Do not rush to classify the first as strong-willed individuals, and call others weak-willed gluttons. Character and willpower have nothing to do with it.

Animal reactions

When they say that some people eat less when stressed, while others eat more than usual, the conclusion suggests itself: it means that they have different stress, says Dmitry Voedilov, psychologist. - During times of very strong stress associated with a danger to life, when a person is preparing for extreme shocks, severe pain, etc., the need for food fades into the background. The body, even if it is very hungry, switches to a more important task - “to save itself!” For example, it is useless to persuade a soldier to eat before a battle. Conversely, moderate stress, not associated with a threat to life, but constant, contributes to gluttony. Remember the phrase of one of the characters in the cartoon “Shrek 2”: “That’s it, you upset me. I’ll go eat two hamburgers.” Recently, some researchers asked the question: why are all sinners fat? Therefore, it turns out that they are in constant stress and are forced to eat to calm down.

Noticing that food really calms you down (the body remembers how good it felt after eating the cake), a person resorts to this method again and again, he adds. Andrey Konovalov, psychologist, psychotherapist. - And soon it becomes an obsessive habit: even in case of the slightest stress, a person pounces on food. In psychology this is called “positive consolidation.” The same thing is used when training animals: the dog fulfilled the command - here's some dry food or sugar. And the more a person is unaware of his actions under stress, the more inclined he is to reproduce these animal reactions.

Hormones and vitamins

In addition to mental ones, there are also “material” reasons that force you to eat or not eat. One of the main ones is hormonal imbalance in the body. During very strong sudden stress, a large dose of adrenaline is immediately released into the bloodstream - it suppresses appetite. But constant, exhausting stress causes the adrenal glands to increase the release of another hormone - cortisol. By the way, it can be measured using a simple saliva test. The more it is, the stronger a person’s desire to eat heavily.

Stress deals a crushing blow to the reserves of some vitamins and microelements.

When a person is nervous, vitamins B (contained in dairy and meat products) and C (black and red berries, sweet peppers, kiwi) are actively consumed, explains Tamara Popova, dietitian of the highest category, Central Research Institute of Gastroenterology. - The magnesium content decreases sharply, and an irresistible desire arises to eat foods that contain it, such as chocolate, nuts, dried fruits. Therefore, even people who are not prone to overeating in ordinary life sharply increase their consumption of sweets in difficult times. It is better to replace unhealthy snacks with healthier mini-snacks: grain or rye bread, crackers, spinach salad with crushed sunflower seeds. Stimulants such as tea and coffee are best avoided.

But it’s much more effective to deal with stress itself, and if it does happen, find relief not in food.

If you do not remove the irritant - the cause of stress, then no diet will help: the person will gain kilograms, says Dmitry Voedilov. - After all, due to prolonged extreme work, the brain will always need nourishment - glucose, which is provided by carbohydrates and sweets.

Physical exercise, massage, and a new interesting activity help to unwind. “Give yourself a goal: I will get out of stress in such and such a period,” says Andrei Konovalov, “and control the number of days remaining. Oddly enough, this technique works.”

17.03.2016

Appetite and its absence are not always associated with any diseases, especially if it is not accompanied by any additional negative symptoms. And in vain: after all, excessive or insufficient appetite can be an indicator of diseases of the gastric tract, endocrine system and other pathologies.

Rare changes in appetite occur during periods of hormonal surges - mainly in women during periods before menstruation or during pregnancy. If your appetite disappears suddenly and without objective reasons, and this condition continues for a long time, accompanied by sudden weight loss, you should consult a doctor to rule out serious illnesses: cancer, diabetes, etc. Perhaps the lack of appetite is caused by neuropathological ailments or digestive disorders. dysbacteriosis. The doctor will make an accurate diagnosis by conducting the necessary tests.

Poor appetite in a child can be caused by insufficient activity or lack of physical activity necessary for his age. If a child has always had a good appetite, but it suddenly disappears, there may be disruptions in the functioning of systems in the body.

So, the main serious reasons for lack of appetite:

• diabetes - can be accompanied by both an increase and a decrease in the desire to eat; the same changes in appetite occur during pregnancy.
• stomach cancer - characterized by selective appetite - certain foods are rejected, mainly meat, sometimes complete indifference to meals, anorexia appears.
• gastritis – the chronic form of gastritis is marked by a lack of appetite due to decreased activity of the pancreas.
• sitophobia – arises as a derivative of stomach diseases and is manifested by a conscious refusal to eat, due to fear of pain after eating, for example, this condition is typical for patients with stomach ulcers.
• other gastrointestinal problems - usually any problems with the stomach lead to a decrease in appetite of various types.

Appetite

Let's figure out what appetite is and why it is absent during illness. Appetite is translated as “craving or desire.” That is, we are talking about the pleasure brought to a person while eating food. If we rely on the medical interpretation of the concept of “appetite,” doctors attribute to it the physiological mechanisms that force people to meet their nutritional needs.

Appetite is a concept associated with the work of special parts of the brain. They are called food centers, the most active of which are located in the cortex and hypothalamus. Thus. The desire to eat is formed in the head.

Why does appetite occur?

The brain has a center responsible for food. Signals are received there about the amount of food consumed, the degree of its digestibility, and the consumption of reserves by burning energy. The signal about the desire to eat - appetite - appears ahead of the natural depletion of resources, and even a change in the usual diet will lead to the appearance of alarming “beacons”.

Reasons affecting appetite

• speed of metabolic processes in the body;
• the presence in the blood of substances necessary for existence;
• water balance;
• fat reserve;

Appetite occurs as a result of contraction of the walls of the empty stomach. Appetite also increases when conditioned reflexes to taste and smell are triggered. Visual stimuli in the form of a clock whose hands are approaching lunch time.

Suppression of appetite occurs during the period of eating food, when the walls of the stomach stretch, nutrients enter the blood, gradually changing the hormonal background. As a result, the brain receives a command about satiety. Satiety is felt no earlier than 15 minutes after the start of the meal. Therefore, in order to prevent overeating, you should spend at least 20 minutes at the table, chewing your food slowly and thoroughly.

Types of appetite

• willingness to eat any food – general;
• selective appetite, reflecting the need for one or another group of substances - proteins, fats or carbohydrates;
• psychological in nature - “eating” a bad mood, resentment, etc.

Appetite triggers the preparatory processes of food digestion - the secretion of saliva, the secretion of gastric juices, and if there is no appetite all the time, this indicates problems with the gastrointestinal tract or other body systems.

Sometimes there is no appetite due to psychological problems or mental disorders; a brain tumor can affect the desire to eat.

Appetite is stimulated by changes in sugar levels, especially a sharp increase in blood sugar. If you eat a dozen candies or drink half a liter of sweet soda, sugar can increase its content in the blood by 2-3 times, the body tries to quickly get rid of the excess, converting the latter into fat. At the same time, sugar again falls below normal, sending a signal to the food center about the need to eat to make up for the deficiency. Thus hunger arises again.

Mental disorders affecting appetite

Mental dyslexia unites all types of appetite disorders - both its unmotivated increase and its absence.

1. Hypo- and anorexia are respectively a decrease or complete absence of appetite.
2. Bulimia and hyperrexia - gluttony and pathological increase in appetite
3. Parorexia is perverted changes in appetite.

Appetite disorders should not be confused with pseudo-dyslexia. This is a state when a very hungry person literally eats with a voracious appetite, and someone who overate at a banquet in the evening does not feel hungry in the morning.

Bulimia and complete lack of appetite

Gluttony or bulimia is a serious disease characterized by uncontrollable appetite. At the same time, a person is not able to stop eating even after absorbing the required amount of food. Daily uncontrolled eating of large amounts of food disrupts the functioning of all systems of the body, which, unable to cope with excess sugar, protein and fat, processes everything into reserves, as a result, the work of the excretory system and liver is overloaded. Gluttony leads to obesity and diseases of internal organs. The walls of the stomach stretch, requiring more and more food each time. This problem needs urgent treatment. This condition can occur in a child, a teenager, and an adult.

Complete lack of appetite or anorexia is mainly observed in people on a strict diet. This is more of a psychological point - eat as little as possible or, in general, stop eating in order to become slimmer. The next stage is taking diuretics and laxatives. Gradually, the body becomes depleted, and the coordinated functioning of its organs is disrupted. It is necessary to recover from such a “hunger strike” in a hospital setting, and after that the person will have to undergo a long psychological rehabilitation.

Often stress at work, loss of loved ones, divorce, serious illness of parents lead to ignoring food and lack of appetite. Often people, on the contrary, “eat up” problems or difficult life situations.

In the case of anorexia, with a pathological desire to lose weight as much as possible, its reverse side manifests itself in bulimia. The mechanism is as follows: unable to withstand prolonged restrictions and refusal of food, breakdowns with overeating occur, after which patients induce vomiting and take laxatives, trying to remove foods from the body before they are absorbed. Anorexia-bulimia patients are difficult to treat because most do not view their condition as a disease. Firstly, they do not gain extra pounds, and secondly, trying to eat and get rid of food alone, they do not show off their habits.

Disturbances and changes in the habitual perception of food are an alarming symptom and require observation by a doctor. The following can help you deal with poor appetite:

• gastroenterologist;
• endocrinologist;
• nutritionist;
• psychotherapist.

Sometimes it is necessary to consult all four types of specialists to comprehensively solve the problem. First of all, you should make an appointment with your primary care physician. After an initial examination, he will refer you to the necessary specialist.

16 27 696 0

At first glance, it seems that stress and depression cause disturbances only in the nervous system. Any nervous disorder provokes a malfunction of all body systems, the autonomic nervous system.

• 55% lose their appetite and food seems less tasty.
• In 30%, emotional distress provokes functional intestinal and digestive disorders.
• For 10%, unpleasant thoughts about life’s problems distract them from eating.
• Less than 5% experience nausea or vomiting due to nervousness.

Lack of appetite can result in undesirable consequences due to stress, which already has a negative effect on the body.

What to do if a person has experienced a mental disorder and refuses to eat? We'll tell you in the article.

You will need:

Why there is no appetite during stress

1. Any disorder provokes nervous exhaustion, emotional overload, and fatigue.
2. When stressed, the autonomic nervous system, which controls the functioning of internal organs, suffers.
3. Neurosis and depression are a provoking factor of general tension, spasm of the gastrointestinal tract, which is manifested by loss of appetite and altered perception of the taste of food.
4. Being, metabolism and secretion of hormones changes.
5. Low levels of leptin and estrogen, sudden changes in cortisol due to stress are one of the main causes of nervous loss of appetite.

Negative thoughts and experiences completely fill thoughts, pushing into the background the need for regular food intake.

What could be the consequences?

Without treatment, the risk of rapid weight loss and nervous exhaustion is very high.

• A long-term lack of appetite can result in sleep disturbances and insomnia.
• A common complication of nervous weight loss in women is menstrual irregularities.
• In childhood and adolescence, there is a high risk of vitamin deficiency, a sharp decrease in immunity, impaired formation of the musculoskeletal system, and susceptibility to colds and viral diseases.
• A dangerous consequence of neurosis and depression is rapid weight loss to the point of exhaustion.
• Loss of appetite is accompanied by headache, severe drowsiness and weakness, muscle pain, arrhythmia, muscle spasms, and impaired intestinal motility.

For any nervous disorder, nutrition is an important factor in maintaining body functions.

How to recover from an eating disorder

Appetite regulates the function of the body's intake of nutrients, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The center of hunger and satiety is located in the hypothalamus. If your blood glucose level drops, it sends a signal to eat and increase your energy balance.

With an unbalanced diet and the habit of snacking on sweets, the body does not receive the required amount of nutrients.

You can recover from an eating disorder by following three simple rules:

1. You should eat at least three times a day.
2. In your diet you need to adhere to the formula of 50% carbohydrates, 25% proteins and 25% fats.
3. Consume sweets in small quantities (up to 100 g) as a snack between main meals, and never eat on an empty stomach.

Replenishing the lack of amino acids

The cause of poor sleep and appetite, fatigue and malaise may be a lack of amino acids. The amino acid tryptophan is essential for humans and is involved in the regulation of vitamin B3 synthesis and appetite. You can fill the deficiency with certain products:

• Soybeans and legumes, lentils, chickpeas, peas.
• Dairy products, yogurt, milk, fermented baked milk, kefir.
• All nuts contain tryptophan. It is enough to consume up to 50 g of almonds, walnuts, cashews, and hazelnuts per day.
• Mushrooms and dried fruits, dates, raisins, figs.
• Meat and fish, especially sea fish.

B vitamins

Essential vitamins in food:

• Walnuts contain sufficient amounts of vitamin B1, B5 and B6.
• Bananas are rich in vitamin C and B5-6.
• Almonds and cashews are a source of a whole complex of group B - B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9.
• Avocados and oats are rich in vitamins B1, B5 and B6.
• Spirulina, spinach, asparagus and pumpkin are rich in vitamins B12 and B6.

Foods rich in zinc

In the body, zinc takes part not only in the metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and enzymes, but also promotes sexual development, the functioning of the immune system and the functioning of the pancreas with the synthesis of insulin.

You can compensate for the lack of zinc with the following products:

• Barley and buckwheat groats;
• lean turkey, rabbit and duck meat;
• peas, beans and chickpeas;
• low-fat cheese and cottage cheese;
• pine nuts, peanuts.

Medicines to increase appetite

First of all, it is necessary to make sure of the cause of the eating disorder, since the methods of treating psycho-emotional disorders are extremely different from the treatment of somatic diseases.

Antidepressants

Restores appetite in anorexia nervosa syndrome, depression and neurosis.

Drugs with antiserotonin action

Indirectly affect appetite and improve psycho-emotional state.

Hepatoprotectors and restoratives

Regulate metabolism and increase tone.

L-carnitine

Participates in metabolic processes and restores the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, thereby regulating eating behavior and appetite.

The importance of diet

Regular nutrition not only enriches the body with essential nutrients, but also sets the rhythm of functioning of all digestive and metabolic organs. At the same time, it is important to eat regularly and in a balanced manner, observing the intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Four or five meals a day are optimal.

• Breakfast should be in the first 2 hours after waking up, in a ratio of 2:1 carbohydrate and
• The first snack can be between breakfast and lunch. Fruits, light salad, dairy products are suitable.

• Lunch should contain at least 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carbohydrates. The share of simple carbohydrates - flour and sweets - should be one third less than the amount of complex carbohydrates (porridge, cereals, legumes).
• The optimal second snack is protein products (eggs, cottage cheese), nuts, 1 fruit of your choice, vegetables in any form.
• Dinner should be light, mostly protein with enough vegetables and fiber. Carbohydrates before bed are not recommended.

Appetite stimulants - spices and seasonings

Some foods especially increase hunger and appetite, and can rightfully replace medications.

1. Marinades, pickles, canned and lightly salted cucumbers and tomatoes.
2. Herbal spices - basil, cilantro, dill, red paprika and chili.
3. Ground black and white pepper.
4. Horseradish, mustard, ginger and wasabi.
5. Fresh sour berries or fruit drinks from cranberries, lingonberries, lemon and pomegranate juice.

However, if you have a stomach disease, gastritis or peptic ulcer, it is prohibited to stimulate your appetite with peppery, salty and sour foods. This can provoke inflammation of the gastric mucosa and exacerbation of the underlying disease.

Frequently asked questions and answers

Why do you want to eat when you're stressed?

During constant, prolonged stress, the adrenal glands increase the release of the hormone cortisol. The more of this substance in a person’s body, the more he wants to eat. When a person is in a sudden stressful situation (life-threatening, severe pain), then a large concentration of another hormone is released into the plasma - adrenaline, which, on the contrary, suppresses the person’s appetite.

What to do during nervous hunger?

Rapid weight loss during nervous exhaustion is a bad sign and can lead to anorexia. To prevent this, you should reduce your normal portion, under no circumstances force food into yourself, but regularly eat light foods: soup, broth, fruits, vegetables. You can support the body with sedatives or antidepressants. Walking in the fresh air and sunlight - vitamin D - also help. After two to three months, your appetite should return.

Why do people lose weight due to nervousness?

During stress, the hormones adrenaline and norepinephrine are released into the blood. As a result, metabolism increases, and the composition of fatty acids, on the contrary, decreases. Norepinephrine is also responsible for blood pressure, which increases due to nervousness, causing systems in the body to work more actively, and therefore nutrients are consumed faster. As a result, the person loses weight.

What can cause loss of appetite?

Loss of appetite for the following reasons:
This may be the body’s reaction to nervous fatigue and stress, when more adrenaline enters the blood, thereby speeding up metabolism, so a person loses appetite and loses weight;
Appetite may decrease due to a decrease in the body's calorie needs due to old age, heat outside, or an insufficiently active lifestyle;
I also don’t want to eat when I have ARVI, flu, or other illnesses.

Weight loss with nervousness, why?

Severe shock or frequent stressful situations lead to greater calorie consumption by the body. Nervousness negatively affects metabolism. Stress causes gastrointestinal spasms, which interfere with normal digestion and reduce appetite. Therefore, a person does not feel like eating, any food causes a gag reflex and, thus, the person rapidly loses weight.

Is it possible to lose weight due to nervousness?

During nervous stress, the body is saved by the release of the hormones adrenaline and norepinephrine into the blood. All systems begin to function faster, more energy is consumed, and metabolism increases. Since the body is not accustomed to this pace of work, its digestive functions are disrupted, appetite decreases, and as a result the person loses weight.

What to do with anorexia due to nervousness?

Anorexia nervosa is defined by an obsession with losing weight and a refusal to eat. To treat the disease, the doctor determines a personal diet, taking into account the missing amount of nutrients. The patient is also prescribed medications that support the human body as a whole: vitamins, if the bones are fragile, hormones for amenorrhea, antidepressants. Psychologists work with the patient from the very beginning.

What to do if there is no appetite after surgery?

After the operation, the body uses up its energy and does not have enough strength to normalize the functioning of the digestive system, and metabolism is disrupted. Often a person loses his appetite after taking antibiotics, which are prescribed after surgery. These drugs disrupt the intestinal microflora. To restore the desire to eat, the doctor draws up a personal menu and diet for the patient. To stimulate appetite, various herbal decoctions are prescribed. Moderate physical activity and walks outside restore normal metabolism and restore appetite.

What is psychogenic loss of appetite?

