Decreased appetite - Causes, symptoms and treatment. MF.

Appetite is an emotional expression of a body's need and a person's desire for a certain food. Decreased appetite is a partial or complete refusal to eat.

In medicine, there are concepts, hunger and appetite. These are different things! The feeling of hunger is a reflex that occurs when there is no food in the body. It manifests itself through the excitation of hunger centers located both in the cerebral cortex and in the subcortical structures. A signal for the excitation of hunger centers is the decrease in the amount of glucose in the blood, as well as other nutrients. Signs of hunger is increased salivation, exacerbation of smell, pulling, sucking sensations under the "spoon"( under the tongue and in the projection of the stomach).Appetite, it is more, a selective manifestation of a feeling of hunger, arising through the preferences for certain products, depending on the time of day, emotional state, religious, and national habits.

Changing appetite can manifest itself:

Decreased overall appetite( do not want anything).

Changes in appetite( taste requirements for a group of products are violated).
Complete lack of appetite( anorexia).

Causes of absence or decrease in appetite

The following reasons for the absence or decrease in appetite can be identified.

1. Intoxication of the body as a result of inflammatory processes or poisonings. In this case, during the height of illness or poisoning, the body becomes not up to digesting food, all forces are thrown at the withdrawal of toxins and products of decay.

2. Painful sensations, discomfort, with exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

3. Endocrine disorders - with a decrease in the functions of the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, hypothalamus( subcortical structures of the brain).

4. Disorders in the metabolism in the body( especially with oncological conditions)

5. Neuropsychiatric disorders( neuroses, depressions).

When does the disease occur? Reduced appetite:

- Addison's disease( Bronze disease)
- Still's disease( Chronic polyarthritis in children)
- Still's disease - Schuffard( Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis)
- Typhoid
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease( Gastroesophageal reflux disease
- Dementia( Dementia)
- Depression
- Depression and stress on holidays
- Peptic ulcer( Gastric and duodenal ulcer)
- Cancer
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Schizoaffective
- Anorexia

Intoxication of the body as a result of inflammation or poisoning

To this reason, the decrease in appetite includes the onset and the height of acute respiratory viral diseases, influenza.

Chronic viral hepatitis during an exacerbation, kidney disease with manifestations of renal failure, intestinal infections in acute period, rheumatic diseases during exacerbations.(rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, vasculitis).Any external poisoning is also food toxins( spoiled, overdue food) and chemicals, especially surrogates of alcohol, carbon monoxide poisoning, drugs

During this period the body simply can not cope with the digestion of food. Do not force feed the patient in an acute period. We will only do harm, adding, as a result of incomplete digestion of food, toxins into the body. But the introduction of a liquid in a larger volume, under conditions of uncontaminated urination and lack of propensity to edema, will help the body to purify itself of toxins and degradation products formed during the period of the fight with the infectious agent. Here you can use any fruit drinks, especially good detoxify the cranberry, cranberry, currant. Appropriate for these purposes and low-mineralized alkaline mineral water and just boiled. As soon as the patient's body is free of toxins, appetite will recover.

In the diagnosis of these diseases, there is a great deal of importance for the anamnesis, was there contact with an infected person? Exclude the possibility of poisoning.

Possible studies and analyzes for this prospective cause of absence or decrease in appetite:

Complete blood test - allows to eliminate inflammatory diseases, CRP and rheumatoid factor are prescribed for suspected autoimmune inflammatory diseases( rheumatism).In cases of the probability of infectious enterocolitis( dysentery, salmonellosis, etc.) it is important to pass an analysis to bacteriological culture of the stool to identify the causative agent of the disease.

Pain sensations, discomfort, with exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.

If there are pains or dyspeptic phenomena( nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching, bitterness in the mouth), manifested with exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, there is a purely reflex fear of eating. These diseases include: esophagitis( inflammation of the esophagus), gastritis, peptic ulcer, duodenal ulcer, chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, chronic enteritis, colitis. Help with these diseases - frequent, small portions, sparing enveloping food. For example, cereals such as oatmeal, buckwheat, semolina, rice, with a minimum amount of salt, without adding spices, are prepared in the form of liquid cereals. Naturally, the diet should be accompanied by traditional medicinal therapy, prescribed courses. For the purpose of appropriate therapy, it is necessary to consult a doctor in the first manifestations of the symptoms of these diseases. As the exacerbation ceases, the appetite is restored. But you need to stick to a diet for a long time.

Possible studies and analyzes for this presumed reason of absence or decrease in appetite:

Complete blood test, liver tests( transaminases AST and ALT, GGTG, bilirubin, amylase, cholesterol, PTI) - allow to check the liver function, to exclude viral hepatitis will have to pass an analysison the markers of hepatitis B and C. It is possible to pass an ultrasound examination of the liver, gallbladder, pancreas for suspected liver and pancreas diseases. FGS( fibrogastroskopiya), a rather unpleasant procedure for examining the stomach through a fibrogastroscope introduced through the mouth( done solely on an empty stomach), is prescribed to exclude gastritis, gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer. If it is impossible to clarify the diagnosis by simple methods, computer or magnetic resonance imaging of internal organs is prescribed.

Endocrine disorders.

First of all, they include a decrease in the hormonal function of the thyroid gland. Hypothyroidism( myxidemia, Gall's disease) is characterized by a decrease in the general vitality.

Not only does the appetite decrease, but also arterial pressure, there is a rapid fatigue, drowsiness, speech retardation, all the symptoms in this disease occur gradually over a period of several years. Sometimes hypothyroidism has a secondary character and is associated with impaired functions of the pituitary and hypothalamus, which affects the function of the thyroid gland.

