Loss of Appetite: Causes, Treatment & Help

The loss of appetite, anorexia, or inappetence, which derives from the Latin, “the desire” means, are technical terms for a not normal appetite. The extreme form of appetite loss is anorexia nervosa, which can be considered a mental illness in its own right.

What is loss of appetite?

Loss of appetite can have many causes. The most common causes are an upset stomach, stress, and psychosomatic stress. Loss of appetite is not usually linked to a serious illness, but if it lasts for a long time or is psychological, it can quickly turn into a serious illness called anorexia nervosa or anorexia. This pathological loss of appetite is an eating disorder characterized by the patient’s (rarely the patient’s) refusal to maintain a healthy body weight due to a disturbed self-image and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. This is based on a cognitive misconception of one’s body, nutrition in general, and eating in particular. This form of appetite loss usually has a number of associated disorders, such as depression or personality disorders, and is one of the psychiatric disorders with the highest mortality rate. While the stereotyping persists that anorexia appetite loss exclusively affects young women of Western cultures, it is scientifically proven that this disorder can affect both women and men, of all ages, races, and socioeconomic or cultural groups. Loss of appetite is not genetic.

Signs and symptoms

Someone who suffers from loss of appetite exhibits numerous different symptoms. These can vary in their nature and severity, and affect the sufferer individually and to varying degrees. Anorexia nervose and the associated malnutrition can cause serious complications in the human organ system and is primarily reflected as follows:

  • Rapid and obvious dramatic weight loss.
  • Obsessive preoccupation with calorie and fat content of foods.
  • Scarring on the hand squeeze due to repeated contact with the teeth while permanently inducing the nausea
  • Swollen cheeks due to frequent vomiting.
  • Ulcers on the extremities due to susceptibility to cold and wet conditions (chilblains)
  • Skin damage (acne)
  • Excessive sports or physical activity
  • Depressed, sad mood
  • Rituals such as infinite crushing of food.
  • Avoidance of family, friends, and acquaintances (social withdrawal) due to loss of appetite at shared meals

Causes

In loss of appetite, the normal human appetite for food or hungry desire for food is greatly reduced. If food intake is severely restricted for a prolonged period of time, physical damage occurs that can lead to death from starvation. Usually, loss of appetite occurs with other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as with many other infectious diseases. However, emotional influences, such as the death of a family member, also cause appetite to drop sharply. Rather less frequently, loss of appetite occurs in tumors. The causes of pathological loss of appetite can also be of a physical nature, but can also be found in the social environment. For example, complications before and during birth may be the reason, a genetic predisposition or neurological dysregulation may be present, or circulatory disorders in the brain, autoimmune diseases or nutritional deficiencies such as zinc deficiency may be causative factors for anorexia nervosa (anorexia). However, sociocultural studies have also shown that other factors can be triggers for such anorexia nervosa, such as the beauty ideal of thinness propagated by the media, professional (pre)images such as models and dancers, or even developmental or behavioral disorders with autistic traits.

Diseases with this symptom

  • Flu
  • Gastrointestinal flu
  • Hepatitis
  • Colorectal cancer
  • Duodenal ulcer
  • Gastric ulcer
  • Stomach cancer
  • Gastric mucosa-

    inflammation (gastritis)

  • Irritable stomach
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Inflammatory bowel disease_(enteritis)
  • Peritonitis
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Sarcoidosis (Boeck’s disease)
  • Hand-foot-and-mouth disease

Complications

Closely related to the symptom of loss of appetite is primarily the complication of weight loss. If there is no feeling of hunger, the person also has no natural incentive to eat. If he eats nevertheless, this proceeds from “rituals” and social customs. However, in some diseases that are accompanied by loss of appetite, such “rituals” and customs are no longer implemented. This is especially the case with the mental illnesses that lead to loss of appetite. Especially then, the loss of appetite can lead to a sometimes rapid loss of weight. This weight loss follows here from the omission of eating. The complication of weight loss is quite serious, as it can have quite harmful effects on health. Weight loss occurs when the intake of energy is less than the demand for energy. It logically follows that the body is weakened. The necessary energy must be “fetched” from the body’s reserves. For this purpose, muscle and fat mass are reduced. If this happens to a greater extent, this circumstance weakens the body quite strongly. It is therefore important to eat in sufficient quantities despite the lack of appetite in order to meet the body’s energy requirements and thus prevent weight loss. In case of lack of food, the so-called starvation metabolism occurs after some time. Overall, a doctor should be consulted in any case of prolonged loss of appetite.

When should you go to the doctor?