Psychogenic loss of appetite is associated with human psychological problems that lead to the disease – anorexia. This disease is more common among young girls and teenagers who think they are too fat. Loss of appetite due to nervousness leads to excessive weight loss in a short time.

What to do if you feel sick due to nervousness?

A stressful situation forces the body to turn on all systems. The alarm signal is transmitted to the nerve endings, and the organs, in defense, try to get rid of the excess - hence the gag reflex. In general, when the stressful situation passes, then the malaise will pass. This will be helped by breathing exercises to calm the nervous system, and light physical exercise will force you to redirect hormones to muscle function. Taking sedatives and drinking herbal infusions will calm your nerves.

Why does increased appetite and drowsiness occur during stress?

Constant, prolonged stress causes the body to release the hormone cortisol into the plasma, which increases appetite. Drowsiness by nature occurs when the brain needs oxygen, but the body does not release it. Stress leads to spasms of muscles and blood vessels, which causes tension, and it does not allow blood to flow to the brain. Often in stressful situations, blood pressure decreases, which also causes sleep.

Conclusion

Conclusion

Loss of appetite may not be the only manifestation of emotional overstrain and stress. To prevent nervous exhaustion and anorexia during depression, you should not resort to methods of increasing appetite without the advice of a doctor. Nowadays, an experienced neuropsychiatrist can easily identify the causes of poor appetite and prescribe the most appropriate treatment and remedies that will not cause harm to the body.

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A healthy appetite is a sure sign of a properly functioning body. What to do if you have no appetite?

The main rule is not to ignore the “alarm bell” from your own body.

We need to understand the reasons and, of course, try to eliminate them as quickly as possible.

Let's talk about what may lie behind the reluctance to eat and what to do if there is no appetite.

Human appetite, reasons for its disturbance and ways to solve problems

Appetite in the general sense of the word is identified with the feeling of hunger: one of the basic reactions of the body, inherent in any living organism.

To live, you need to eat - and how and when to do this, the brain (or rather, its part called the hypothalamus) signals us with the help of a feeling of hunger.

The word appetite can also describe the eating habits of an individual person.

“He has a great appetite!” - the touching of grandmothers by the way their grandchildren wrap up homemade cutlets with mashed potatoes - this is just right here.

And finally, appetite can manifest itself as a particular desire to eat something special, following signals from the brain about the need for certain substances.

Find out what loss of appetite may indicate

Thus, appetite covers and satisfies three purposes of our nutrition:

1. Getting energy
2. Getting vitamins and minerals
3. Having fun

All of the above points are equally important for a healthy body.

The first and second are the key to physical well-being, but for the harmony of the mental state one cannot do without the third.

Decreased or loss of appetite (hypo- and anorexia, respectively) is a serious problem that can occur in a person of any age.

It is not always a cause for concern, but it is always a reason to “slow down,” listen to yourself and understand why the body decided that it doesn’t really need food.

Loss of appetite as an independent problem

Hypo- and anorexia are not always a sign of some kind of disorder in the body.

As a rule, this can be easily understood by the absence of accompanying symptoms.

Wrong lifestyle and bad habits will sooner or later make themselves felt

If all you experience is loss of appetite, the cause is most likely due to one of the following:

1. Unhealthy Lifestyle. Bad habits affect the normal functioning of internal organs and lead to a decrease and sometimes loss of appetite. A sedentary lifestyle also reduces our need for food, since virtually no energy is wasted. The solution is simple and complex at the same time - go in for sports, give up bad habits, and your appetite will normalize on its own.
2. Weather. Weather-sensitive people may experience a decrease in appetite during problem periods, but those who do not suffer too much from weather changes usually need less food during the hot summer months. At this time, the body's main task is to maintain normal water balance - you need to drink more fluid, and your appetite will return when the heat subsides.
3. Reaction to taking medications. Some medications have side effects that include a noticeable decrease in appetite. Never take pills without a doctor's prescription and read the instructions carefully.
4. Excessive enthusiasm for diets. When dieting, people often ignore the feeling of hunger or abuse the body in other ways - and all this undermines the very mechanisms for regulating the feeling of hunger, and it can simply turn off. Be sure to consult with a nutritionist, select diets that suit you and do not follow them for too long.
5. Stress, strong emotions, or burnout can also cause temporary loss of appetite. Losing your appetite for a day due to anxiety is normal, but make sure that such incidents do not become a habit. Take care of your psychological comfort, and your brain will respond to you with gratitude - and a good appetite.

To avoid developing anorexia due to these factors, learn how your body normally works.

This will take some time and require some discipline, but the result is worth it: knowing your standards, you can easily identify deviations from them, and it will become easier to notice the reasons.

Loss of appetite can also be caused by decreased physical activity and poor lifestyle choices.

Tip: keep notes not only about your physical condition, but also a “mood diary”. With its help, you can easily observe the dynamics of your own psychological state, and if problems arise, you can establish when and why they started.

In addition, the reasons for lack of appetite may be completely natural.

If an elderly person has no appetite, there is no need to immediately wonder what to do.

If a person is generally healthy, and the reluctance to eat is not accompanied by other symptoms, most likely this is just a manifestation of age. The older we get, the less energy the body requires.

Many parents begin to panic if their child has no appetite.

What to do in such situations? I like Dr. Komarovsky's advice: don't force children to eat.

A healthy child, having walked around and spent energy, must beg for food himself, and only then is it worth feeding him.

This works well at 2 years of age and up. What to do if a younger child has no appetite and cannot yet clearly communicate to his parents about his needs?

Stick to the correct feeding schedule, make sure your baby is full during meals, and discourage snacking - even if it gives you an hour or two of peace.

Don't force your child to eat

If loss of appetite is the main problem that worries you, it will be easy to solve.

First, use the tips already given above for each individual case: give up bad habits, try to improve your lifestyle and deal with the emotional sphere.

Diet variety: Sometimes loss of appetite is caused by monotony of food.

Eat more appetite-stimulating foods

Treat yourself to delicacies or try to dine in good company - perhaps the food will also seem more attractive during an interesting conversation.

Eat more foods that stimulate your appetite.

These include:

1. Citrus
2. Sour apple varieties
3. Grenades
4. Cranberry
5. Raspberries
6. Blackberry
7. Garlic
8. Pickled cabbage
9. Radish
10. Cheremsha

There are plenty to choose from. You can also supplement your diet with vitamin-rich freshly squeezed juices and just vitamins - but first you should definitely read about the rules of consumption and daily requirements.

Secondly, you can resort to folk remedies.

You can restore the lost feeling of hunger with healthy herbal decoctions. The corresponding preparations can be found in pharmacies, or you can prepare them yourself.

In older people, lack of appetite is often age-related

I want to tell you about my favorite lemon balm tincture, which is especially good if you have lost your appetite due to stress: it will calm frayed nerves, restore the desire to snack, and delight you with the taste.

To prepare, take two teaspoons of lemon balm herb, brew half a liter of boiling water, cover with something and leave to steep for four hours.

Half an hour before your planned meal, drink half a glass, sweetening it with honey if desired - you will notice the result very soon.

Loss of appetite as a symptom

Loss of appetite can sometimes indicate more serious problems.

Typically, such cases are easily identified by the presence of accompanying symptoms: if anorexia is a symptom of a serious problem, it will not come alone.

Wild garlic is considered an excellent means of combating poor appetite (and at the same time a storehouse of the first spring vitamins).

Let's look at the most common diseases, among the manifestations of which is loss of appetite:

1. The first on the list will be the common cold - and at the same time all kinds of acute respiratory viral infections and other infectious diseases. If you or your child has a fever, sniffles, cough or other cold and flu symptoms, and no appetite, do not worry about the question “what to do”: go to the therapist or call your family doctor at home. Don't worry - a lack of appetite with such illnesses is completely normal. The body’s forces are aimed at getting rid of the cause of the disease, the immune system works at full capacity, and there are simply no resources left for digestion. Do not try to eat or force feed the patient - when the illness passes, the appetite will return on its own.
2. If the lack of desire to eat is accompanied by intense nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, you are most likely poisoned. Intoxication, regardless of what caused it, is a very serious problem: do not wait until it “goes away on its own” and call an ambulance.
3. Diseases of the digestive system itself and the internal organs of the abdominal cavity can cause a complete loss of appetite. Abdominal pain is usually an accompanying symptom. Here it is also important not to neglect the problem and go to a gastroenterologist on time.
4. Interruptions in the functioning of the endocrine system. This requires attentiveness to yourself, since other symptoms can easily be attributed to stress, fatigue and many other factors. In order not to miss the onset of problems with the endocrine system, regularly undergo a medical examination and take blood tests - in particular, at least once a year for thyroid hormones.
5. Depression, problems in the nervous system, mental disorders. In this case, you need to look for emotional rather than physical symptoms. Constantly low mood, indifference to everything, or, conversely, periods of increased activity and euphoria, accompanied by loss of appetite, may be evidence of serious nervous disorders. Don’t be afraid to go to a specialized specialist for advice.
6. And finally, the most unpleasant option is oncology, which can be suspected if you have no appetite, feel sick (especially in the morning) and feel dizzy, and have chronic weakness. In this case, loss of appetite can be either general or related to individual foods that you previously enjoyed eating. What to do is obvious - immediately contact a specialist.

Advice: If you are unsure about one or more symptoms, visit your GP or consult your family doctor. He will help you figure it out and refer you to a specialized doctor.

Try a simple and delicious decoction of lemon balm and honey.

What to do if your pet refuses to eat

The people were dealt with; Now let's talk about those cases when you noted the disappearance of your pet's appetite.

It’s easy to understand that a cat or dog has no appetite: the bowl sits untouched all day, and the pet often also behaves unusually, demonstrating lethargy or unusual activity. What to do?

Of course, first of all, don’t worry.

Remember, an animal is like a small child; it cannot say what hurts or worries you, but it perfectly senses the mood of its owners.

You won’t help him in any way with your worries, but you may well aggravate the problem. So - calm and only calm!

The only thing you can do at home if your cat or dog has no appetite is to make sure that you offer your pet suitable food.

If your pet stops looking at food with interest, take him to the veterinarian

Sometimes our four-legged friends understand long before us that some product is spoiled and refuse to eat it; This can also be a reaction to a new, unusual food or even a new taste.

For example, my cat ignored rabbit-flavored canned food for days on end, although she ate all other products from this manufacturer with a bang. Everything is individual.

There can be many reasons why pets refuse food, and just like people, they range from harmless to quite dangerous.

If you have established that the reason for the lack of interest in food does not lie in the food itself, then there can only be one answer to the question “what to do”: urgently take your pet to the veterinarian!

Explain to him that the cat/dog has no appetite, tell him how long this has been going on and what you have already done.

After examining the animal, the doctor will determine the cause and prescribe appropriate treatment.

Animals are like little children

Advice: do not try to diagnose your pet yourself!

I would only like to wish that there is nothing serious behind the interruptions in appetite, and that the problems are solved quickly and effectively.

Be healthy!

At the same time, he has food preferences, but no aversion to certain types of food. And portions that give a feeling of fullness weigh at least 300 grams. If at least one of these points is violated, the person is considered to have a decreased appetite.

Why did I lose my appetite?

The most trivial reasons for lack of appetite are the following.

Hot weather. At elevated temperatures, there is often a lack of appetite. The reasons are simple: when food is digested, heat is released, and the body thus tries to protect itself from overheating.

Insufficient fluid intake. Digesting food and eliminating waste (nutrient breakdown products) requires a lot of fluid. If there is little fluid intake, the body may not be able to cope with the load, and intoxication will occur. Therefore, it is easier for the body to refuse food than to cope with such consequences.

Low physical activity. With low physical activity, a person expends little energy and does not require additional calories. Therefore, poor appetite in this case is the absolute norm.

Lack of fresh air. If you sit cooped up all day and breathe house fumes, hypoxia (or lack of oxygen) will inevitably occur. This pathological condition disrupts the normal course of all processes in the body, and the digestion process is no exception. The consequence is reduced or completely absent appetite.

Taking certain medications. Before you start taking any medication, even one prescribed by a doctor, you should definitely read the list of possible side effects. Decreased appetite is the most common side effect.

Initial stage of pregnancy. Usually, from the 6th week of pregnancy, various appetite disorders begin to appear, including its complete absence. This is normal if it is not accompanied by debilitating vomiting.

When all obvious reasons are excluded

4 main reasons for lack of appetite

A good appetite has always been considered a sign of good health. The correct operation of the mechanism responsible for satisfying the need for nutrients and obtaining pleasure from it indicates that the body functions without any special deviations. However, human appetite is a variable quantity. It depends on the nutritional culture instilled in childhood, taste preferences (which can change more than once during life), weather, mood and many other factors. Therefore, periodic loss of appetite is normal. A complete lack of interest in food, especially when it lasts long enough, can be a sign of serious health problems.

Intoxication of the body

Appetite is regulated by a special food center located in the brain. When toxins enter the body, the functioning of this structure is temporarily blocked, since the main work of all systems at that moment is aimed at trying to get rid of dangerous substances. Intoxication can be caused by:

• food poisoning;
• overdose of nicotine or alcohol;
• exposure to chemical compounds contained in household chemicals, cosmetics or perfumes, as well as paint used in the production of fabrics, and other harmful components contained in objects with which a person has frequent direct contact;
• carbon monoxide poisoning;
• use of medications;
• acute infection (flu, ARVI, hepatitis, etc.).

As a rule, after toxic substances are removed from the body, appetite returns.

Digestive diseases

Patients suffering from pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract often experience unpleasant symptoms of dyspepsia: abdominal pain, belching, flatulence, nausea. In such cases, the loss of appetite is associated with a reflexive fear of eating.

Of course, such patients should not eat at all: this will only aggravate the painful condition. The way out is a special diet that excludes spicy, salty, sour foods, fried and smoked foods, fast food and canned food. Food should be semi-liquid and have an enveloping effect (for example, slimy porridges and purees are useful).

Hormonal imbalances

Fluctuations in hormonal levels greatly affect appetite. This is especially noticeable during pregnancy, when serious changes in a woman’s body can lead to very specific nutritional needs and changes in taste preferences.

Pathological abnormalities in the functioning of the endocrine glands usually cause a decrease in appetite. This process is characterized by gradualness: for example, with a decrease in the function of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), the desire to consume food decreases or disappears completely over a long period, in parallel with a general loss of body tone, the development of fatigue, the appearance of drowsiness, tearfulness and other signs of the disease.

Nervous disorders

Decreased appetite may also be due to psychogenic reasons. So, with depression, food stops giving a person pleasure; Often even the smell of food causes nausea. At the same time, patients complain of a feeling of fullness in the stomach and too rapid saturation. People who are severely depressed sometimes have to be force-fed.

One of the most common psycho-emotional disorders, characterized by a lack of appetite, is anorexia. For young women suffering from an inferiority complex and dissatisfied with their bodies, the desire to lose weight at any cost leads first to following unreasonably strict diets, artificial emptying of the stomach from absorbed food, and then to an absolute rejection of any food. This is a severe neuropsychic disorder that must be treated by specialists; it often requires hospitalization.

In all cases of prolonged lack of interest in food, you should consult your doctor. If no pathologies are detected in a person, but a persistent decrease in appetite threatens his health, the desire to eat can be increased through moderate exercise (for example, swimming) and walking. In some situations, taking decoctions and tinctures of medicinal herbs helps: wormwood, centaury, calamus, mint, elecampane, trifoliate, fenugreek, barberry. Medicinal teas made from strawberry, black currant and raspberry leaves are also useful.

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Education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov, specialty "General Medicine".

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A good appetite has always been considered a sign of health and normal functioning of the body. The feeling of hunger is a natural phenomenon that signals that a person needs to “recharge” and restore lost energy. Accordingly, a lack of interest in food may indicate a number of diseases or problems in the functioning of internal organs. What does lack of appetite mean in adults, and in what cases should you consult a doctor?

No appetite: reasons for an adult

What is a healthy appetite?

A signal that the body needs to replenish its reserves of proteins, carbohydrates and other substances is formed in the brain. It is transmitted through neural endings to the digestive organs, as a result of which the secretion of gastric juice is activated, the level of insulin in the blood increases, and the person feels a feeling of hunger.

The mechanisms of our appetite

Lack of appetite indicates disruptions in this process - these could be diseases of the digestive tract, hormonal disorders, oncology and much more.

Causes of loss of appetite may be caused by gastrointestinal diseases

The reasons for loss of interest in food are divided into pathological, that is, those that are the result of malfunctions in the body, and non-pathological - they do not pose a threat to health and do not require medical intervention.

Non-pathological causes of decreased appetite

Non-pathological causes can be distinguished from health-threatening conditions by a number of signs. In this case, there is no appetite for 3-5 days (maximum a week), after which the body’s functioning returns to normal on its own. Such episodes are repeated no more than once a month, do not cause serious weight loss and are not accompanied by nausea, weakness, fever and other symptoms. Such reasons include the impact of external factors on the body and some changes in its functioning, which can be corrected without medical intervention.

1. Accommodations. Lack of appetite can be observed in certain conditions - for example, during very hot weather or a sharp change in climatic zones.

In hot weather, most people have a decreased appetite

Chronic fatigue and lack of appetite

Lack of appetite due to stress

Dietary disorders

In pregnant women, lack of appetite may be caused by toxicosis

A decrease in appetite is often observed in older people, which can also be considered a variant of the norm - in adulthood, metabolic and digestive processes in the body slow down.

Pathological causes of lack of appetite

The reasons for loss of interest in food, which are associated with various diseases, pose a serious health hazard. Vitamins, microelements and nutrients stop entering the body, which over time can lead to general exhaustion and even death. These include:

• infectious diseases and exacerbations of chronic ailments;
• disruptions of the endocrine system (especially those associated with pancreatic dysfunction);
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;

In this case, loss of appetite is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, etc. If these symptoms develop, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, as this condition can have serious consequences.

Of particular concern should be cases when a person becomes sick from one type of food, or begins to experience an aversion to once favorite foods (for example, meat dishes) - this phenomenon often accompanies cancer.

If you feel sick from eating, you need to seriously think about your health

What to do if you lose your appetite?

If the lack of appetite is not accompanied by additional symptoms, you can try to restore it by following simple rules. If you have an aversion to food, you should not force your body - it is better to eat when you want, in small portions, but at the same time it is advisable to organize your food intake and eat at approximately the same time. Dishes should be tasty, healthy and beautifully presented - so that interest in food is awakened by just one look.

