One speaks of ravenous hunger when the affected person suddenly develops a powerful hunger and stuffs everything he can find into himself. In the long run, this leads to significant weight problems.
What is ravenous hunger?
During a craving attack, there is an increased intake of unhealthy foods that are high in sugar. Cravings describe a state in which sufferers indiscriminately eat anything they can find – even if a food usually doesn’t taste very good to them. Afterwards, they are completely satiated, they may feel sick, and they occasionally vomit willingly or involuntarily. Cravings occur about equally often as a one-time thing or episodically over and over again. Most importantly, the ravenous appetite is not for the necessary intake of food; the sufferer is trying to satisfy an unmet need that has nothing to do with hunger, however, but much more to do with the psyche. During a craving attack, there is an increased intake of unhealthy foods that are high in sugar.
Causes
There are 3 causes of cravings: physical needs, the psyche, and the combination of both. Physical cravings occur when there is hypoglycemia or an underlying condition such as diabetes mellitus. Pregnant women also eat unusual things or just an unusual amount – but the cause of their ravenous appetite is the hormonal imbroglio in the first months of pregnancy. In the psychological field, eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia play a role, and obesity patients also suffer from episodic ravenous hunger. Stress and negative feelings are the direct triggers, because the unhealthy food releases serotonin and one is happy again for a short time. The mixed form contains components of both worlds and occurs more often during psychological stress, but then accompanied by hypoglycemia, forcing the body to absorb sugar – and in such a way that it can be metabolized quickly.
Diseases with this symptom
- Diabetes mellitus
- Obesity
- Alcohol intoxication
- Liver disease
- Bulimia
- Worm diseases
- Hyperthyroidism
- Metabolic disorder
- Binge Eating
Diagnosis
Cravings can be recognized by the medical practitioner by the fact that the patient acts without real control over his behavior. The medical history is already enough to recognize that the affected person suffers from episodes of ravenous hunger and that this is not for the pure maintenance of the body substance. Attacks of ravenous hunger occur outside of regular mealtimes and sufferers often suffer psychologically from having let themselves get carried away. The exact diagnosis is made by physical examinations such as blood sampling and, if necessary, by talking to a psychologist. Often, in the case of cravings, a more extensive diagnosis must be made and the underlying disease determined. However, when pregnant women suffer from cravings, it does not require a separate diagnosis, the causes are clear and it is not problematic.
Complications
Cravings occur occasionally even in healthy people. Unless it becomes a permanent condition, it is not a problem. However, cravings can also indicate more serious physical and psychological problems. Initially, ravenous appetite can be caused by a number of organic disorders, but is often not recognized as a symptom and therefore not taken seriously. Metabolic disorders are a particular possibility, but hormonal problems are also conceivable. Since many people know occasional ravenous appetite as a sign of stress, they do not think in these cases that a visit to the doctor would be due. This thought is actually not entirely wrong, because at least as often there is also a mental problem behind frequent ravenous appetite, which is not recognized promptly. Not only unhealthy stress can be behind it, it can just as well be depression or an eating disorder. Particularly in the case of ravenous appetite for psychological reasons, those affected also do not like to admit to themselves that they have a problem, which is why untreated ravenous appetite can gradually make them overweight to obese. Obesity, in turn, is a very dangerous condition, because obesity can lead to secondary diseases such as hormonal imbalances, an increased risk of certain types of cancer or cardiovascular diseases.Recurrent cravings that continue over a long period of time should therefore always be presented to a doctor.
When should you see a doctor?
Cravings are by no means to be confused with usual severe hunger. People with ravenous hunger react to it with downright uncontrolled eating. This does not involve the need for increased food intake, as is normal, for example, after waiting for food for a long time or after physical exertion. If cravings are not a one-off episode, but occur regularly, medical clarification should be sought. Otherwise, massive weight problems will result. On top of that, there is a risk of other secondary diseases – for example cardiovascular diseases and even cancer. The occurrence of ravenous appetite can have both physical and psychological causes, as well as both in combination. The first point of contact for food cravings is the family doctor. Depending on the physical cause of the cravings, he may be able to treat them himself or refer the patient to an internist. For example, metabolic disorders such as diabetes mellitus can trigger ravenous hunger in the case of physical hypoglycemia. Often, ravenous appetite is also psychological and belongs in the treatment of a psychologist or psychotherapist. The typical cause keywords for psychologically induced cravings are anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, stress and depression.
Treatment and therapy
Physically induced cravings can be treated by getting rid of the underlying problem. Obesity patients are offered, for example, liposuction, stomach reduction or a similar surgical method to bring about success more quickly and relieve the body. Medications already administered may have to be readjusted to prevent cravings in the future. Treatment is more difficult in cases of psychological causes or mental illness, such as bulimia or binge eating. Those affected often do not even see that they are ill, and must first come to this realization before the psychiatrist can do anything. This requires hospitalization to prevent the sufferer from possibly dying. Simpler psychological causes are eliminated by suggesting better coping strategies than cravings, such as meditation, sports, or a hobby that is fun and relaxing. In the mixed form, the respective problems are treated individually so that the craving attacks come to an end.
Outlook and prognosis
Cravings come in the form of a food craving or relate to a single or a few specific foods or tastes over an extended period of time. If the craving is due to a nutrient deficiency, the craving will persist for a while even after dietary changes or supplementation. If the deficiency gradually recedes, the cravings will also improve. If, on the other hand, it has hormonal or drug-related causes, cravings will recur as long as the condition persists or the triggering drug is taken. It becomes even more permanent if it has psychological causes such as an eating disorder. In these cases, cravings can only be controlled by psychotherapeutic treatment and may recur throughout life, as in the case of binge eating disorder. The individual craving attack, when it occurs, usually relates to certain foods or tastes and can be satisfied, at least in the short term, by eating the food in question. However, since a healthy sense of appetite is no longer present in the case of ravenous hunger, the person affected no longer has a sense of how much they are eating and when they are full. This can lead to obesity in the long term if the lifestyle is characterized by little exercise and the cravings are not sporadic.
Prevention
Cravings can be prevented by calming down and making yourself happy in other ways when you are going through mental stress. Talking, exercising, working out, or other coping strategies are far more fulfilling than cravings – you’ll soon notice that yourself. Eating disorders can be prevented by eating sensibly in a very conscious way and rather trying to become athletic and slim instead of starved and skinny. The ideals of beauty in the media do not correspond to reality; you have to make yourself and especially young people aware of this again and again.
You can do it yourself
Various home remedies and measures help with cravings. A simple trick, for example, is to drink a glass of water before each meal and during acute cravings to fill the stomach. A banana, glucose and other foods with a high energy density also reduce hunger quickly and effectively. Chewing dried sage leaves also relieves cravings. A cup of mate tea relaxes the stomach and can thus help reduce cravings. In addition, food rich in glutamates should be avoided. The onset of hunger can also be alleviated by eating raw vegetables, sauerkraut or low-fat curd cheese. Attacks on sweets can be alleviated by brushing teeth, while cravings for salty foods can be reduced by eating seasoned peppers, cucumbers or carrots. Acutely, a glass of water with a dash of Maggi also helps against cravings. In addition to dietary measures, acupressure can often reduce cravings; effective points include those directly on the cheekbone under the eye or on the furrow between the nose and upper lip. If these home remedies and self-measures show no noticeable effect, the causes of the cravings must first be found and eliminated.
