels, which affect appetite and how your body processes and absorbs food.

Muscular atrophy is another common side effect of diabetes — another mechanism of drastic weight-loss. Depression is often accompanied by a loss of appetite which can lead to weight-loss. Such cases are harder to identify because physical ailments often go unnoticed when they occur in the shadow of psychological issues. Treatment of hyperthyroidism depends on your age and severity of your case.

Rheumatoid arthritis RA is an autoimmune disease that makes your immune system attack the lining of your joints, leading to inflammation. Chronic inflammation can speed up metabolism and reduce overall weight. Symptoms of RA include joint swelling and pain. It usually affects the same joints on both sides of your body.

Treatment of RA typically begins with medication. Medications include disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs, corticosteroids, biologics, and Janus associated kinase inhibitors. Another cause of unwanted weight loss is type 1 diabetes. If you have type 1 diabetes, your immune system attacks cells in your pancreas that make insulin.

This causes high blood glucose. Treatment of type 1 diabetes includes insulin, blood sugar monitoring, diet modifications, and exercise. Weight loss may be a side effect of depression , which is defined as feeling sad, lost, or empty for at least two weeks.

These emotions interfere with daily activities, such as going to work or school. Depression affects the same parts of the brain that control appetite. This can lead to poor appetite, and eventually, weight loss. In some people, depression may increase appetite.

The symptoms vary from person to person. Other symptoms of depression include:. Behavioral therapy , psychotherapy, and antidepressants are used to treat depression. Unexpected weight loss may be a symptom of inflammatory bowel disease IBD. IBD is a term that encompasses several chronic inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract. IBD also disrupts ghrelin, the hunger hormone, and leptin, the satiety hormone. This results in decreased appetite and weight loss.

These symptoms are triggered by certain foods. If you have IBD, you might be hesitant to eat. Treatment of IBD usually consists of nutritional support, medication, and in some cases, surgery. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD is a progressive lung disease. This includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Many people with COPD have both. Emphysema slowly damages the air sacs in your lungs, making it hard to breathe. Chronic bronchitis causes inflammation of the airways that bring air to your lungs. This produces mucus, coughing, and breathing issues. In later stages, COPD can cause weight loss. Labored breathing burns a lot of calories. It can also feel uncomfortable to eat and breathe at the same time.

The main cause of COPD is cigarette smoking. Long-term exposure to irritants such as air pollution and dust can also lead to COPD. Treatment includes medications, such as bronchodilators, and lung therapies, like oxygen therapy.

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