Loss of appetite requires medical clarification if the complaints persist over a longer period of time and are accompanied by unwanted weight loss or other complaints such as nausea, vomiting or fatigue and weakness. If the lack of appetite persists for several days or weeks, there may be a serious physical or psychological cause, such as a tumor or a disease of the gastrointestinal tract, an anxiety disorder or depression – a visit to the doctor is recommended if the complaints do not subside within a period of one week and instead continue to increase in the course and lead to further problems. In children and the elderly, loss of appetite is a natural phenomenon that requires clarification by a doctor if it is accompanied by a decreased heartbeat, dehydration or general feelings of weakness and persists for several days without improvement of symptoms. In general, because of the many causes that loss of appetite can have and the direct impact on well-being and performance that malnutrition brings, a timely visit to the doctor is almost always advisable. Sufferers who have a history of anorexia or a general unwillingness to eat should consult a gastroenterologist. People with pre-existing conditions of the heart or immune system are also advised to have their symptoms clarified quickly.

Treatment and therapy

Pathological loss of appetite is diagnosed by an experienced specialist who must first rule out serious other diseases such as infections, hormone disorders, neurodegenerative diseases, tumors, or a whole range of other, psychiatric disorders that can cause the same or similar symptoms. A whole arsenal of diagnostic criteria is available for this purpose. Differentiation from other forms of eating disorders (such as bulimia) must also be ensured. Therapy for anorexia nervosa is based on the individual’s condition and the severity of the disorder and is aimed at three main areas: restoring a healthy minimum weight, treating the underlying or accompanying psychiatric disorder, and eliminating the obsessive thoughts that originally led to the disordered eating behavior or that repeatedly trigger the maintenance of the loss of appetite. Medical nutritional therapy with nutritional supplements of zinc, omega-3 fatty acids and other micronutrients, as well as education in the responsible use of one’s own body, form the basis.Medication-wise, the active ingredient olanzapine, an atypical neuroleptic, has been shown to increase body mass index and reduce obsessive thoughts. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluvoxamine is also used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder. Another pillar of therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy, which is evidence-based and promises good results for loss of appetite. The prognosis for anorexia nervosa (anorexia) is good and, if treated, is not chronic. The average duration of a period is just under two years. Complete remission is achieved in up to 90 percent of sufferers, and the relapse rate for psychologically induced loss of appetite is 30 percent.

Outlook and prognosis

A loss of appetite does not necessarily have to be treated by a doctor and is temporary in very many cases. It therefore does not persist for very long and often disappears on its own. The loss of appetite is usually related to some other event, such as stress or other psychological distress. As a result of the loss of appetite, the body always suffers a loss of weight. This is often not strongly noticeable to the affected person, but is noticed by outsiders. There are some remedies against the loss of appetite, which can be prescribed by the doctor. However, these should only be taken if there is no other way to eat enough food. Not infrequently, the lack of appetite also leads to anorexia and thus to a very poor physical and psychological condition. In such cases, a doctor must be consulted. Here, not only treatment with medication is necessary, but also therapy with a psychiatrist. However, often the loss of appetite is related to temporary stressful situations and disappears even after the trigger has disappeared. In most people, loss of appetite takes a positive course of illness and passes again on its own.

Prevention

Prophylactically, the individual can certainly do something against impending loss of appetite: it is important to observe fixed meals and not to constantly eat anything “in passing”, but to look forward to mealtime. Fast food should be avoided. It is important to value every meal, to take time to prepare fresh, varied food and to eat slowly. It can also be appetizing to go shopping with friends, then cook together and celebrate the meal extensively. Likewise, long walks and plenty of exercise in nature and fresh air help.

This is what you can do yourself

Lack of appetite can often be helped with home remedies and simple measures. First of all, it is recommended to increase the calorie requirement through sports or physical work. Between meals, healthy snacks, as well as mustard, help to stimulate appetite and digestion. Raw vegetables or sour cucumbers, as well as gentian also stimulate the gastrointestinal tract and guarantee a longer lasting feeling of satiety due to the vitamins they contain. Spices such as ginger or cinnamon are also considered to stimulate the appetite and should be taken together with meals, similar to hops or coriander tea. Those who feel no appetite due to a nervous stomach can get the digestive juices flowing with a tea made from yarrow or chamomile. In addition, general measures help: a change in eating habits, regular and smaller meals, and avoiding stress and physical overexertion. In addition, alcohol, cigarettes and other, often appetite-reducing stimulants should be avoided until normal appetite is restored. Other measures, such as a change or discontinuation of medication, should be discussed in advance with the family doctor or a nutritionist. A visit to the doctor is recommended if the loss of appetite persists despite the measures mentioned.

Home remedies and herbs for appetite loss.

  • For loss of appetite and lack of appetite and flatulence helps an infusion of anise.
  • Gentian helps with loss of appetite, indigestion and stomach disorders.