Garnish dishes with fresh herbs

In addition, if your appetite decreases, you should drink as much water as possible to prevent dehydration, walk in the fresh air more often, engage in physical activity and get proper rest. It is recommended to take vitamin complexes, especially those containing vitamin B12 and ascorbic acid.

Vitamins B and PP

Vitamins C, E, D, K

What should the menu consist of for loss of appetite in adults? The key rule is that the diet should be balanced and contain all the microelements and nutrients necessary for health. In addition, there are a number of products that help increase appetite - primarily herbs, spices, hot and salty foods, as well as marinades. True, it is categorically not recommended to abuse them - in large quantities, such food can cause digestive disorders, gastritis and even ulcers.

Spices improve appetite, but you shouldn’t overuse them

You should also not eat a lot of fatty and heavy foods - after eating you should feel full, not heavy and full in the stomach.

Do not overindulge in foods that are difficult for the stomach.

Before eating, you can drink a gram of dry red wine or other light alcohol with a bitter aftertaste - aperitifs in reasonable quantities contribute to a good appetite.

Mild alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, the purpose of which is to slightly quench thirst and stimulate appetite. Snacks are served with them

Classic Venetian aperitif

Foods that help improve appetite include:

• black radish juice - take a tablespoon for several days, washed down with a spoon of clean water;

The rule for such treatment is as follows: from potent remedies (horseradish, mustard, onion, radish), you need to choose one, and use it for no more than 20 days in a row.

Medicines to increase appetite

Medicines that increase appetite should be used only in extreme cases after consultation with a doctor. Each of them has a number of contraindications and side effects, and if used incorrectly and in dosage, they can cause serious harm to the body.

For neuroses and psycho-emotional disorders associated with loss of appetite, patients are recommended to take antidepressants and sedatives in combination with psychotherapy and other treatment methods. The most common drugs include Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine, Cipramil, Paxil, but their prescription and dosage calculation must be made by a doctor.

Video - “Elkar”

How to improve appetite using folk remedies?

To increase appetite, you can use folk remedies that are no less effective than medications, but do not harm the body.

1. Coriander. The fruits and seeds of the plant contain essential oils that have antispasmodic and antiseptic effects, and also have a beneficial effect on digestive processes. They can be added as a seasoning to dishes, or to prepare medicine. Steam a tablespoon of raw material with a glass of boiling water, leave covered for 10 minutes, then strain and drink half a glass 2-3 times after meals.

Any means to improve appetite can be used only in cases where the underlying cause of the disease is known - without appropriate therapy, loss of appetite will become chronic, and the body’s condition may worsen significantly.

Video - What to do if you have no appetite

Decreased or lack of appetite (anorexia): causes and treatment

What is appetite

Appetite is an emotional expression of a person’s preference for food of a certain quality (desire for a certain food). Appetite is subjectively different from the feeling of hunger. The occurrence of a feeling of hunger is based on the body’s general need for nutrients and is usually experienced as an unpleasant state.

Causes of decreased or lack of appetite

Appetite arises on the basis of nutritional need associated with ideas about future food intake, and includes pleasant emotional sensations that usually accompany the intake of a particular food. Appetite is formed as a result of stimulation of certain parts of the central nervous system (including the hunger center in the hypothalamus) and is accompanied by conditioned reflex salivation and the secretion of digestive juices, increased peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, thereby preparing the digestive organs for food intake.

Appetite has a connection with the physiological needs of the body, as, for example, in the case of a craving for salty food after the body has lost significant amounts of salt. But such a connection is by no means always traced; appetite often reflects an innate or acquired individual tendency to certain foods.

Thus, preference, like aversion (often very persistent) to some other types of food, is determined by the availability of a given variant in a particular region and is modified by special features of individual culture, usually rooted in religion, although subsequently, perhaps, rationalized. In light of this, the “appetizing” of a dish, the main elements of which include smell, taste, consistency, temperature, method of preparation and serving, strongly depends on our affective (emotional) attitude towards it.

Under the influence of strong external stimuli, for example, a particularly tempting and plentiful choice of food, almost everyone from time to time eats more than they need to replenish their energy reserves. This means that the biological mechanisms for regulating food consumption are overcome. Overeating, in principle, is compensated by subsequent dietary restriction, but in modern society not everyone resorts to restriction. Decreased appetite may be associated with overwork, a nervous environment at work and at home.

Pronounced selectivity of appetite is often observed in women during pregnancy and in patients. Changes in appetite can accompany various diseases. It should also be noted that nutrition plays an important role in behavioral disorders. They can be accompanied by both excess food consumption and food refusal. A striking example is anorexia nervosa - a form of abstinence from food, most common in girls during adolescence; this disorder of mental development can be so profound that it leads to death from exhaustion.

Anorexia

The term "anorexia" means a lack of appetite in the presence of a physiological need for nutrition. This is a common symptom of a disorder in the gastrointestinal tract or endocrine system. It is also typical for severe mental disorders.

Possible causes of anorexia

This symptom is observed with anxiety, chronic pain, poor oral hygiene, increased body temperature due to heat or fever, and changes in tastes that often accompany adulthood or aging.

Anorexia can result from taking or overusing certain medications. Short-term anorexia practically does not threaten the patient’s health. However, with prolonged anorexia, the body's resistance decreases and its susceptibility to various diseases increases. Chronic anorexia can result in life-threatening exhaustion.

In young children, anorexia develops more often due to force feeding or violation of complementary feeding rules.

Endocrine system disorders

• Adenocortical hypofunction. In this disorder, anorexia develops slowly and sluggishly, causing gradual weight loss.
• Hypopituitarism (insufficiency of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus). In this case, anorexia also develops slowly. Associated symptoms vary depending on the extent of the disease and the number and type of hormones missing.
• Myxedema. Anorexia is usually a sign of a lack of thyroid hormones.
• Ketoacidosis. Anorexia usually develops slowly, accompanied by inflammation and dry skin, fruity breath, decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, abdominal pain and nausea.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

• Appendicitis. Anorexia is accompanied by general or local abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
• Cirrhosis of the liver. Anorexia develops in the early stages and may be accompanied by weakness, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, and dull pain in the abdomen. Anorexia continues beyond these early signs, which include drowsiness, slow speech, severe itching, bleeding, dry skin, enlarged liver, jaundice, leg swelling, and pain in the right upper quadrant. Chronic anorexia in Crohn's disease leads to significant weight loss.
• Gastritis. In the case of acute gastritis, anorexia develops suddenly, and in chronic gastritis - gradually.
• Hepatitis. With viral hepatitis, anorexia develops at the initial stage of the disease and is accompanied by fatigue, malaise, headache, pain in the joints and throat, photophobia, cough, rhinitis, nausea and vomiting, and enlarged liver. Anorexia can also occur in subsequent stages, leading to weight loss accompanied by dark urine, jaundice, pain in the right hypochondrium, and possibly irritability and severe itching. With non-viral hepatitis, anorexia and its accompanying symptoms are the same as with viral hepatitis, but may vary depending on the cause of hepatitis and the degree of liver damage.

Diseases of the genitourinary system

• Chronic renal failure. Usually accompanied by chronic anorexia and, very importantly, changes in all body functions.

Other diseases

• Pernicious anemia. In this disease, concomitant anorexia can lead to significant weight loss.
• Cancer. Chronic anorexia is observed along with possible weight loss, weakness, apathy and general exhaustion.

Mental disorders

• Alcoholism. Usually accompanied by chronic anorexia, ultimately leading to exhaustion.
• Anorexia neurosis. Gradually developing chronic anorexia leads to life-threatening exhaustion, skeletal muscle atrophy, loss of adipose tissue, constipation, amenorrhea, dry skin, sleep disturbances, changes in appearance, shortness of breath and decreased sex drive. Paradoxically, the person at the same time retains increased excitability and tone, and actively engages in physical exercise.
• Depressive syndrome. In this case, anorexia is observed along with shortness of breath, inability to concentrate, indecision, delirium, insomnia, frequent mood swings and gradual social degradation.

Medicines and procedures

Anorexia develops as a result of the use of amphetamine, as well as other psychostimulants, including caffeine. Chemotherapy drugs, sympathomimetics (for example, ephedrine) and some antibiotics. Anorexia may also indicate intoxication (poisoning caused by the effect on the body of toxic substances that have entered it from the outside or formed in the body itself). Anorexia can be caused by radiation therapy, possibly due to metabolic disturbances. An increase in blood glucose levels as a result of intravenous infusion of solutions can also lead to anorexia.

Treatment of anorexia

In case of sudden weight loss, hospital treatment is necessary, since there is a real threat to life from exhaustion and severe metabolic and endocrine disorders. It is necessary to prescribe fractional meals 6-7 times a day in small portions under the supervision of staff, the introduction of a variety of dishes into the diet, and for infants - normalization of complementary feeding.

Prescribe vitamins, small doses of insulin and drugs to increase appetite. For severe exhaustion, multivitamins and hormones are indicated. For the neurotic nature of anorexia, tranquilizers, small doses of antipsychotics, educational psychotherapy about the dangers of fasting, the consequences of the disease with a reorientation of values, and in some cases hypnosis are indicated.

For the treatment of anorectic syndrome in schizophrenia, neuroleptics are of great importance. Drugs and their dosages are selected individually, taking into account tolerability and severity of the condition. In special cases, artificial nutrition is used with the introduction of nutrient solutions into a vein.

Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa occupies a special place. This is a pathological condition that manifests itself in the conscious restriction of food in order to lose weight. Occurs in adolescents 15 years of age and older, more often in girls. An obsessive idea of ​​being overweight and the need to lose weight appears.

To achieve this goal, patients limit themselves to food up to complete refusal of food, use intense physical exercise, walking or running long distances, and take large doses of laxatives and diuretics. If it is impossible to endure prolonged fasting, patients eat, even overeat, but induce artificial vomiting.

At first, the appetite is not impaired, at times there is a feeling of hunger, and in connection with this, periodic overeating. Weight drops quickly, mental disorders appear; mood swings from “bad to good” (from one extreme to another), an obsessive desire to look at oneself in the mirror, etc.

Anorexia nervosa is very closely related to another pathology - dysmorphomania (this is a deeper disorder, of a psychotic level, when a painful conviction in the presence of an imaginary physical defect acquires an overvalued or delusional character, i.e., cannot be corrected and is accompanied by a lack of criticism from the patient). The painful conviction of being too fat leads patients to the idea of ​​getting rid of this deficiency.

This belief can arise on real grounds, that is, in the presence of a certain excess weight, as a rule, psychogenically (offensive remarks addressed to the patient - “thick as a barrel”, “fat”, “you need to eat less”, etc.). In other cases, obesity is imaginary, and the thought of losing weight is overvalued or delusional, and the condition itself is the initial stage in the development of schizophrenia.

At first, patients very carefully hide from their parents both the motives of their behavior and their methods of losing weight. They try to feed their portion of food to the dog, hide the food and then throw it away, quietly transfer the food to other people’s plates. They try to stick to the lowest calorie diets. Even after achieving significant weight loss, they are not satisfied with it.

They stubbornly continue to lose weight using other methods (enemas, laxatives, exhausting physical activity). After 1.5-2 years, the disease loses from 20 to 50% of its previous body weight and looks extremely emaciated. The most typical manifestation of anorexia nervosa is amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), which occurs either immediately or after a period of scanty, infrequent menstruation. Such patients, at the insistence of their parents, turn to gynecologists, not knowing about the true cause of menstrual irregularities.

Only proper nutrition and weight gain to a certain critical mass (usually kg) will help you get rid of this. For such patients, a typical desire is to overfeed other family members: mother, younger brothers and sisters. They take great pleasure in watching others eat and gain weight (just as a recovered alcoholic takes pleasure in getting others drunk and watching them get drunk).

Decreased appetite in adults: possible causes and diagnosis

Doctors understand a decrease in appetite as a partial or complete refusal to eat. This happens for various reasons, including serious illnesses and, in the absence of qualified assistance, leads to serious consequences.

General information

note! When hunger occurs, a person does not have the desire to eat only certain foods. He eats everything.

Appetite is a special manifestation of the feeling of hunger, in which individual favorite foods are selected. It is influenced by the time of day, emotional state, nationality of a person, religion, and finally.

Decreased appetite refers to a state when a person does not want anything. There is a concept of a change in appetite when the usual taste needs are disrupted. Doctors also diagnose a complete lack of appetite, leading to anorexia.

Causes of decreased appetite

A decrease in appetite is usually preceded by:

• Pregnancy.

Important! Quite harmless habits can also cause a dulling of appetite, namely: abuse of chocolate, coffee, and powerful energy drinks.

• Typhoid fever.
• Dementia.
• Schizoaffective disorder.

Associated symptoms

Note! Lack of desire to eat for several hours is not a reason for frustration. This happens when, during a previous meal, a person eats a dish that is too high in calories. In other words, at such moments the body is provided with energy for a longer period of time.

The absence of hunger for 5 - 8 hours makes you think. By the time they expire, the blood glucose level will probably decrease, and the person will feel a loss of strength and weakness. After satiation, the stomach full of food will stretch, the glucose concentration will increase and a signal will be sent to the brain to stop saturation.

Diagnostics

What to do if you lose your appetite

If diseases that could cause loss of appetite are identified, therapy is prescribed to eliminate them. At the same time, doctors recommend adjusting the schedule and portions of food intake. In other words, they advise eating 5 to 6 small meals a day. The last meal should be 4 hours before bedtime. You should spend about 30 minutes per meal, chewing the pieces slowly.

Snacks should be avoided. Sweets should be replaced with fruits, sauces and marinades with spices, as they stimulate the appetite. For some patients, doctors prescribe vitamin B and zinc, which enhance the sense of smell. It is also important to maintain a drinking regime, especially when playing sports.

Note! Nausea during this period is relieved with Promethazine and other similar drugs. To improve the functioning of the thyroid gland, hormone substitutes are prescribed. Dementia is treated with high-calorie nutritional mixtures, inflammation with antibiotics.

A healthy appetite is considered to be nothing more than a clear sign of excellent health, general well-being and mood. The term " appetite" comes from the word " ", which translated from Latin means " pursuit" or " wish" Appetite is a sensation that is directly related to the body's need for food. Plus, it is also a physiological mechanism that regulates the intake of various nutrients into the body. Unfortunately, not everyone has a good appetite, which directly indicates a malfunction in a particular organism. Given this fact, this problem should be taken extremely seriously. Do not under any circumstances leave this fact without due attention. Right now we will tell you about the reasons loss of appetite, and about methods by which the current situation can be corrected.

Appetite - what is it?

Appetite is a rather polysemantic concept that is directly related to the functioning of a number of brain structures called the food center. This center is located mainly in the hypothalamus and cerebral hemispheres. Let us immediately note that both the presence and absence of appetite are determined by a number of very diverse factors.

Their list includes:

• quantity and quality of food;
• nutritional conditions;
• speed of food absorption;
• the amount of water contained in body tissues;
• level of fat reserve.

While eating, the appetite gradually dulls. This is not surprising, since eaten food stretches the walls of the stomach, after which they are digested. The breakdown products are then absorbed by the body, in turn causing a feeling of fullness.

Types of disorders

Modern experts distinguish 2 types of appetite:
1. general or “I want to eat!”: in this case, a person does not care what to eat;
2. specialized forms: in this case, a person wants to eat something specific, which indicates a lack of some substance in his body. The body may experience a lack of both fats and carbohydrates, minerals, proteins or vitamins.

Any appetite disorders are often referred to by one single term, namely dyslexia . There are certain subgroups of this pathological condition.
These include:

• hyporexia: deterioration or poor appetite;
• anorexia: complete lack of appetite;
• hyperrexia: pathological increase in desire to eat;
• bulimia: uncontrollable gluttony;
• parorexia: various kinds of perversions of appetite.

Causes of disorders

The list of reasons that can lead to loss of appetite is huge.
Here are the most common ones:

• dementia ( dementia caused by disease or damage to the brain);
• heart failure;
• bronchial asthma;
• hypothyroidism ( a condition characterized by a long-term and persistent lack of thyroid hormones);
• chronic liver pathologies;
• lack of zinc in the body;
• hepatitis;
• appendicitis;
• ulcerative colitis;
• pregnancy period;
• anxiety states;
• nervous disorders;
• tuberculosis;
• chronic renal failure;
• талассемия ( blood pathology that occurs as a result of genetically determined insufficient or completely absent synthesis of hemoglobin by the body);
• Crohn's disease ( recurrent chronic disease affecting various parts of the digestive tract);
• acute viral hepatitis;
• a course of drug therapy, including chemotherapy drugs, morphine, codeine or antibiotics;
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
• drug use, including heroin, amphetamine and cocaine;
• cancer of the stomach, colon, blood, lung, pancreas, or ovary;
• hypervitaminosis ( excessive amounts of vitamin D in the body);
• kidney inflammation;
• influenza condition;
• pneumonia.

Some bad habits can also significantly worsen your appetite. So, for example, it is not recommended to consume either sweets or soft drinks between meals. Often appetite worsens against the background of anorexia ( loss of hunger associated with a neurological disease, hormonal dysfunction or malignancy).

How dangerous is this?

Poor appetite is a rather dangerous phenomenon. The whole point is that the food we eat is, in a way, the connecting link between our body and the external environment. In addition, food has numerous functions, namely energy, bioregulatory, plastic, protective and many others. It is thanks to these functions that the body manages to both synthesize and build new cells. In addition, food provides the body with the necessary amount of energy, takes an integral part in the formation of hormones and enzymes, improves the functioning of all organs and systems, and also significantly increases the body’s resistance to various pathological conditions.

Food products have another important function, namely signaling and motivation. It is with its help that the appetite is stimulated. Experts say that the feeling of hunger occurs at times when there is a decrease in the level of nutritional components in the blood. Simply put, appetite controls the intake of the required amount of vitamins, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals, and fats into the body. It follows that poor appetite can cause nutritional imbalance ( ratio of food components).

What are the consequences of prolonged lack of appetite?

If a person does not want to eat for several weeks, this can lead, first of all, to exhaustion of the entire body, which is due to a lack of nutritional components that are so necessary for the normal functioning of all its organs and systems. Often the consequences are determined by the very cause that provoked the deterioration of appetite. So, for example, people suffering from diabetes may experience malfunctions of both the nervous system and the kidneys, liver or eyes. If the patient has cancer, prolonged lack of appetite can lead to his death.

