Lose a few pounds here and that’s normal! Read about Health Issues that Cause Unexplained Weight Loss
Intentional weight loss due to dieting and exercise is one thing. But it is a sign of problems if you start losing a significant amount of weight without major changes in your lifestyle. This means that you eat the same amount of food and do the same type of physical activities that you normally do.
Although weight loss seems to be a feat, an unexplained weight loss is not something to encourage. In fact, an unexplained loss of more than 5 percent of your body weight in less than a year may signal an underlying medical condition.
Rapid weight loss at any point in life should be considered a serious sign, and you should immediately consult a doctor to determine the cause. Always remember that the sooner a disease is discovered, the more successful treatment will be likely.
Here are 10 health problems that can cause unexplained weight loss.
Table of Contents
1. Diabetes
Diabetes is the simple reason behind unexplained weight loss. It is a metabolic disorder that causes high levels of blood sugar, either due to insufficient insulin production in the body, or the body’s inability to respond properly to insulin.
Weight loss occurs in people with diabetes for two reasons: excess water loss due to frequent urination and the body unable to absorb calories from sugar in the blood.
In addition, if there is insufficient insulin, the body begins to burn fat and muscle for energy, resulting in a decrease in overall body weight.
2. Hyperthyroidism
Sudden weight loss despite a change or increase in appetite may indicate a thyroid problem, especially hyperthyroidism.
In this type of thyroid problem, an abnormal increase in the activity of the thyroid gland causes an excess of thyroid hormones circulating in the blood.
The high amounts of T4, T3 or both hormones circulating in the blood can cause an excessively high metabolic rate, resulting in increased combustion of “fuel” in the body.
In extension to fast weight loss, hyperthyroidism further accelerates the heart rate & causes extreme sweating, hot flashes, mood swings, panic attacks, bulging eyes, muscle weakness, and fatigue.
3. Stomach Ulcer
People who suffer from a peptic ulcer also experience unexplained weight loss. In fact, this is an important sign in many people.
A peptic ulcer, also known as a stomach ulcer, is a pain that develops on the inner wall of the stomach or the upper part of the small intestine. The pain causes pain and leads to loss of appetite.
Thus, the reason behind weight loss is the loss of appetite, mingled with nausea and vomiting, two other common symptoms of a peptic ulcer.
Other symptoms include feeling refreshed after eating only a few mouthfuls of food, chest pain, bloody or black hollow stools and fatigue.
4. Parasite Infestation
A parasitic infestation in your intestines is another common cause of sudden weight loss.
Several types of parasites live and feed on your body, and some of them survive on the foods you consume. Such parasites include vermin, hookworms, and tapeworms that penetrate your body through the skin or by ingestion.
5. Depression
Although this may seem strange, depression can also cause involuntary weight loss.
This common mood disorder leads to feelings of sadness, loss, anger or frustration that can affect different aspects of everyday life, including your appetite.
Due to decreased appetite, people with depression can begin to lose weight.
6. Cancer
Unexplained weight loss is one of the first visible signs of different types of cancer, including prostate, breast, lung, pancreatic, ovarian and colon cancer, to name a few some.
Uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells accelerates your metabolism and fatigues the entire body by stretching its resources, causing weight loss. When cancer cells begin to spread, they can impede the functioning of various internal organs.
In addition, cancer can cause chemical changes in the body which make it very difficult to gain weight despite a high-calorie diet.
Cancer treatments can also lead to weight loss. Radiation and chemotherapy often lead to decreased appetite. In addition, they cause side effects, including nausea, vomiting and mouth sores that cause a painful process to eat.
Besides weight loss and loss of appetite, the signs and symptoms vary depending on the type of cancer.