Possible studies and analyzes for this prospective reason for lack or loss of appetite:

Analysis for thyroid hormones - T3 and T4, as well as for TSH( thyroid-stimulating hormone), ultrasound of the thyroid gland. To exclude the diseases of the pituitary and hypothalamus, the appointment of a computer tomography of the brain is possible.

Infringements in a metabolism in an organism.

In this section, first of all, oncological diseases. Malignant neoplasms in any organ reorganize the metabolism in the body. As a result, even in the primary stages of the disease, there is a decrease in appetite or a violation of taste sensations. A very worrying sign in terms of oncological diseases is the refusal and intolerance of meat products( if the early treatment of meat was common).Surveys for suspicion of cancer are prescribed by a doctor in accordance with the clinical manifestations accompanying a change in appetite.

Neuropsychiatric disorders( neuroses, depressions).

Disorders in the psychoemotional realm - depression. One of the leading signs of the manifestation of this disease is a change in appetite both in the direction of decrease or total absence( occurs more often), and increase in appetite. The lack of appetite for depression has a slightly different manifestation than with other causes. Food seems sick tasteless, fresh, often even the smell of food or the mention of it is accompanied by a negative reaction, can cause nausea and even vomiting. Eating does not give pleasure, the sick eat only because you need to eat, sometimes you have to force the sick to eat. Deterioration of appetite in depression is accompanied by a sense of fast saturation, with small portions of food taken, a feeling of overfilling of the stomach, unpleasant severity, nausea. A special place among neuropsychiatric disorders is "nervous anorexia."

In most cases, young girls suffer from this disease. At the heart of the disease is a pathological desire to lose weight in any way, even at the initial normal or low body weight. In the process of refusing food, a strong aversion to it is formed, as a result of the change in the psyche, patients in a number of cases simply can not independently get out of this state. Requires an appeal to a therapist, and sometimes inpatient treatment. It is very important for the early diagnosis of this disease relatives' attention. In addition to refusing food, as a rule, exhausting physical exercises are possible, taking various means to lose weight, using enemas, causing an artificial emetic reflex after eating. And finally, conspicuous, significant weight loss.

The basis for diagnosing these diseases is attention from relatives or close people who are sick. In tactful form, the urge to seek help from a psychotherapist.

Features of decreased appetite in infants.

Lack of appetite in young children can be associated with teething, this happens in each child individually for a period of three months to three years.

There may also be a failure of food when a stomatitis occurs( an infectious disease of the oral cavity), expressed in the form of painful eruptions, ulcers on the mucosa of the inner surface of the mouth. Infectious disease of the ears in infants can also be the cause of a decrease in appetite, as the movement of the jaws when sucking or chewing can cause pain and, accordingly, a refusal of food. In most cases, the reason for poor appetite in a child is conscientious, forced feeding by parents. The problem is that children begin to be stubborn if they are forced and there is an aversion to food, with which they have unpleasant associations. In addition, there is another difficulty: the child's appetite changes almost every minute. For a while, the child may like mashed potatoes or a new porridge, but soon this food can disgust him. The reason is rapid growth and weight gain by the baby, especially in the first year of life and constant variability in the needs of certain nutrients. The task of the parents is not to make the child eat, but to work his own appetite. Every effort should be made not to talk to the child about food in the form of threats or rewards. Naturally, to exclude diseases that are manifested by the lack or loss of appetite, you should consult a pediatrician.

Increase of appetite with folk remedies

Herbs and dues used in parallel with traditional methods of treatment of diseases accompanied by a decrease or lack of appetite.

To increase appetite, the following preparations are used:

1 One teaspoon of chopped aire is poured into two glasses of hot water, boiled for ten to twenty minutes. It is taken two glasses, three times a day before meals. It is used to stimulate appetite in case of gastrointestinal diseases.
2 One teaspoon of wormwood bitter is poured in one glass of boiling water, it is insisted for thirty minutes. It is taken one tablespoon three times a day for 20 -30 minutes before meals.
3 Two teaspoons of chopped dandelion root are poured into one glass of cold water infused for eight to ten hours. It takes a quarter cup three to four times a day before meals for half an hour before meals.
4 Two teaspoons of raspberry berries pour a glass of boiling water and insist for 15-30 minutes. Take in warm form for half a cup of glass four times a day.
5 Half a tablespoon of blue cornflower flowers pour one cup of boiling water. It is taken half an hour before meals.
6 One teaspoon of mashed anise fruits is poured in one glass of boiled water, it is taken within half an hour to take half the glass half an hour before meals.
7 Half a teaspoon parsley seeds pour a glass of cold water, heat without boiling for thirty minutes, filter and take one tablespoon four five times a day.
8 One teaspoon inflorescences of clover meadow( red) brewed with a glass of boiling water insist five to ten minutes, filtered and take one tablespoon three to four times a day before meals for 15-30 minutes.
10 One tablespoon of clover inflorescences of meadow( red) is filled with one glass of vodka or diluted medical alcohol. Insists for ten or fifteen days. Take one teaspoon 15-30 minutes before meals.( Contraindicated in patients with alcoholism).

To increase appetite, you can use the techniques of acupressure.

Press the thumb and forefinger of the opposite hand on the dots near the nail of the little finger of the hand( the outer side faces of the little finger), periodically changing hands. Massage is done several times during the day before meals. Pressing on points with moderate strength, rhythmically, for twenty to thirty seconds.

To which doctors to consult if there is a decrease in appetite

Depending on the accompanying symptoms it is:

- Nutritionist
- Gastroenterologist
- Psychologist
- Neurologist
- Endocrinologist

Therapist Shutov AI I.