Other consequences include:

• decreased brain activity;
• vitamin deficiencies;
• excessive fatigue;
• dizziness;
• drowsiness;
• weakness;
• disorders in the musculoskeletal system.

Loss of appetite during pregnancy

A fairly large number of pregnant women notice that in the first months of gestation they lose all desire to eat. It is important to remember that it is in the first 3 months that the formation of both internal organs and fetal systems occurs, so high-quality nutrition during this period is simply necessary. Only food can enrich the baby’s body with all the necessary vitamins and microelements. Loss of appetite in the first months of pregnancy is most often caused by a lack of vitamin in the body AT 9 , i.e. folic acid, as well as iron. These microelements are considered essential for the body of both the expectant mother and her child. Eating large amounts of buckwheat and apples will help enrich the body with these components. Folic acid can also be purchased at the pharmacy in tablet form. It should be taken strictly as prescribed by the doctor, so as not to make a mistake in the dosage. Most often, patients are prescribed from 400 to 800 mcg of this drug per day.

If you experience loss of appetite during pregnancy, experts recommend using the following tips:

• Walk outdoors as often as possible. After such walks, you will certainly want to eat;
• Make a meal schedule for yourself and strictly follow it;
• buy new dishes that you will like. It is best to opt for red dishes. It's no secret that the color red helps stimulate appetite;
• the table should be set beautifully so that it is pleasant to sit at;
• try not to eat alone. It is best to find yourself a company among whom you will enjoy sitting at the dinner table.

Loss of appetite in infants

When a newborn stops eating, young mothers are very worried about this. This is not surprising, since babies cannot yet say what the true reason for their refusal to eat is. Don't panic ahead of time. First of all, a baby may refuse to eat due to the onset of a cold. Often such young children refuse to eat because of the stress that they had to endure.
The thing is that even the most ordinary change of environment can become a very stressful situation for them. You shouldn’t assume that the little ones don’t understand anything at all. They are particularly sensitive to changes in both climate and their environment. In such cases, try to pay as much attention to the baby as possible. You should only visit a specialist if the loss of appetite is accompanied by a significant decrease in overall body weight.

Loss of appetite in children

Babies' eating habits change all the time. Sometimes the child eats more, sometimes he refuses to eat at all, throughout the entire day, and sometimes for several days. In most cases, children refuse to eat when they do not feel hungry or do not feel well. Fatigue can also cause a child to refuse to eat. They often eat sandwiches all day instead of eating three full meals. Children also have their own preferences regarding how food is prepared and presented to them. So, for example, they eat raw carrots with pleasure, but they simply cannot be forced to eat steamed carrots.

Possible causes of decreased appetite in a child

One of the most common reasons is the onset of a cold or any other pathology. In such cases, there is no need to force the baby to eat. It is best to carefully monitor exactly how he behaves. It is quite possible that within a few hours he will complain of pain in some part of the body, or you will notice he has a fever or a rash. Sick children should be given as much fluid as possible in the form of juices, tea, water or broths. All food should be easily digested. The body doesn’t need any extra stress right now. As soon as the child recovers, his appetite will immediately return.

Children often refuse to eat because they consume a certain amount of sweets. These can be cookies, carbonated drinks, candies or juices. All of these foods tend to suppress appetite. If lunch is not ready yet, and the child asks for something to eat, then instead of sweets, offer him a few vegetable sticks for a snack.

Emotional stress is another fairly common cause of loss of appetite. In such cases, the most important thing is to find an approach to the child. Calm him down, caress him and, together, help the baby get rid of the problem that has arisen. If you can’t do anything with your own efforts, then show your baby to a specialist who will definitely help you.

Factors influencing the baby's appetite

1. The intensity of hormone synthesis: the child grows unevenly. So, for example, in children under one year old, as well as in adolescents, a very large amount of both sex hormones and hormones of the parathyroid and thyroid glands is observed. This is not surprising, since it is during these periods of life that the child grows and develops especially quickly. Given this fact, his appetite, as a rule, increases;
2. Seasonal patterns: since in winter the body produces much less hormones, the child eats less, but in the summer the opposite happens;
3. Individual characteristics of metabolic processes: Many of you have probably noticed more than once how two well-nourished children have different body weights, i.e. one of them is getting better, but the other is not. In this case, a special role is given to the amount of food not eaten, but absorbed;
4. Level of energy costs: Regular consumption of food allows you to enrich the body with both all the necessary nutrients and lost energy. It's no secret that children are especially mobile, therefore, day after day, their body loses a fairly large amount of energy. The more energy they expend, the better they eat.

Diagnostic methods

To identify the true cause of poor appetite, the patient is most often referred for a number of examinations. Diagnostic methods used in such cases include:

• HIV test;
• Assessment of kidney function;
• Assessment of liver function;
• Barium enema ( x-ray analysis of the colon);
• Blood analysis;
• Analysis of urine;
• Pregnancy test;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
• Test for SЃРєРѕСЂРѕСЃС‚СЊ оседания эритроцитов;
• Study of the thyroid gland;
• Colonoscopy ( visual inspection of the lower digestive tract from the inside);
• Sigmoidoscopy ( examination of the sigmoid colon).

The last two studies are carried out only if a specialist suspects the presence of cancer. In some cases, it cannot be done without the help of a psychotherapist.

Treatment methods for loss of appetite

The course of treatment for loss of normal appetite is determined, first of all, by the cause that led to the development of this condition. If some pathological condition is to blame, then appetite returns immediately after it is cured. Appetite itself is restored during pregnancy, so expectant mothers most often do not need special treatment. If a person stops eating normally due to nausea, then there is no way to do without special medications. In most cases, such patients are prescribed promethazine or ondansetron.

Surgery is performed for patients whose appetite loss is caused by appendicitis. If a person suffers from dementia, then the course of treatment involves the use of special high-calorie nutritional mixtures. In extremely severe cases, artificial nutrition is prescribed directly through the gastrostomy tube.

Deterioration in appetite caused by a decrease in the total amount of thyroid hormones is treated with special medications that tend to replace the missing hormones. If appetite worsens due to an infectious disease, then antibiotic drugs cannot be avoided. And finally, for cancer, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or surgery are performed.

Tips for those who have lost a good appetite

1. Forget about breakfast in bed and snacks in the bedroom or nursery;
2. Strictly follow a specific meal schedule, and do this in designated areas;
3. When sitting at the dinner table, do not rush in any way. Meals should last from 20 to 30 minutes;
4. In between meals, drink as much liquid as possible in the form of coffee, unsweetened tea or mineral water without gases;
5. Reduce your consumption of both chocolate and many other sweets to a minimum;
6. Regularly drink cabbage juice, which is an excellent appetite stimulant;
7. Eat meat broths or broths as often as possible;
8. Various sauces also help improve appetite, so add them to any dishes;
9. Learn the concept of normal and never overeat;
10. You need to eat often, but in small portions;
11. Carefully review the medications you are taking;
12. Exercise regularly;
13. Eat only those foods that suit your taste.

Medicinal plants

1. Recipe No. 1: take 20 gr. centaury herb, pour 1 cup of boiling water over it and leave for a quarter of an hour. Then we filter the infusion and take it 2 - 3 tbsp. l. 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals. From the same plant you can prepare a special tincture, which should be taken 40 drops three times a day. Both remedies will help both improve appetite and restore normal digestion;

2. Recipe No. 2: mix 1 part calamus roots with 2 parts wormwood, put everything in a bottle and fill it with good vodka. After 10 days, filter the tincture and use it for oral administration, 25 drops three times a day, a quarter of an hour before meals;

3. Recipe No. 3: Yellow gentian also perfectly increases appetite. Take 20 gr. root of this plant, grind it thoroughly, fill it with vodka and leave to infuse. Then we filter the tincture and take it 1 glass 3 times a day. Before use, the required dosage should be diluted with a small amount of water;

4. Recipe No. 4: 1 tsp. Add crushed parsnip roots to 400 ml of water and let simmer for 10 minutes. Then we leave the broth to infuse for another 30 minutes, filter it and take it according to the following scheme: 1st week - 0.25 cups 3 times a day a quarter of an hour before meals; 2nd week - three quarters of a glass immediately before meals;

5. Recipe No. 5: pour 200 ml of boiling water 2 tbsp. l. chopped lemon balm herb. After 4 hours, filter the infusion and take it orally, half a glass, four times a day before meals. Every day we prepare a new infusion;

6. Recipe No. 6: you need to take 1 tsp. anise fruits and pour 200 ml of hot boiled water over them. After 60 minutes, filter the infusion and use it for oral administration, half a glass 2 times a day, 30 minutes before meals;

7. Recipe No. 7: steam 1 tbsp. l. blue cornflower flowers in 2 cups of boiling water. As soon as the infusion is infused, filter it and take it in 3 doses 30 minutes before meals;

8. Recipe No. 8: take 4 tsp. raspberry fruits and pour 400 ml of boiling water over them. After 3 – 4 hours, the infusion is ready for use. It is recommended to take half a glass four times a day. It is very important to use it exclusively warm;

9. Recipe No. 9: carefully chop the rhizomes of calamus, then 1 tsp. pour the resulting raw material with 2 glasses of boiled water and boil over low heat for 15 minutes. All this time the pan must be covered with a lid. Then we filter the broth, add a little sugar to it and take half a glass orally 3 times a day before meals. This remedy is especially effective if appetite has worsened due to the development of some gastrointestinal disease;

10. Recipe No. 10: grind 2 tsp. dandelion roots and pour the raw material with 1 glass of boiled water, after cooling it. After 8 hours, filter the infusion and use it for oral administration, one quarter of a glass four times a day. Using this product will improve the digestion process, and, consequently, restore appetite.

Herbal infusions

1. Collection No. 1: mix 1 part of wormwood herb and dandelion herb with half a part of yarrow herb and the same amount of white willow bark. 1 tbsp. l. pour the resulting mixture with 1.5 cups of hot boiled water and leave to steep for 30 - 40 minutes. After this, filter the infusion and take it orally, half a glass three times a day, 10 minutes before meals;

2. Collection No. 2: take 20 grams. herb centaury and leaves of fragrant rue, 10 gr. leaves of sage and the same amount of roots of angelica. To prepare this product, pour 3 cups of boiling water into 3 tbsp. l. received fee. After 30 minutes, filter the infusion and take 1 glass three times a day. It is very important that this infusion is taken before meals;

3. Collection No. 3: Let us immediately note that it can be given even to children. Mix 15 ml of burdock tincture, anise seeds, vegetable glycerin, chamomile root and ginger, then place the resulting mass in a dark, cool place. Before each use, the product must be shaken thoroughly. It is recommended to take it 1 tsp. before each meal;

4. Collection No. 4: it can also be given to a child. Take 7 mg each of sassafras, sarsaparilla, and chamomile roots and mix it all with 1 tbsp. l. grated ginger root and 400 ml boiling water. Place the resulting product on the fire and boil it for a quarter of an hour. Then strain the broth, add a little honey to it and take 1 tsp. before eating.

General information

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of hunger and appetite. Hunger is a reflex that occurs if the body does not receive food at a certain time. The mechanism of its development is as follows: the level of glucose in the blood decreases, after which a signal is sent to the hunger centers. At this moment, a person may feel increased salivation, a heightened sense of smell, and a tugging sensation in the pit of the stomach. This area is a projection of the stomach, therefore it always makes a person aware of the feeling of hunger.

note! When hunger occurs, a person does not have the desire to eat only certain foods. He eats everything.

Appetite is a special manifestation of the feeling of hunger, in which individual favorite foods are selected. It is influenced by the time of day, emotional state, nationality of a person, religion, and finally.

Decreased appetite refers to a state when a person does not want anything.. There is a concept of a change in appetite when the usual taste needs are disrupted. Doctors also diagnose a complete lack of appetite, leading to anorexia.

Causes of decreased appetite

A decrease in appetite is usually preceded by:

• Intoxication of the body due to inflammation or poisoning. Due to the fact that at such moments he spends all his energy on removing toxins, digestion of food fades into the background.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which are accompanied by pain and discomfort.
• Malfunctions of the endocrine system organs due to diabetes mellitus, hormonal imbalance.
• Oncology (stomach, colon or blood cancer).
• Autoimmune diseases (scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis).
• Depression, neuroses, neuropsychic disorders.
• Side effects after taking painkillers - morphine, ephedrine.
• Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.
• Pregnancy.
• Excess fatty foods in the diet.
• Metabolic disorders due to poor nutrition.
• Adaptation of the body during physical activity to which it is subjected for the first time.
• Low mobility and sedentary work.
• Individual lactose intolerance, celiac disease.
• Bad habits – smoking, alcohol, drugs.

Important!Quite harmless habits can also cause a dulling of appetite, namely: abuse of chocolate, coffee, and powerful energy drinks..

It should be noted that there are diseases in which a person also loses the desire to eat.

This is about:

• Bronze disease, or Addison's disease, is an endocrine disease associated with adrenal dysfunction.
• Still-Chauffer disease is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
• Typhoid fever.
• Dementia.
• Gastroesophageal reflux - when the contents of the stomach are thrown back into the esophagus.
• Stomach and duodenal ulcers.
• Schizoaffective disorder.

Associated symptoms

There is an opinion that a good appetite is a sign of health. Due to the fact that during the day the feeling of hunger and appetite replace each other, a person saturates his body, while remaining at the same weight. This is a kind of balance that ensures normal functioning.

If this balance is disrupted for psychological or other reasons, appetite may disappear. Sometimes the feeling of hunger disappears along with it.

Note! Lack of desire to eat for several hours is not a reason for frustration. This happens when, during a previous meal, a person eats a dish that is too high in calories. In other words, at such moments the body is provided with energy for a longer period of time.

The absence of hunger for 5 - 8 hours makes you think. By the time they expire, the blood glucose level will probably decrease, and the person will feel a loss of strength and weakness. After satiation, the stomach full of food will stretch, the glucose concentration will increase and a signal will be sent to the brain to stop saturation.

It is interesting that scientists have established: a person subconsciously chooses those products that his body needs at a given time. Athletes prefer to eat salty foods after training to replenish salt loss due to sweat.

Diagnostics

If your appetite decreases, you should consult a doctor. He will prescribe a full examination of the body, including:

What to do if you lose your appetite

If diseases that could cause loss of appetite are identified, therapy is prescribed to eliminate them. At the same time, doctors recommend adjusting the schedule and portions of food intake. In other words, they advise eating 5 to 6 small meals a day. The last meal should be 4 hours before bedtime. You should spend about 30 minutes per meal, chewing the pieces slowly.

Snacks should be avoided. Sweets should be replaced with fruits, sauces and marinades with spices, as they stimulate the appetite. For some patients, doctors prescribe vitamin B and zinc, which enhance the sense of smell. It is also important to maintain a drinking regime, especially when playing sports.

Note! Nausea during this period is relieved with Promethazine and other similar drugs. To improve the functioning of the thyroid gland, hormone substitutes are prescribed. Dementia is treated with high-calorie nutritional mixtures, inflammation with antibiotics.

Health problems can unsettle you for a long time. Even if unpleasant symptoms occur only periodically, they still interfere with normal life, spoil overall health and impair performance. The most common ailments include disorders of the digestive tract. They can develop completely unexpectedly, in response to dietary errors or poor lifestyle choices. Let us clarify why loss of appetite, nausea, and weight loss occur.

Loss of appetite, weight loss

Appetite may worsen or decrease due to the influence of many factors. Sometimes this symptom is explained by intoxication of the body caused by inflammatory processes or poisoning. During the height of the disease or poisoning, the body does not have the strength to digest food; it devotes all its energy to eliminating toxins and a variety of decay products.

Appetite often disappears during an exacerbation of ailments of the digestive tract, which are accompanied by pain and general discomfort.
Sometimes this disorder is explained by endocrine disorders - decreased activity of the thyroid gland, decreased activity of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus.

In addition, appetite may deteriorate due to metabolic disorders, including those that have developed against the background of cancer.
Another alarming symptomatology is sometimes explained by neuropsychic disorders (neuroses, depression, etc.).

If you notice that your usual relationship with food has been disrupted - your appetite has decreased or disappeared, or your taste preferences have changed dramatically, be sure to consult a doctor - therapist, psychotherapist, nutritionist, gastroenterologist and endocrinologist.
If there is no appetite for a long time, weight loss is the least evil that awaits such a person.

Nausea, weight loss

Nausea is a rather unpleasant symptom that can be described as the appearance of a painful sensation in the epigastric area or throat. This sensation may lead to vomiting. There are quite a few factors that can cause such a violation. It is clear that in such a state you do not want to eat. If this condition drags on, the person will begin to lose weight.

Thus, nausea can develop in patients with gastritis or peptic ulcer. In this case, it appears soon after a meal, the patient is also bothered by heaviness in the stomach, heartburn and burning.

Sometimes such poor health is explained by the consumption of medications, for example, antibiotics, antiviral drugs or vitamins, etc.
Feelings of nausea may occur in people who have suffered a concussion. In such a situation, the patient is also worried about dizziness, and the nausea itself is constant.

An unpleasant painful sensation in the epigastrium is a classic disturbance in the well-being of pregnant women in the first three months of bearing a child. This symptom is usually considered normal and goes away on its own.

Sometimes nausea is a serious manifestation of meningitis. In such a situation, it is accompanied by fever, photophobia, a feeling of pressure in the back of the head, etc.

If, with nausea, you are also bothered by bitterness in your mouth, distension in the stomach area, pain in the right hypochondrium, most likely you are faced with gallbladder disease.

Quite often, such an unpleasant feeling of well-being is explained by the development of acute pancreatitis or an exacerbation of the chronic form of this disease. In this case, nausea develops soon after eating, accompanied by pain in the right hypochondrium and noticeable bloating.

If nausea occurs in combination with pain near the navel or in the right side, such a disorder may indicate the development of appendicitis.

Among other things, this condition also occurs during poisoning. With such a lesion, nausea develops two to three hours after consuming insufficiently high-quality food. It can be accompanied by vomiting, stool upset, and even an increase in temperature. In this condition, there is no appetite, nausea and vomiting stop only after gastric lavage.

This condition is also possible if you inhale paint fumes. Usually, nausea is then accompanied by a headache.

Nausea also sometimes becomes a manifestation of inflammatory kidney damage. In such a situation, it is usually accompanied by an increase in temperature and ongoing pain in the lower back.

If systematic nausea occurs, you must definitely consult a gastroenterologist.

Weight loss

Weight loss can occur due to external or internal factors.

It can be caused by dietary restrictions caused by:

Impaired consciousness (TBI and stroke);
- swallowing disorders (tumor lesions, narrowing of the esophagus or larynx);
- loss of appetite (anorexia nervosa and intoxication), etc.

Sudden weight loss can be explained by digestive disorders:

Impaired digestion of proteins and fats (atrophic gastritis, gastrointestinal ulcers, pancreatitis, hepatitis, cirrhosis of the liver);

Impaired absorption of nutrients (celiac disease, enteritis, colitis).

In some cases, weight loss occurs due to metabolic disorders, when destruction processes prevail over synthesis processes. A similar situation can occur with severe injuries, burns, cancer, endocrine pathologies and connective tissue diseases.

If a person has nausea, loss of appetite, or weight loss of an unexplained nature, the first thing to do is consult a physician. You may also need to consult an endocrinologist, oncologist, gastroenterologist, psychologist and infectious disease specialist.

Sometimes it happens that appetite disappears, and the sight of food provokes disgust and nausea. Such symptoms are a signal that the body needs help. Lack of appetite and nausea can be caused by overeating or chronic fatigue, as well as serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Such manifestations can also occur due to nervousness. It is important to understand what caused the pathology and how to eliminate it.

Causes of symptoms

Through food, the body is saturated with energy, protective functions are strengthened, new cells are produced, enzymes and hormones are formed.

Normal appetite is a signal from the body that it needs to replenish nutrients. When hunger occurs, the concentration of glucose decreases, and if appetite does not appear, a nutritional imbalance occurs and a deficiency of elements occurs.

When there is a deficiency of vital substances: proteins, microelements, vitamins, the functioning of the human body is disrupted.

Decreased appetite and nausea indicate a delay in the absorption of nutrients. If symptoms do not disappear within 24 hours, you should consult a general practitioner, who, if necessary, will refer you to a gastroenterologist.

If lack of appetite and nausea accompany a person for a long time, this may be a signal of anorexia. Without treatment, this disease is fraught with muscle atrophy and disruption of the entire body.

Non-pathological

Conventionally, the causes are divided into two broad groups: pathological and non-pathological.

If the manifestations last no more than four days, go away on their own, occur rarely, and are not accompanied by sudden weight loss, vomiting, changes in stool, or loss of consciousness, this indicates non-pathological causes:

1. Chronic fatigue. A busy work schedule, insufficient sleep, rest - all this is accompanied by a loss of strength and fatigue. Lack of proper rest affects the central nervous system and brain. It gives the wrong commands to the body, resulting in loss of appetite, malaise, and nausea.
2. Prolonged fasting. The constant struggle with excess weight, eating food in minimal quantities, cutting back on the diet, and refusing to eat animal products can trigger the appearance of the disorder. When food does not enter the stomach for a long time, the accumulated bile irritates the mucous membrane, which leads to a feeling of nausea. Refusal to eat is accompanied by decreased performance and weakness.
3. Binge eating. It often happens that during the day there is no opportunity to eat, and in the evening it is quite difficult to keep hunger under control. A late, hearty meal leads to a deterioration in well-being. Nausea may be accompanied by vomiting, headache, and general malaise.
4. Pre and post menstrual syndrome, menstruation. Sharp changes in the level of female hormones provoke malaise.

In addition, appetite may disappear, and nausea may appear due to:

• stress;
• violations of the regime;
• unbalanced diet;
• overwork;
• inappropriate use of medications;
• smoking, alcohol abuse.

Pathological

Sometimes a set of symptoms signals serious malfunctions in the body. A doctor can identify the exact cause, conduct an examination and prescribe treatment. If nausea and loss of appetite due to non-pathological reasons go away on their own after adjusting the lifestyle, diet or proper rest, then it is not so easy to get rid of the malaise that appears as a result of the disease. You will need medical attention and comprehensive treatment.

Nausea and lack of appetite can provoke:

1. Diseases of an infectious or viral nature. Usually, when you are sick, you don’t feel like eating. With the active production of leukocyte cells, the body directs its forces precisely to this process, so that a person quickly gets rid of unpleasant symptoms. Decreasing appetite is a justified measure. Due to the excessive concentration of toxic substances, malaise and nausea appear, which can only be eliminated by maintaining a normal water balance.
2. Chemotherapy of cancer. Due to such treatment, failures occur in all systems, including the gastrointestinal tract. Appetite worsens, fatigue, malaise, nausea, and vomiting appear.
3. Pathologies of the cardiovascular system. People suffering from hypertension often experience similar symptoms.
4. Intoxication. Active reproduction of pathogenic microorganisms often causes nausea and loss of appetite.
5. Mental disorders, depression. Such conditions are characterized by indifference to everything, malaise, and loss of appetite.
6. Chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, gastroduodenitis.
7. Dysbacteriosis. The pathology is characterized by an imbalance of microflora involved in digestion. Slow food processing and deterioration in well-being are caused by limited supply of nutrients.
8. Diseases of the endocrine system. Due to insufficient production of hormones, deterioration of health and malaise may occur.
9. Diabetes. When the disease occurs, metabolic processes and glucose absorption are disrupted. This may cause nausea and loss of appetite.
10. Neurosis. Mental disorders characterized by excessive irritability, decreased appetite, nausea, and malaise.
11. Anorexia. Serious mental illness, life-threatening. Prolonged refusal to eat leads to disgust and nausea.

Do not delay treatment of the disease. The treatment regimen, course duration, and medications are selected by the doctor depending on the disease, its severity, and the patient’s age.

When to see a doctor

People rarely seek help from a doctor when their health worsens. Many people prefer to get rid of the disorder on their own.

It’s one thing if the malaise occurs due to overeating and the condition quickly normalizes without medication. It’s another matter when the pathology is caused by disturbances in the functioning of the body. In this case, you cannot do without the help of a doctor and treatment.

Situations requiring specialist help:

1. when the pathological condition does not go away within five or more days;
2. if nausea increases after waking up, vomiting;
3. when additional symptoms appear: pain in the chest, back, presyncope, loss of consciousness;
4. when vomiting blood.

What to do if you have no appetite

Treatment of the pathology will vary depending on the cause. If you feel unwell due to lack of sleep or fatigue, it is enough to rest to normalize your well-being. If the unpleasant condition is caused by a disease, you need to consult a doctor and undergo treatment.

Let's look at how you can normalize your appetite and get rid of nausea on your own.

1. During pregnancy, adjustments to your diet should be made. Do not overeat, eat more foods of plant origin, exclude fatty, smoked, spicy foods.
2. Stop the medication, replace it with an analogue if you feel that you are starting to feel sick after taking it.
3. If the cause of the illness is a viral or infectious disease, in addition to taking prescribed medications, it is necessary to maintain fluid balance and drink more.
4. Chamomile, nettle infusion, and cranberry juice will improve the condition of PMS.
5. Taking Pancreazim, Mezim, Pancreatin will help in eliminating the ailment.

Eliminates nausea and normalizes appetite by:

• refusal of semi-finished products, fast food;
• eating small portions, often;
• drink at least 2.5 liters of water, still mineral water per day;
• cessation of smoking and alcoholic beverages.

Diet correction

• citrus fruits;
• apples;
• Korean carrots;
• pickled vegetables;
• ginger;
• salty cheeses;
• fresh tomatoes;
• sauerkraut.

A complete lack of appetite is an alarm bell, signaling malfunctions in the body (endocrine disorders, rheumatic diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, etc.). Let's try to figure out what the causes of poor appetite are, whether it is possible to quickly improve nutrition and restore health.

Why do I lose my appetite?

Decreased appetite or refusal to eat leads to an imbalance in food balance, a decrease in the content of nutrients and glucose in the blood, which is dangerous for the normal functioning of the body. The main functions of food - energy, bioregulatory, plastic, adaptive, protective, signal-motivational - ensure the vital activity of the body and the constancy of the internal environment. Once in the body, food promotes the construction of new cells, participates in the formation of enzymes and hormones, and replenishes the body with proteins, minerals and vitamins.

If there is no appetite for a long time or any other disturbance in the habitual relationship with food appears, this is a signal that the person needs help. A psychotherapist, gastroenterologist, nutritionist, endocrinologist are specialists who will determine the causes of appetite disorders and help restore it.

Loss or decreased appetite in adults can have a number of causes:

• Intoxication of the body as a consequence of inflammatory processes and poisoning.

Occurs during acute respiratory viral infections, intestinal infections, hepatitis B and C, and chronic renal failure. Intoxication is accompanied by acute rheumatic diseases (lupus erythematosus, polyarthritis, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis), food poisoning, drug poisoning, low-quality alcohol, and carbon monoxide. A person has practically no appetite, weakness appears, as the body has difficulty digesting food. You cannot force feed a patient so as not to harm. It is useful to drink plenty of fluids, which will help get rid of toxins that have arisen as the body fights infection. To find out the cause of the malaise, it is recommended to undergo a detailed blood test and stool culture for intestinal pathogens.

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Acute conditions.

Digestive disorders occur with gastritis, enteritis, colitis, gastric ulcers, and liver diseases. Accompanied by nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching with bitterness, pain in the esophagus and stomach. At the same time, a person is purely reflexively afraid to eat. Frequent split meals are recommended (liquid porridges based on oatmeal, buckwheat, semolina, rice cereals, without salt and seasonings). Such a diet should be supplemented with traditional treatment prescribed by a doctor. It is important to undergo an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, fibrogastroscopy (for gastritis), a general blood test and liver tests. To exclude viral hepatitis, it is recommended to donate blood for hepatitis B and C.

• Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.

They lead not only to loss of appetite, but also to rapid fatigue, constant drowsiness, decreased blood pressure, and slower speech. Such symptoms appear for many years. Pathologies of the thyroid gland are sometimes associated with improper functioning of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.

It is necessary to be examined by an endocrinologist, donate blood for thyroid hormones T3, T4 and TSH. If a malfunction of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus is suspected, the doctor will prescribe a computed tomography scan of the brain.

• Metabolic disorders due to cancer.

Malignant formations disrupt the metabolism in the body, so taste sensations are distorted and appetite disappears. The person feels nauseous, weakness appears, and intolerance to meat and dairy products often occurs. If a malignant tumor is suspected, an oncologist prescribes examinations in accordance with the clinical manifestations and prescribes treatment based on the results.

• Diseases of the nervous system, psychological disorders (loss of appetite due to depression, neuroses, dementia).

Appetite can change both downward and upward. Loss of appetite due to nervousness is characterized by a lack of sensation of the taste of food. Sometimes the very mention of food or its smell causes a negative reaction, including nausea and vomiting. A person eats only to survive, since food itself does not bring pleasure, and even a small portion of food taken causes a feeling of fullness in the stomach.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the mental disorders and is common among young girls. The pathological desire to correct the “flaws” of the figure at any cost, even at normal weight, leads to a refusal to eat. Over time, a persistent aversion to food appears, muscles atrophy, and the functioning of the musculoskeletal system is disrupted. Patients refuse food for so long that it ceases to be absorbed by the body. A change in the psyche occurs, and the person is no longer able to get out of this state on his own. A psychotherapist will help, and in severe cases, inpatient treatment.

Loss of appetite during pregnancy, children and the elderly

If a child has lost his appetite, he does not receive enough vitamins, micro, and macroelements necessary for growth and development. Babies do not want to eat when their baby teeth are cutting in (from 3 months to 3 years), since this process is often accompanied by fever and pain. Infants and older children refuse food when they have stomatitis (rashes and sores on the oral mucosa), which causes pain.

Pregnant women may lose their appetite for a short period of time.

Pregnant women may lose their appetite for a short period of time. Foods that a woman loved before pregnancy often cause disgust at the beginning of pregnancy, morning or daytime nausea appears, which does not contribute to appetite.

There are simple ways to increase your appetite:

• Eat less, but more often.

Fractional meals are better accepted by the body. It is recommended to eat small meals in 4-5 meals at the same time. A beautiful table setting will help whet your appetite.

• Fresh air, sports.

Walking in the fresh air and physical activity will give you a boost of energy and stimulate your appetite.

• Get rid of bad habits.

Deprived of the pleasure of nicotine and alcohol, the body will look for it in something else, and most often in food.

• Healing herbal infusions and products.

Infusion of wormwood, tea with mint, radish juice, onion, garlic, parsnip, chicory, calamus, black currant, plantain, all citrus fruits, green vegetables increase intestinal motility, strengthen the stomach, and increase appetite. A course of vitamins, minerals, ascorbic acid will strengthen the body and stimulate appetite.

• Increased drinking regime.

In case of poisoning or overeating, clean drinking water is the best medicine. It flushes poisons and toxins from the body. Dehydration disrupts all vital processes at the cellular level.

• Treatment of the underlying disease.

For gastritis and other gastrointestinal pathologies, kidney diseases, and rheumatic diseases, you need to get qualified medical advice and treatment.

• One-day fasting and diet.

Short-term fasting for 12 or 24 hours helps improve appetite. The body will rest, get rid of the remains of undigested food, poisons and toxins. If you have gastritis, fasting is contraindicated.

Including fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt) and fiber (microcrystalline cellulose, vegetables, fruits, bran) in large quantities in the diet restores the digestive system, normalizes intestinal microflora and stimulates appetite.

Conclusion

To increase the appetite of a child or adult, you need to promptly find out and eliminate the causes of disorders (cure diseases, change lifestyle, adjust diet). A healthy appetite will ensure good health and mood for many years of life.

Many people do not think that a good appetite is a sign of well-being and health. As soon as the desire to eat deliciously disappears, the question often spontaneously arises: “why.” But the reason could be various factors. If you do not eliminate the cause of lack of good appetite in a timely manner, you can bring your body to a state where nothing and no one can help.

Not all people who are hungry have a good appetite. Alas, not everyone eats with pleasure. Appetite is measured by the amount of gastric juice. If all human organs function correctly, then the amount of enzyme to process the incoming food is sufficient. When consuming food in such cases, the walls of the stomach are tense, their movements are impulsive and strong, and juice secretion is abundant. It is in such cases that a person eats food with appetite.

A good appetite is a sign of health and well-being

An integral attribute of proper nutrition and the pleasure received while eating is the beauty of the dish and the time spent on its absorption. Slowly and carefully eating food brings more benefits and satisfaction than hastily consumed food. It’s not for nothing that the French say that appetite comes with eating. The role of taste buds is important.

At the same time, appetite is influenced by various factors, both internal and external. It can be:

• chronic diseases;
• oncology;
• violation of the regime;
• overdose of alcohol or drugs;
• stressful situations;
• pain;
• intoxication of the body;
• use of certain medications;
• overwork;
• nervous and mental disorders;
• endocrine and hormonal disorders;
• injuries and other factors.

The appearance of one focus of excitation reduces another. This rule is.

If your appetite disappears, then another source of excitability has appeared. Conversely, the appearance of appetite is a sign of the retreat of the disease or some kind of stress. As they say, a good appetite is characteristic of healthy and prosperous people.

The appetite doesn't just disappear. The main thing is that it doesn’t last long

But one should not confuse a good appetite with the desire to eat something specific, that is, a dish whose taste and aroma a person can anticipate. We are not talking about satiety and proper functioning of the body here. In such cases, there is a psychological factor of satisfaction.

The influence of the human brain on the appearance of appetite: video material

...and his loss

Appetite disorders are almost always associated with disturbances in the functioning of the food center. They can be caused by organic damage to the central nervous system, but more often they are functional in nature, as they are associated with a change in the influence on the cerebral cortex, as well as with impulses from peripheral receptors of chemical homeostasis and metabolism in the body if they are involved in the pathological process.

Poor appetite implies a lack of positive emotions in anticipation of food.. This has a negative impact on health.

Main causes of loss of appetite

One of the significant factors affecting appetite is the occurrence of intestinal dysbiosis. This disease is necessarily associated with a violation of the microflora of the digestive organs, which in a normal state takes an active part in the absorption of substances necessary for the human body. When it is modified or absent, malabsorption develops, which leads to weight loss and a gradual decrease in appetite against the background of pain.

Dysbacteriosis is one of the reasons for lack of appetite

With dysbacteriosis, after eating even dietary food, pain usually occurs due to stretching of the walls, the appearance of flatulence, absorption of toxins, and the occurrence of inflammatory processes. The brain associates their appearance with food consumption, which leads to a lack of appetite. If there is no necessary treatment, and the “hunger strike” lasts for a long time, muscle atrophy occurs, leading to dysfunction of the body systems. Over time, a person gets used to the absence of food so that even if it enters the esophagus and/or stomach, it ceases to be absorbed, receiving rejection in the form of spontaneous vomiting. The result is anorexia.

With gastritis with any secretory activity, especially during periods of exacerbation, people often lose their appetite. This is due, as in cases with dysbacteriosis, primarily with the occurrence of pain that occurs almost immediately after eating food. The food center blocks the desire to eat; an unhealthy digestive system protects itself from unnecessary work using this method. As a result, a person loses interest even in his favorite dishes. Drowsiness and lethargy appear, immunity decreases.

Gastritis can cause loss of appetite

If in such a situation you listen to the “wishes” of a sick stomach, you can bring yourself to complete exhaustion. Therefore, the occurrence of gastritis cannot be ignored. When a person, against the background of an aggravated disease, loses more than 10 kg in weight, this condition can lead to serious disruptions in the functioning of the entire body and to anorexia.

Some types of food allergies may be accompanied by a decrease in appetite. Many foods can cause gastrointestinal symptoms, some of which are common:

• stomach ache;
• swelling in the oral cavity;
• numbness and swelling of the tongue;
• allergic enterocolitis;
• vomit;
• constipation;
• diarrhea.

Initially, with allergic reactions to certain foods, a clear connection with the causally significant product is identified. As a result, the food center in the brain sends an impulse associated with the refusal of certain foods. Gradually, a general loss of appetite may occur. Therefore, when an allergy appears, a very important point is the timely recognition of the true causes. Allergenic food must be promptly replaced with an equivalent product that does not irritate the body.

Food allergies can cause you to refuse to eat

Senile dementia

Dementia is not a single disease, but a group of progressive neurodegenerative diseases that lead to personality decline. In this case the following are violated:

• memory;
• thinking;
• speech;
• logics.

Unreasonable attacks of rage can be replaced by depression, hallucinations are perceived as reality. With this senile dementia, an error in the perception of reality occurs. It often seems to patients that their neighbors or relatives want to poison them. Against this background, the person refuses food. There is a decrease in appetite. At the same time, due to memory problems, older people forget about food. The condition is complicated by a violation of the daily routine, when patients begin to confuse day and night. All this is happening against the backdrop of exacerbation of chronic diseases and delusional ideas. The result can be disastrous and fleeting.

Senile dementia often causes loss of appetite

If a person suddenly suddenly loses his appetite, loses weight, and there are no obvious reasons for this, it means that some kind of malfunction occurs in the body. Sometimes a persistent reluctance to eat food can be the first sign of a dangerous disease - oncology. Often in the early stages of development, cancer is asymptomatic. There is no pain, discomfort, or special signs of malignant neoplasms. However, against the background of loss of appetite, the following may be present:

• constant fatigue;
• long-term non-healing cuts and abrasions;
• low or high body temperature for no reason;
• menstrual irregularities (in women);
• bad breath;
• frequent colds and infections;
• change in color of the skin and sclera of the eyes;
• sudden weight loss;
• hair loss and brittle nails;
• causeless shortness of breath and hoarseness in the voice;
• the appearance of suspicious moles;
• sleep disturbance.

If all this continues for more than two weeks, then you should immediately consult a doctor. Early examination and timely treatment can prolong and even save lives.

The neoplasm releases toxins into the blood - products of its vital activity. In addition, a malignant tumor of internal organs exerts a pressing effect from the first days of its appearance. Intoxication and a false perception of the fullness of the stomach (this is present in cancer of the pancreas, lungs, liver and other organs located near the digestive system, as well as stomach cancer itself) causes a persistent loss of appetite - hyporexia. Often, refusal to eat occurs during the period when the tumor disintegrates and metastases spread throughout the body.

Loss of appetite is one of the symptoms of cancer. The main thing is to notice the disease in time!

Almost 80% of cancer patients with a progressive form of cancer, for various reasons, experience a decrease in appetite and a dull feeling of hunger. Sometimes changes in metabolism or early satiety due to the accumulation of fluid in the peritoneum (ascites) can be the reasons for the lack of desire to eat tasty food.

“There are no absolute diagnostic symptoms (what the patient feels) or signs (changes that may also be noticeable to others), so diagnostic tests must ultimately involve taking tissue samples and examining them under a microscope (biopsy), since this is the only way to prove presence of cancer."

M.Whitehouse

But there are other reasons for loss of appetite in oncology - chemical and radiation therapy. The therapeutic and at the same time poisonous effect of medications and chemicals can provoke a persistent aversion to food associated with nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea after eating.

Arterial hypertension

If, against the background of a sharp loss of appetite, a person simultaneously exhibits the following pathological symptoms, then we can talk about arterial hypertension:

• frequent headaches of varying degrees of intensity, localized in the back of the head;
• glare and sparkles in the eyes with a sudden change in body position;
• drowsiness and weakness;
• increased sweating;
• memory impairment;
• attention disorder;
• insomnia;
• anxiety and absent-mindedness;
• dyspnea;
• decreased performance;
• nosebleeds;
• severe pallor and/or redness of the skin of the face.

When the necessary and timely treatment is not provided, nausea and vomiting, dizziness and numbness of the fingers and toes may add to the dulling of the feeling of hunger.

High blood pressure and loss of appetite are linked

All these manifestations only aggravate the loss of appetite, since a person automatically loses his main activator - full-fledged physical activity. It is the increase in pressure that prevents a person from wasting energy, which then needs to be replenished through nutrition. The absence of even feasible manifestations of activity gradually leads to sensitization: strength and desire disappear. A sedentary lifestyle and medications that control blood pressure lead to a worsening of the condition. In such cases, only proper self-organization will restore the taste of your favorite foods and the joy of life.

Nervous disorders

Very often, people lose their appetite when various nervous disorders occur. Stressful situations are varied:

• period of falling in love;
• loss of loved ones;
• shock due to a serious illness;
• problems at work;
• moving;
• discord in personal life.

And first of all, this affects physiological and mental health.

Depression is the main causative factor that can make even your favorite food tasteless and hateful. A person does not see the point in getting pleasure from eating food. Sometimes the aroma of food can cause nausea. At the same time, many, against the background of nervous disorders, experience a full stomach, rapid satiety from minimal food consumption, and even vomiting when trying to eat something.

Nervous disorders and stress can lead to irreversible consequences

As a rule, young women suffer from loss of appetite due to nervous disorders. They think that refusing food is normal. First, there is a desire to lose weight, various kinds of grueling diets are used with the restriction or exclusion from the diet of foods necessary for the body. Weight loss turns into rapid weight loss when appetite completely disappears. Then, to restore the body’s performance, hospitalization is required, since prolonged abstinence from eating food leads to severe exhaustion and the development of anorexia nervosa, which can lead to death.

Taking antibiotics and other medications

Sometimes appetite disappears when taking antibiotics orally. These agents, by killing pathogenic microorganisms, affect the microflora of the digestive system. The most dangerous are drug poisoning, overdose and/or misuse. Typically, this occurs during self-medication, when a person uses large doses of the drug.

Don't get carried away with medications. The difference between medicine and poison is the dose!

Poisoning with medications entails not only loss of appetite and signs of food poisoning. Gradually joining:

• fever;
• diarrhea;
• blood pressure surges;
• disturbance of consciousness;
• high body temperature;
• convulsions.

In such cases, emergency hospitalization is required, as the consequences can be irreversible: hearing loss, kidney failure, eye damage. So in such cases, loss of appetite is not the worst thing. This is just a protest from the body to taking medications.

Metabolic disorders and hormonal changes

It is not uncommon that hormonal disorders and metabolic disorders are accompanied by a lack of appetite. In such cases, the “companions” become:

• memory impairment;
• dry skin and mucous membranes;
• decreased blood pressure;
• thirst;
• drowsiness and weakness;
• impaired sensitivity in the limbs;
• intolerance to low temperatures;
• weight gain (which is surprising).

Poor appetite and simultaneous weight gain are one of the main signs of hormonal dysfunction. (As well as increased appetite and weight loss).

This usually happens with type 2 diabetes, hypothyroidism, adrenal insufficiency, and even pregnancy. Serious changes in the body can lead to changes in taste preferences, as well as irreversible changes in the functioning of organs.

Disruption of the endocrine system can lead to loss of appetite

In addition to the above, there are a large number of diseases and conditions in which a significant decrease or complete loss of appetite occurs. Among them:

• mumps (mumps);
• scarlet fever;
• irritable bowel syndrome;
• pancreatitis;
• various types of fever;
• alcoholism and drug addiction;
• stomach ulcer;
• intestinal obstruction;
• stomatitis;
• hepatitis;
• appendicitis;
• liver cirrhosis and others.

Loss of appetite is a bad sign.

Worm infestations

A decrease in appetite can occur when a person is infected with worms. However, most often, with helminthic infestation, the patient loses weight against the background of increased interest in food. Helminths absorb all the nutrients that come with food. A person constantly wants to eat. Pain and weakness come at a time when the patient is hungry. Therefore, helminthic infestations cannot be called the main cause of loss of appetite.

Restoring appetite in adults

How to deal with loss of appetite? Force feeding will not lead to the desired result.

It is necessary to diagnose the disease underlying the appearance of such a symptom as lack of appetite. Only by identifying and eradicating the cause can the symptoms be eliminated.

To determine the true cause, a number of medical diagnostic procedures are performed:

• complete blood count;
• urine and stool tests;
• Ultrasound of the abdominal cavity;
• thyroid examination;
• fluoroscopy;
• HIV test;
• MRI and CT - if necessary;
• for women - ultrasound of the pelvic organs and pregnancy testing.

In each individual case, treatment will be individual.

1. If it is determined that the cause of a woman’s lack of appetite is pregnancy, then no special measures will be required. It is enough to make some changes to your diet and after a couple of weeks the desire to eat delicious food will return on its own.
2. When the culprit is appendicitis or intestinal obstruction, surgical intervention is indispensable.
3. In case of infectious diseases, appetite is restored against the background of properly selected therapeutic treatment.
4. If the reason lies in senile dementia, then high-calorie nutritional mixtures are used, and, if necessary, artificial nutrition through a tube.
5. When medications are to blame for the pathology, sometimes stopping or replacing them is enough. Medicines taken orally are replaced by injections.
6. When cancer is detected after radiation therapy or surgery, the patient's condition improves.
7. If loss of appetite is associated with nausea and a gag reflex, then medications such as Ondansetron, Promethazine are used.
8. Hormonal imbalances can be corrected by replacement therapy using artificial hormones.
9. When the cause of loss of appetite is depression, antidepressants, stimulants, hypnosis, acupuncture, physiotherapy, cardio exercises, and vitamins are prescribed. And sometimes safe sedatives such as motherwort tincture and/or valerian are sufficient. Their regular use relieves nervous tension and at the same time improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
10. If the established cause is arterial hypertension, then it is enough to prescribe medications that stabilize the situation and follow the doctor’s recommendations so that the patient’s appetite is restored.

An exhausted body requires rest and treatment appropriate to the underlying disease.. In this case, it is necessary to normalize the portions of food and its schedule.

Nutritional Features

To restore appetite, you should follow a special diet: meals by the hour, at equal intervals, at least five times. In this case, portions should be small. Each dish must be chewed thoroughly, spending at least 20–30 minutes eating. Snacks containing sweets should be avoided, as should foods high in fat. food should be rich in minerals, vitamins, amino acids, complex carbohydrates, fiber. Product tolerance must be taken into account. Do not get carried away with cold and very hot food.

If, for medical reasons, there are no restrictions on the use of spices, herbs and marinades, then it is advisable to use them as an addition to the main meal to stimulate the appetite. Every meal should start with salads made from fresh vegetables or fruits.

It is advisable to include the patient’s once favorite dishes in the diet along with fresh sweet peppers and white cabbage. A complete exclusion of carbonated sweet drinks and alcohol from the menu is required. In this case, the volume of liquid consumed should be maximum.

There are a number of foods that can stimulate the production of digestive enzymes and provoke an increase in appetite:

1. Citrus. All these southern fruits, with the exception of some types of grapefruit, can activate food digestion.
2. Apples. It is better to give preference to green fruits. The best choice is soaked apples.
3. Korean style carrots. Spices combined with the taste of carrots can cause appetite. In the absence of contraindications, it is recommended to eat a small amount before the main meal.
4. Sauerkraut. Instantly accelerates appetite, but at the same time it is a product with “minus calorie content”, since more energy is spent on digesting this product than it gives to the body.
5. Fresh tomatoes with onions. It is impossible to get enough of this salad, however, it perfectly fuels the desire to eat.
6. Salty cheeses. They replenish calcium deficiency and at the same time stimulate appetite.
7. Chewing gum. During its use, a large volume of salivary fluid is produced, which, when it enters the stomach, provokes the production of gastric juice. All this provokes a desire to eat tasty food.
8. Ginger. A natural antiseptic and product that revitalizes the digestive system of the human body. When consuming it, a person begins to feel hungry.
9. Pickled vegetables. It is better to use them in limited quantities, as these products are capable of retaining liquid. However, a small cucumber a day will not hurt, but will only stimulate the appearance of appetite.
10. Soy sauce. This is one of the natural flavor enhancers that will help reveal and feel the bouquet of many dishes.

All people are different, and in any case, a separate menu is developed from those products that are allowed to be used for an individual, in accordance with his individual needs and capabilities, taking into account his state of health.

Appetite stimulating foods: photo gallery

Citrus fruits - they are so appetizing Apples can stimulate appetite Ginger, when consumed in any form, will help stimulate appetite Sauerkraut is a good appetite stimulant This product is both tasty and healthy. Salty cheese can stimulate the appearance of appetite Ripe juicy tomatoes, even externally, cause appetite One cucumber eaten before a meal will help restore appetite Chewing gum can increase the secretion of digestive juices and cause appetite Korean carrots can cause appetite in many Soy sauce will give many dishes an unforgettable taste

Application of traditional medicine recipes

You can try to stimulate your appetite with various herbal decoctions, teas and infusions. Products based on chamomile, mint, lemon balm, and dill will help, as they not only have a positive effect on appetite, but also have a calming effect on the human psyche.

With the permission of a doctor, you can use the following traditional medicine recipes:

1. Hop cones. It is most often used as a decoction, but can be used as a tincture or dry powder. 1 teaspoon once a day, washed down with water.
2. Wild chicory root. The most classic remedy for loss of appetite: brew the root and drink half an hour before meals. You can combine it with a coffee drink made from cereals in a ratio of 1:4.
3. Black currant berries. It is recommended to eat half a glass of fresh berries 30 minutes before meals, or drink 100 ml of currant juice 2-3 times a day.
4. Wormwood. Pour a teaspoon of chopped dry herb into one glass of boiling water and let it brew for half an hour. Drink 20 minutes before meals three times a day, 1 tablespoon.
5. Melissa officinalis. Pour 4 teaspoons of plant material into a glass of boiling water and let it brew for 4 hours. Drink half a glass 4 times a day.
6. Anise with cinnamon. Pour 500 grams of sugar into one liter of boiling water, add 40 grams of anise seeds and 1 gram of cinnamon. Mix everything well. Leave for 45 days, then strain. Take the resulting infusion 1 tablespoon after meals.
7. Onion. To increase appetite and improve digestion, eating onions infused or boiled in vinegar is very useful.
8. Parsley. Pour parsley seeds (1/3 teaspoon) with a glass of cold water and steam for half an hour. After cooling, strain the broth. Take 1 tablespoon 5 times a day.
9. Celery. A good appetite stimulant is celery juice; you should take 1 teaspoon 20–30 minutes before meals.
10. Juniper. If you lose your appetite: add dried juniper cones to boiling water (1 tablespoon per 2 cups of water), boil for 15–20 minutes, then strain. Take 1 tablespoon of the drink three times a day.
11. Lemon with sugar. Mix grated fruit rind with granulated sugar in a 2:1 ratio. Take 1/2 tablespoon before meals.
12. Cornflower. Brew 1/2 tablespoon of flowers in one glass of boiling water. Drink the infusion half an hour before meals.
13. Horseradish with honey. Take 1 teaspoon of grated horseradish with sugar or honey every day before meals.
14. Yarrow. Pour a tablespoon of herb into one glass of boiling water, steam for 15 minutes, then let it brew for 20–30 minutes. Cool the infusion, strain and take 1 tablespoon 3 times a day half an hour before meals.
15. Dandelion. Pour two teaspoons of crushed plant roots into 1 glass of cold water and leave to steep for 8 hours. Take 50 ml four times a day half an hour before meals.
16. Red clover. Pour 1 teaspoon of inflorescences with one glass of boiling water, leave for 5–8 minutes, strain. Drink 1 tablespoon 4 times a day.

As prescribed by your attending physician, you can use dietary supplements containing B vitamins and zinc, which increases the body’s need for food and improves the sense of smell.

Folk remedies: photo

A decoction of hop cones will help restore appetite. Chicory root stimulates appetite.

Currants are tasty and healthy, stimulate appetite Melissa will help activate appetite Anise is not only a spice, but also a medicine that stimulates appetite Ordinary onions will help cope with lack of appetite Horseradish as a medicine against lack of appetite A decoction of ordinary clover promotes appetite

Drug treatment

If the loss of appetite poses a clear threat to a person’s life and is not temporary, then the attending physician prescribes special medications. In this case, all adverse reactions and contraindications must be taken into account.

1. Iron preparations: Ferrum lek, Sorbifer, Fenyuls.
2. Histamine and serotonin antagonists: Supersan, Peritol, Cyprodin, Astonin, Vinorex and others.
3. Elixir Pernexin is a safe, natural-based drug.
4. Anabolic steroid. To increase appetite, many are inclined to believe that Primobolan is the best.
5. Insulin. Popular among athletes who need to increase their appetite and gain weight.
6. Pharmacy bitters. They perfectly stimulate the production of pepsin and increase appetite.
7. Antiemetics: Volagen, Albex, Digesan, Motilium, Peridon and others.
8. Dopamine blockers and regulators of digestive activity: Pramin, Cerucal, Viscal, Maxolon.
9. Bioadditives: Limontar, Stimuvit.
10. Peptides: Hexarelin, GHRP-6, -2.

You cannot self-medicate or use medications without a doctor’s prescription.

If lack of appetite is a pathology that has arisen against the background of diseases requiring surgical intervention, then it can only be eliminated surgically (this has already been discussed above). The following diseases may be indications for surgery:

• appendicitis;
• intestinal obstruction;
• oncology;
• stomach diseases: hernia, ulcer;
• tumors of various etiologies, including benign.

Surgery is not a cure for lack of appetite. This measure is used only when there is no other way to restore or improve the condition of the sick person.

What to do if you have no appetite: video

Prevention

The following will help increase your appetite and feel the joy of life: proper diet, physical activity and harmony in the family.

1. Many nutritionists recommend “working up your appetite.” A walk along the park or embankment is an ideal option for saturating your lungs with oxygen. This will help create a desire to eat delicious food. It would be a good idea to walk past a bakery or cafe, where you can smell the pleasant smells of fresh baked goods. This will help awaken your taste buds.
2. Physical activity in nature is an excellent appetite activator. Jogging, cycling, any outdoor sport are quite suitable, and swimming is best. Exercising on the water can cause “ravenous hunger”. But you should not overexert yourself, because exhaustion can lead to the opposite effect. Only pleasant fatigue will certainly return the previously lost appetite.
3. Often problems with appetite are associated with a disruption in the daily routine and food intake. Normal sleep should be restored. Then your appetite will show itself.
4. It is possible to restore your appetite by doing your favorite things. In a depressed state, it is worth remembering an old hobby - it is very useful.
5. It is worth giving up bad habits, as they negatively affect the entire body.

Consequences of prolonged lack of appetite

Sometimes the loss of appetite can be selective. Sometimes it is temporary, and this condition goes away on its own. However, often in the absence of appropriate therapeutic measures, a persistent lack of appetite can lead to anorexia (complete loss of desire to eat food) or sitophobia (fear of eating against the background of fear of an increase in some pain sensations).

Long-term loss of appetite can lead to irreversible consequences in the human body. Therefore, it is necessary to promptly contact medical specialists, such as:

• therapist;
• gastroenterologist;
• oncologist;
• allergist;
• psychotherapist;
• neurologist;
• infectious disease specialist

Attentive attitude towards yourself and your loved ones will help to promptly identify and eliminate the underlying factors in the development of pathology such as lack of appetite.

At the same time, he has food preferences, but no aversion to certain types of food. And portions that give a feeling of fullness weigh at least 300 grams. If at least one of these points is violated, the person is considered to have a decreased appetite.

Why did I lose my appetite?

The most trivial reasons for lack of appetite are the following.

Hot weather. At elevated temperatures, there is often a lack of appetite. The reasons are simple: when food is digested, heat is released, and the body thus tries to protect itself from overheating.

Insufficient fluid intake. Digesting food and eliminating waste (nutrient breakdown products) requires a lot of fluid. If there is little fluid intake, the body may not be able to cope with the load, and intoxication will occur. Therefore, it is easier for the body to refuse food than to cope with such consequences.

Low physical activity. With low physical activity, a person expends little energy and does not require additional calories. Therefore, poor appetite in this case is the absolute norm.

Lack of fresh air. If you sit cooped up all day and breathe house fumes, hypoxia (or lack of oxygen) will inevitably occur. This pathological condition disrupts the normal course of all processes in the body, and the digestion process is no exception. The consequence is reduced or completely absent appetite.

Taking certain medications. Before you start taking any medication, even one prescribed by a doctor, you should definitely read the list of possible side effects. Decreased appetite is the most common side effect.

Initial stage of pregnancy. Usually, from the 6th week of pregnancy, various appetite disorders begin to appear, including its complete absence. This is normal if it is not accompanied by debilitating vomiting.

When all obvious reasons are excluded

4 main reasons for lack of appetite

A good appetite has always been considered a sign of good health. The correct operation of the mechanism responsible for satisfying the need for nutrients and obtaining pleasure from it indicates that the body functions without any special deviations. However, human appetite is a variable quantity. It depends on the nutritional culture instilled in childhood, taste preferences (which can change more than once during life), weather, mood and many other factors. Therefore, periodic loss of appetite is normal. A complete lack of interest in food, especially when it lasts long enough, can be a sign of serious health problems.

Intoxication of the body

Appetite is regulated by a special food center located in the brain. When toxins enter the body, the functioning of this structure is temporarily blocked, since the main work of all systems at that moment is aimed at trying to get rid of dangerous substances. Intoxication can be caused by:

• food poisoning;
• overdose of nicotine or alcohol;
• exposure to chemical compounds contained in household chemicals, cosmetics or perfumes, as well as paint used in the production of fabrics, and other harmful components contained in objects with which a person has frequent direct contact;
• carbon monoxide poisoning;
• use of medications;
• acute infection (flu, ARVI, hepatitis, etc.).

As a rule, after toxic substances are removed from the body, appetite returns.

Digestive diseases

Patients suffering from pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract often experience unpleasant symptoms of dyspepsia: abdominal pain, belching, flatulence, nausea. In such cases, the loss of appetite is associated with a reflexive fear of eating.

Of course, such patients should not eat at all: this will only aggravate the painful condition. The way out is a special diet that excludes spicy, salty, sour foods, fried and smoked foods, fast food and canned food. Food should be semi-liquid and have an enveloping effect (for example, slimy porridges and purees are useful).

Hormonal imbalances

Fluctuations in hormonal levels greatly affect appetite. This is especially noticeable during pregnancy, when serious changes in a woman’s body can lead to very specific nutritional needs and changes in taste preferences.

Pathological abnormalities in the functioning of the endocrine glands usually cause a decrease in appetite. This process is characterized by gradualness: for example, with a decrease in the function of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism), the desire to consume food decreases or disappears completely over a long period, in parallel with a general loss of body tone, the development of fatigue, the appearance of drowsiness, tearfulness and other signs of the disease.

Nervous disorders

Decreased appetite may also be due to psychogenic reasons. So, with depression, food stops giving a person pleasure; Often even the smell of food causes nausea. At the same time, patients complain of a feeling of fullness in the stomach and too rapid saturation. People who are severely depressed sometimes have to be force-fed.

One of the most common psycho-emotional disorders, characterized by a lack of appetite, is anorexia. For young women suffering from an inferiority complex and dissatisfied with their bodies, the desire to lose weight at any cost leads first to following unreasonably strict diets, artificial emptying of the stomach from absorbed food, and then to an absolute rejection of any food. This is a severe neuropsychic disorder that must be treated by specialists; it often requires hospitalization.

In all cases of prolonged lack of interest in food, you should consult your doctor. If no pathologies are detected in a person, but a persistent decrease in appetite threatens his health, the desire to eat can be increased through moderate exercise (for example, swimming) and walking. In some situations, taking decoctions and tinctures of medicinal herbs helps: wormwood, centaury, calamus, mint, elecampane, trifoliate, fenugreek, barberry. Medicinal teas made from strawberry, black currant and raspberry leaves are also useful.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

Education: First Moscow State Medical University named after I.M. Sechenov, specialty "General Medicine".

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A good appetite has always been considered a sign of health and normal functioning of the body. The feeling of hunger is a natural phenomenon that signals that a person needs to “recharge” and restore lost energy. Accordingly, a lack of interest in food may indicate a number of diseases or problems in the functioning of internal organs. What does lack of appetite mean in adults, and in what cases should you consult a doctor?

No appetite: reasons for an adult

What is a healthy appetite?

A signal that the body needs to replenish its reserves of proteins, carbohydrates and other substances is formed in the brain. It is transmitted through neural endings to the digestive organs, as a result of which the secretion of gastric juice is activated, the level of insulin in the blood increases, and the person feels a feeling of hunger.

The mechanisms of our appetite

Lack of appetite indicates disruptions in this process - these could be diseases of the digestive tract, hormonal disorders, oncology and much more.

Causes of loss of appetite may be caused by gastrointestinal diseases

The reasons for loss of interest in food are divided into pathological, that is, those that are the result of malfunctions in the body, and non-pathological - they do not pose a threat to health and do not require medical intervention.

Non-pathological causes of decreased appetite

Non-pathological causes can be distinguished from health-threatening conditions by a number of signs. In this case, there is no appetite for 3-5 days (maximum a week), after which the body’s functioning returns to normal on its own. Such episodes are repeated no more than once a month, do not cause serious weight loss and are not accompanied by nausea, weakness, fever and other symptoms. Such reasons include the impact of external factors on the body and some changes in its functioning, which can be corrected without medical intervention.

1. Accommodations. Lack of appetite can be observed in certain conditions - for example, during very hot weather or a sharp change in climatic zones.

In hot weather, most people have a decreased appetite

Chronic fatigue and lack of appetite

Lack of appetite due to stress

Dietary disorders

In pregnant women, lack of appetite may be caused by toxicosis

A decrease in appetite is often observed in older people, which can also be considered a variant of the norm - in adulthood, metabolic and digestive processes in the body slow down.

Pathological causes of lack of appetite

The reasons for loss of interest in food, which are associated with various diseases, pose a serious health hazard. Vitamins, microelements and nutrients stop entering the body, which over time can lead to general exhaustion and even death. These include:

• infectious diseases and exacerbations of chronic ailments;
• disruptions of the endocrine system (especially those associated with pancreatic dysfunction);
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;

In this case, loss of appetite is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, etc. If these symptoms develop, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, as this condition can have serious consequences.

Of particular concern should be cases when a person becomes sick from one type of food, or begins to experience an aversion to once favorite foods (for example, meat dishes) - this phenomenon often accompanies cancer.

If you feel sick from eating, you need to seriously think about your health

What to do if you lose your appetite?

If the lack of appetite is not accompanied by additional symptoms, you can try to restore it by following simple rules. If you have an aversion to food, you should not force your body - it is better to eat when you want, in small portions, but at the same time it is advisable to organize your food intake and eat at approximately the same time. Dishes should be tasty, healthy and beautifully presented - so that interest in food is awakened by just one look.

Garnish dishes with fresh herbs

In addition, if your appetite decreases, you should drink as much water as possible to prevent dehydration, walk in the fresh air more often, engage in physical activity and get proper rest. It is recommended to take vitamin complexes, especially those containing vitamin B12 and ascorbic acid.

Vitamins B and PP

Vitamins C, E, D, K

What should the menu consist of for loss of appetite in adults? The key rule is that the diet should be balanced and contain all the microelements and nutrients necessary for health. In addition, there are a number of products that help increase appetite - primarily herbs, spices, hot and salty foods, as well as marinades. True, it is categorically not recommended to abuse them - in large quantities, such food can cause digestive disorders, gastritis and even ulcers.

Spices improve appetite, but you shouldn’t overuse them

You should also not eat a lot of fatty and heavy foods - after eating you should feel full, not heavy and full in the stomach.

Do not overindulge in foods that are difficult for the stomach.

Before eating, you can drink a gram of dry red wine or other light alcohol with a bitter aftertaste - aperitifs in reasonable quantities contribute to a good appetite.

Mild alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, the purpose of which is to slightly quench thirst and stimulate appetite. Snacks are served with them

Classic Venetian aperitif

Foods that help improve appetite include:

• black radish juice - take a tablespoon for several days, washed down with a spoon of clean water;

The rule for such treatment is as follows: from potent remedies (horseradish, mustard, onion, radish), you need to choose one, and use it for no more than 20 days in a row.

Medicines to increase appetite

Medicines that increase appetite should be used only in extreme cases after consultation with a doctor. Each of them has a number of contraindications and side effects, and if used incorrectly and in dosage, they can cause serious harm to the body.

For neuroses and psycho-emotional disorders associated with loss of appetite, patients are recommended to take antidepressants and sedatives in combination with psychotherapy and other treatment methods. The most common drugs include Amitriptyline, Fluoxetine, Cipramil, Paxil, but their prescription and dosage calculation must be made by a doctor.

Video - “Elkar”

How to improve appetite using folk remedies?

To increase appetite, you can use folk remedies that are no less effective than medications, but do not harm the body.

1. Coriander. The fruits and seeds of the plant contain essential oils that have antispasmodic and antiseptic effects, and also have a beneficial effect on digestive processes. They can be added as a seasoning to dishes, or to prepare medicine. Steam a tablespoon of raw material with a glass of boiling water, leave covered for 10 minutes, then strain and drink half a glass 2-3 times after meals.

Any means to improve appetite can be used only in cases where the underlying cause of the disease is known - without appropriate therapy, loss of appetite will become chronic, and the body’s condition may worsen significantly.

Video - What to do if you have no appetite

Decreased or lack of appetite (anorexia): causes and treatment

What is appetite

Appetite is an emotional expression of a person’s preference for food of a certain quality (desire for a certain food). Appetite is subjectively different from the feeling of hunger. The occurrence of a feeling of hunger is based on the body’s general need for nutrients and is usually experienced as an unpleasant state.

Causes of decreased or lack of appetite

Appetite arises on the basis of nutritional need associated with ideas about future food intake, and includes pleasant emotional sensations that usually accompany the intake of a particular food. Appetite is formed as a result of stimulation of certain parts of the central nervous system (including the hunger center in the hypothalamus) and is accompanied by conditioned reflex salivation and the secretion of digestive juices, increased peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, thereby preparing the digestive organs for food intake.

Appetite has a connection with the physiological needs of the body, as, for example, in the case of a craving for salty food after the body has lost significant amounts of salt. But such a connection is by no means always traced; appetite often reflects an innate or acquired individual tendency to certain foods.

Thus, preference, like aversion (often very persistent) to some other types of food, is determined by the availability of a given variant in a particular region and is modified by special features of individual culture, usually rooted in religion, although subsequently, perhaps, rationalized. In light of this, the “appetizing” of a dish, the main elements of which include smell, taste, consistency, temperature, method of preparation and serving, strongly depends on our affective (emotional) attitude towards it.

Under the influence of strong external stimuli, for example, a particularly tempting and plentiful choice of food, almost everyone from time to time eats more than they need to replenish their energy reserves. This means that the biological mechanisms for regulating food consumption are overcome. Overeating, in principle, is compensated by subsequent dietary restriction, but in modern society not everyone resorts to restriction. Decreased appetite may be associated with overwork, a nervous environment at work and at home.

Pronounced selectivity of appetite is often observed in women during pregnancy and in patients. Changes in appetite can accompany various diseases. It should also be noted that nutrition plays an important role in behavioral disorders. They can be accompanied by both excess food consumption and food refusal. A striking example is anorexia nervosa - a form of abstinence from food, most common in girls during adolescence; this disorder of mental development can be so profound that it leads to death from exhaustion.

Anorexia

The term "anorexia" means a lack of appetite in the presence of a physiological need for nutrition. This is a common symptom of a disorder in the gastrointestinal tract or endocrine system. It is also typical for severe mental disorders.

Possible causes of anorexia

This symptom is observed with anxiety, chronic pain, poor oral hygiene, increased body temperature due to heat or fever, and changes in tastes that often accompany adulthood or aging.

Anorexia can result from taking or overusing certain medications. Short-term anorexia practically does not threaten the patient’s health. However, with prolonged anorexia, the body's resistance decreases and its susceptibility to various diseases increases. Chronic anorexia can result in life-threatening exhaustion.

In young children, anorexia develops more often due to force feeding or violation of complementary feeding rules.

Endocrine system disorders

• Adenocortical hypofunction. In this disorder, anorexia develops slowly and sluggishly, causing gradual weight loss.
• Hypopituitarism (insufficiency of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus). In this case, anorexia also develops slowly. Associated symptoms vary depending on the extent of the disease and the number and type of hormones missing.
• Myxedema. Anorexia is usually a sign of a lack of thyroid hormones.
• Ketoacidosis. Anorexia usually develops slowly, accompanied by inflammation and dry skin, fruity breath, decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate, abdominal pain and nausea.

Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract

• Appendicitis. Anorexia is accompanied by general or local abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
• Cirrhosis of the liver. Anorexia develops in the early stages and may be accompanied by weakness, nausea, vomiting, constipation or diarrhea, and dull pain in the abdomen. Anorexia continues beyond these early signs, which include drowsiness, slow speech, severe itching, bleeding, dry skin, enlarged liver, jaundice, leg swelling, and pain in the right upper quadrant. Chronic anorexia in Crohn's disease leads to significant weight loss.
• Gastritis. In the case of acute gastritis, anorexia develops suddenly, and in chronic gastritis - gradually.
• Hepatitis. With viral hepatitis, anorexia develops at the initial stage of the disease and is accompanied by fatigue, malaise, headache, pain in the joints and throat, photophobia, cough, rhinitis, nausea and vomiting, and enlarged liver. Anorexia can also occur in subsequent stages, leading to weight loss accompanied by dark urine, jaundice, pain in the right hypochondrium, and possibly irritability and severe itching. With non-viral hepatitis, anorexia and its accompanying symptoms are the same as with viral hepatitis, but may vary depending on the cause of hepatitis and the degree of liver damage.

Diseases of the genitourinary system

• Chronic renal failure. Usually accompanied by chronic anorexia and, very importantly, changes in all body functions.

Other diseases

• Pernicious anemia. In this disease, concomitant anorexia can lead to significant weight loss.
• Cancer. Chronic anorexia is observed along with possible weight loss, weakness, apathy and general exhaustion.

Mental disorders

• Alcoholism. Usually accompanied by chronic anorexia, ultimately leading to exhaustion.
• Anorexia neurosis. Gradually developing chronic anorexia leads to life-threatening exhaustion, skeletal muscle atrophy, loss of adipose tissue, constipation, amenorrhea, dry skin, sleep disturbances, changes in appearance, shortness of breath and decreased sex drive. Paradoxically, the person at the same time retains increased excitability and tone, and actively engages in physical exercise.
• Depressive syndrome. In this case, anorexia is observed along with shortness of breath, inability to concentrate, indecision, delirium, insomnia, frequent mood swings and gradual social degradation.

Medicines and procedures

Anorexia develops as a result of the use of amphetamine, as well as other psychostimulants, including caffeine. Chemotherapy drugs, sympathomimetics (for example, ephedrine) and some antibiotics. Anorexia may also indicate intoxication (poisoning caused by the effect on the body of toxic substances that have entered it from the outside or formed in the body itself). Anorexia can be caused by radiation therapy, possibly due to metabolic disturbances. An increase in blood glucose levels as a result of intravenous infusion of solutions can also lead to anorexia.

Treatment of anorexia

In case of sudden weight loss, hospital treatment is necessary, since there is a real threat to life from exhaustion and severe metabolic and endocrine disorders. It is necessary to prescribe fractional meals 6-7 times a day in small portions under the supervision of staff, the introduction of a variety of dishes into the diet, and for infants - normalization of complementary feeding.

Prescribe vitamins, small doses of insulin and drugs to increase appetite. For severe exhaustion, multivitamins and hormones are indicated. For the neurotic nature of anorexia, tranquilizers, small doses of antipsychotics, educational psychotherapy about the dangers of fasting, the consequences of the disease with a reorientation of values, and in some cases hypnosis are indicated.

For the treatment of anorectic syndrome in schizophrenia, neuroleptics are of great importance. Drugs and their dosages are selected individually, taking into account tolerability and severity of the condition. In special cases, artificial nutrition is used with the introduction of nutrient solutions into a vein.

Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa occupies a special place. This is a pathological condition that manifests itself in the conscious restriction of food in order to lose weight. Occurs in adolescents 15 years of age and older, more often in girls. An obsessive idea of ​​being overweight and the need to lose weight appears.

To achieve this goal, patients limit themselves to food up to complete refusal of food, use intense physical exercise, walking or running long distances, and take large doses of laxatives and diuretics. If it is impossible to endure prolonged fasting, patients eat, even overeat, but induce artificial vomiting.

At first, the appetite is not impaired, at times there is a feeling of hunger, and in connection with this, periodic overeating. Weight drops quickly, mental disorders appear; mood swings from “bad to good” (from one extreme to another), an obsessive desire to look at oneself in the mirror, etc.

Anorexia nervosa is very closely related to another pathology - dysmorphomania (this is a deeper disorder, of a psychotic level, when a painful conviction in the presence of an imaginary physical defect acquires an overvalued or delusional character, i.e., cannot be corrected and is accompanied by a lack of criticism from the patient). The painful conviction of being too fat leads patients to the idea of ​​getting rid of this deficiency.

This belief can arise on real grounds, that is, in the presence of a certain excess weight, as a rule, psychogenically (offensive remarks addressed to the patient - “thick as a barrel”, “fat”, “you need to eat less”, etc.). In other cases, obesity is imaginary, and the thought of losing weight is overvalued or delusional, and the condition itself is the initial stage in the development of schizophrenia.

At first, patients very carefully hide from their parents both the motives of their behavior and their methods of losing weight. They try to feed their portion of food to the dog, hide the food and then throw it away, quietly transfer the food to other people’s plates. They try to stick to the lowest calorie diets. Even after achieving significant weight loss, they are not satisfied with it.

They stubbornly continue to lose weight using other methods (enemas, laxatives, exhausting physical activity). After 1.5-2 years, the disease loses from 20 to 50% of its previous body weight and looks extremely emaciated. The most typical manifestation of anorexia nervosa is amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), which occurs either immediately or after a period of scanty, infrequent menstruation. Such patients, at the insistence of their parents, turn to gynecologists, not knowing about the true cause of menstrual irregularities.

Only proper nutrition and weight gain to a certain critical mass (usually kg) will help you get rid of this. For such patients, a typical desire is to overfeed other family members: mother, younger brothers and sisters. They take great pleasure in watching others eat and gain weight (just as a recovered alcoholic takes pleasure in getting others drunk and watching them get drunk).

Decreased appetite in adults: possible causes and diagnosis

Doctors understand a decrease in appetite as a partial or complete refusal to eat. This happens for various reasons, including serious illnesses and, in the absence of qualified assistance, leads to serious consequences.

General information

It is necessary to distinguish between the concepts of hunger and appetite. Hunger is a reflex that occurs if the body does not receive food at a certain time. The mechanism of its development is as follows: the level of glucose in the blood decreases, after which a signal is sent to the hunger centers. At this moment, a person may feel increased salivation, a heightened sense of smell, and a tugging sensation in the pit of the stomach. This area is a projection of the stomach, therefore it always makes a person aware of the feeling of hunger.

note! When hunger occurs, a person does not have the desire to eat only certain foods. He eats everything.

Appetite is a special manifestation of the feeling of hunger, in which individual favorite foods are selected. It is influenced by the time of day, emotional state, nationality of a person, religion, and finally.

Decreased appetite refers to a state when a person does not want anything. There is a concept of a change in appetite when the usual taste needs are disrupted. Doctors also diagnose a complete lack of appetite, leading to anorexia.

Causes of decreased appetite

A decrease in appetite is usually preceded by:

• Intoxication of the body due to inflammation or poisoning. Due to the fact that at such moments he spends all his energy on removing toxins, digestion of food fades into the background.
• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, which are accompanied by pain and discomfort.
• Malfunctions of the endocrine system organs due to diabetes mellitus, hormonal imbalance.
• Oncology (stomach, colon or blood cancer).
• Autoimmune diseases (scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis).
• Depression, neuroses, neuropsychic disorders.
• Side effects after taking painkillers - morphine, ephedrine.
• Alzheimer's disease and other types of dementia.
• Pregnancy.
• Excess fatty foods in the diet.
• Metabolic disorders due to poor nutrition.
• Adaptation of the body during physical activity to which it is subjected for the first time.
• Low mobility and sedentary work.
• Individual lactose intolerance, celiac disease.
• Bad habits – smoking, alcohol, drugs.

Important! Quite harmless habits can also cause a dulling of appetite, namely: abuse of chocolate, coffee, and powerful energy drinks.

It should be noted that there are diseases in which a person also loses the desire to eat.

• Bronze disease, or Addison's disease, is an endocrine disease associated with adrenal dysfunction.
• Still-Chauffer disease is juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.
• Typhoid fever.
• Dementia.
• Gastroesophageal reflux - when the contents of the stomach are thrown back into the esophagus.
• Stomach and duodenal ulcers.
• Schizoaffective disorder.

Associated symptoms

There is an opinion that a good appetite is a sign of health. Due to the fact that during the day the feeling of hunger and appetite replace each other, a person saturates his body, while remaining at the same weight. This is a kind of balance that ensures normal functioning.

If this balance is disrupted for psychological or other reasons, appetite may disappear. Sometimes the feeling of hunger disappears along with it.

Note! Lack of desire to eat for several hours is not a reason for frustration. This happens when, during a previous meal, a person eats a dish that is too high in calories. In other words, at such moments the body is provided with energy for a longer period of time.

The absence of hunger for 5 - 8 hours makes you think. By the time they expire, the blood glucose level will probably decrease, and the person will feel a loss of strength and weakness. After satiation, the stomach full of food will stretch, the glucose concentration will increase and a signal will be sent to the brain to stop saturation.

It is interesting that scientists have established: a person subconsciously chooses those products that his body needs at a given time. Athletes prefer to eat salty foods after training to replenish salt loss due to sweat.

Diagnostics

If your appetite decreases, you should consult a doctor. He will prescribe a full examination of the body, including:

What to do if you lose your appetite

If diseases that could cause loss of appetite are identified, therapy is prescribed to eliminate them. At the same time, doctors recommend adjusting the schedule and portions of food intake. In other words, they advise eating 5 to 6 small meals a day. The last meal should be 4 hours before bedtime. You should spend about 30 minutes per meal, chewing the pieces slowly.

Snacks should be avoided. Sweets should be replaced with fruits, sauces and marinades with spices, as they stimulate the appetite. For some patients, doctors prescribe vitamin B and zinc, which enhance the sense of smell. It is also important to maintain a drinking regime, especially when playing sports.

Note! Nausea during this period is relieved with Promethazine and other similar drugs. To improve the functioning of the thyroid gland, hormone substitutes are prescribed. Dementia is treated with high-calorie nutritional mixtures, inflammation with antibiotics.

Of course, there are special diets, the observance of which cannot be combined with abundant nutrition, but there are also situations when I wanted to eat, but I just can’t force myself to do it. The reason for this is lack of appetite. Surely any of us has encountered this more than once in our lives.

What is lack of appetite

This is nothing more than a loss of sensation, which is directly related to the need for food. In other words, we are talking about the very emotion that makes us have. With a poor appetite, a person may feel very hungry, but still not feel thirsty to eat anything.

Appetite may disappear due to some illness or nervousness. It often happens that a person becomes so weak that he is simply unable to take food that would help him regain lost energy. Of course, food is a source of strength and health. This is why sick people are constantly forced to eat something, except if they persistently refuse it.

Lack of appetite can act as a symptom of asthenia, depressive syndrome, neurosis and other mental disorders. All these syndromes are in one way or another associated with a decline in mood and desire to do something. A person who is exposed to them loses interest in what is happening, and actually does not react to food at all.

There are many people who are obsessed with losing weight. First of all, we are talking about those who suffer from anorexia. Such people constantly consider themselves to be very fat (even if this is not the case) and we believe that food in small portions can have a negative impact on their figure. The fact is that initially, patients with anorexia have a normal appetite, but over time they ensure that it disappears completely.

Lack of appetite may appear due to stress, nervous shock, or disappointment. Excessive physical and intellectual stress can also rightfully be added to this list.

It is forbidden to turn a blind eye to poor appetite, because even if it is not a symptom of some disease, it can still lead to some disease. Such ailments may include diseases of the heart, stomach, and other organs, and it can itself become a cause of all kinds of mental disorders, which have already been mentioned above.

Without a doubt, the first step is to determine the reason for its absence. It is entirely possible that you simply do not have enough fresh air, rest, or movement. Realize that someone who sits still all day will never have a good appetite. Walk around the city, take a walk to the park, go to the gym, force yourself to go for a run. It is entirely possible that the result will be noticeable within a few hours. If nothing helps, then take a vacation and go somewhere far away.

To increase appetite, you can use products from your grandmother's medicine cabinet. We might recommend the following:

• infusion made from sunflower petals;
• infusion of ordinary oats;
• light blue infusion of cornflower;
• infusion of wormwood;
• infusion of dandelion roots.

Of course, this is not the entire list of folk remedies that can help with loss of appetite, but any of them will help when it is really needed.

Doctors advise taking vitamins and special medications in such situations. Many psychologists say that the best way to force yourself is self-persuasion. Of course, you are not a child, but still try to convince yourself that you will not become huge and strong without the right amount of food.

Lack of appetite due to anorexia is very difficult to cure on your own; therefore, you should not try to do it without the help of experts.

Question to a psychologist

Answers from psychologists

Lyubachevsky Igor Anatolievich

Dear Marusya, you most likely may have nervous fatigue, which in psychiatry is called an astheno-neurotic state, there is nothing wrong with that, its symptoms are indeed different, mostly frightening people with their unusualness. It is worth seeking qualified help from a psychotherapist or psychiatrist so as not to further infect yourself with anxiety about a possible illness, normalize your anxiety and level out your level of activity for passing the next exam. Contacting a psychologist will give the same result.

Lyubachevsky Igor Anatolyevich, psychologist in Khabarovsk

Shenderova Elena Sergeevna

You can ask other psychologists a question

Hello, Marusya! You should consult a psychiatrist or psychotherapist in person - ONLY HE will be able to assess your condition and, if necessary, prescribe appropriate treatment - it is beyond the competence of a psychologist to make preliminary diagnoses and recommend anything!

Marusya, if you need coordinates, feel free to contact me - call or write - I will be glad to help you!

Shenderova Elena Sergeevna, psychologist Moscow

Kotolazova Alla Alexandrovna

You can ask other psychologists a question

Hello, Marusya! There is no need to be afraid of your condition. You did the right thing in what you wrote, of course, you need help, but you can first turn to a clinical psychologist, who will already recommend either psychotherapy or a psychiatrist. I had to work with cases similar to yours. Exams have become a serious stress for you, and since the body is our main Informant, which reports on the state of affairs in general in a person (emotions, behavioral reactions, intrapersonal conflicts, etc.), and malfunctions in the body, these or others talk about disruptions in various mental processes. You did what you wrote correctly, now you need to take the next step, contact a specialist in person.

I will be glad to help, please contact me.

Kotolazova Alla Aleksandrovna, psychologist in Moscow

Galushkina Marina Kubaevna

You can ask other psychologists a question

calm down, pass your exams and after you pass everything, give yourself time to recover: both physical and psychological. You may need 2-3 weeks to do this with vitamins and other restorative procedures. With a psychologist, you will need to clarify why it is so difficult for you to go through the exam procedure - what you put into it besides testing your knowledge.

Sincerely, Galushkina Marina Kubaevna, psychotherapist. Saint Petersburg

Weight loss and nervous experiences: how to cope with critical weight loss

Any traumatic situation affects the functioning of the body. The stomach suffers, hair may fall out, and general health worsens. One of the consequences of stress is weight problems. Moreover, some suffer from gaining extra pounds, while others experience loss of appetite and weight loss to a critical level. Some people begin to have health problems due to weakened immunity as a result of malnutrition; they cannot gain weight even by a few grams. What do doctors say, what actions to take in such a difficult situation?

Physiology of weight loss

Why do people lose weight under stress? A person loses calories even with short-term intense stress. Doctors have calculated that at the moment of a parachute jump, the body spends about 200 kilocalories and only a day after the shock returns to normal. What can we say about chronic stress? Daily experiences have an even more negative impact on metabolism.

Psychotherapist R. Gould, who specializes in eating disorders, came up with a pattern. Stress and weight loss lead to chronic fatigue and depression. Weight loss is a signal from the body that it needs to reduce the intensity of its experiences. Gould notes that the body perceives stress as a disease. Such a state is unnatural for a person. And nature arranges it in such a way that during an illness there is no need to eat intensely, so appetite disappears - this is a reaction to nervous experiences.

Causes of weight loss due to nervous tension

What happens during stress? A person cannot relax, he is tormented by thoughts about problems, emotions do not allow him to concentrate on important things. Stress is often accompanied by overexertion and spasm of body muscles, including the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract. Many people feel that during times of stress, thoughts about food recede, and it is almost impossible to gain weight in such a situation.

What causes such a situation as weight loss during stressful situations? The main reasons are as follows:

1. Instability and weakness of the nervous system leads to an eating disorder against the background of nervous experiences. A person cannot get better and experiences constant worries about this.
2. Hereditary factor: one or more relatives suffered or have nutritional problems.
3. Frequent illnesses, weakened immune system. If emotional experiences are added to this, then the person loses his appetite. In severe cases, vomiting begins after eating.
4. Asthenic physique. A person has a narrow chest, shoulders, thin arms and legs, and underdeveloped muscles. Usually, asthenics have an increased metabolism, it is difficult for them to gain weight even with regular nutrition. When under stress, asthenics quickly lose weight; after long experiences, it is most problematic for them to gain weight.

The effect of stress on appetite

Appetite is a physiological response that provides a supply of nutrients. Loss of appetite due to stress is the main cause of weight loss. If you have a long-term lack of desire to eat, you should consult a doctor, since the body, after a long hunger strike, uses the entire accumulated supply of useful elements and is in a state of exhaustion.

Depression, hard work, quarrels, any experiences contribute to changes in taste preferences and can reduce appetite. Here's what people suffering from lack of appetite write on forums:

“I lost eight kilograms in three years. It all started with entering college. I was very worried about the exams; studying was not easy. I have lost my appetite, I literally force myself to eat. I feel bad, I have stomach problems, and I often catch colds. How can I gain weight? - Lena, 21 years old

“I have already lost 10 kilograms after divorcing my husband, I have no desire to eat. Before going to bed I think about how I will finally eat tomorrow, but in the morning my thoughts are busy with worries. I look like a skeleton, I have lost the incentive to live, I have no appetite, I dream of getting better...” - Vika, 25 years old

Loss of appetite due to anxiety occurs very quickly; often a person realizes that something is wrong when the weight has already dropped catastrophically.

Consequences of malnutrition during stress

What does weight loss lead to? The consequences of severe weight loss due to stress lead to the development of diseases and exhaustion of the body. Main possible problems:

1. A person cannot gain weight, as a result, body weight becomes critical.
2. Sleep problems. As a rule, insomnia torments, there are difficulties falling asleep, and shallow sleep.
3. Exhaustion leads to lethargy, dizziness, and drowsiness.
4. In women, the menstrual cycle is disrupted. In severe cases, sometimes there is no menstruation for several months.
5. Due to a lack of nutrients, the functions of the musculoskeletal system are disrupted.

How to gain weight

How to recover after exhaustion due to nervous experiences? After all, critical weight loss has a detrimental effect on health. The main goal is to eliminate the stress factor. If you can’t do this on your own, then you definitely need to visit a psychotherapist. Only after visiting a doctor and eliminating the problem can the nutrition process be established.

What else can you do to gain weight?

1. The main recommendation is healthy sleep. If you can’t improve your sleep on your own, you can try herbal sedatives. Stronger medications are prescribed by your doctor.
2. Don't get carried away with coffee. Caffeine increases cortisol, the stress hormone.
3. Eat small and varied meals. Meals should be at least five to six times a day.
4. Visit an endocrinologist and get the necessary tests.
5. Take vitamin complexes regularly. Some vitamins increase appetite and can help you gain weight.

It is important to eliminate the source of stress. You can cope with tension with the help of yoga, relaxation in nature, and incorporating hobbies into your life. Increase your resistance to stress, take stock of your life, try not to be offended by trifles, look for good moments and be healthy!

An important addition: if you cannot cope with the problem on your own and gain weight, you should definitely consult a doctor. Severe weight loss leads to serious illness.

Video: psychologist and hypnotherapist Nikolay Nikitenko “Insomnia, anxiety and weight loss”

Loss of appetite due to nervousness

This can manifest itself as a result of important events in life: a transition to another job, the loss of loved ones, a painful break in a relationship with a loved one.

Loss of appetite occurs due to distractions: all sorts of nonsense creeps into the head, a person experiences excessive and prolonged nervousness, everything irritates. Sleep becomes very sensitive and poor. If you notice these symptoms, you should consult a doctor so that he can prescribe the most appropriate medications.

Loss of appetite due to nervousness occurs very quickly, but appetite returns as soon as the nerves return to order. Valerian extract can restore calm, but should be used with caution. Valerian reduces the excitability of the central nervous system, but its excessive use leads to dulling of attention and decreased reaction. It should be taken into account that this product improves the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.

You can take drops purchased at the pharmacy, or prepare an infusion this way: pour 1-2 teaspoons of dry raw materials with a glass of hot water and boil for one minute, then leave for 30 minutes and take one dessert spoon 3-4 times a day after meals.

So, if your appetite has disappeared as a result of stress, then valerian tincture will calm the nerves and have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. When a person is overcome by negative emotions, stress takes control over him, this leads to loss of appetite, weight loss and, as a result, deterioration of the condition of nails, hair, and skin. A healthy glow disappears, dark circles appear under the eyes, and the skin tone becomes sallow.

As a result, getting out of this state becomes not so easy: many systems of the body suffer from stress and weight loss. If you cannot cope with this condition on your own, an urgent consultation with a specialist is necessary. And some people think about how to reduce their appetite in the evening.

Loss of appetite due to nervousness: what to do

At first glance, it seems that stress and depression cause disturbances only in the nervous system. Any nervous disorder provokes a malfunction of all body systems, the autonomic nervous system.

• 55% lose their appetite and food seems less tasty.
• In 30%, emotional distress provokes functional intestinal and digestive disorders.
• For 10%, unpleasant thoughts about life’s problems distract them from eating.
• Less than 5% experience nausea or vomiting due to nervousness.

Lack of appetite can result in undesirable consequences due to stress, which already has a negative effect on the body.

What to do if a person has experienced a mental disorder and refuses to eat? We'll tell you in the article.

Why there is no appetite during stress

1. Any disorder provokes nervous exhaustion, emotional overload, and fatigue.
2. When stressed, the autonomic nervous system, which controls the functioning of internal organs, suffers.
3. Neurosis and depression are a provoking factor of general tension, spasm of the gastrointestinal tract, which is manifested by loss of appetite and altered perception of the taste of food.
4. Being exposed to constant stress, metabolism and hormone secretion changes.
5. Low levels of leptin and estrogen, sudden changes in cortisol due to stress are one of the main causes of nervous loss of appetite.

What could be the consequences?

Without treatment, the risk of rapid weight loss and nervous exhaustion is very high.

• A long-term lack of appetite can result in sleep disturbances and insomnia.
• A common complication of nervous weight loss in women is menstrual irregularities.
• In childhood and adolescence, there is a high risk of vitamin deficiency, a sharp decrease in immunity, impaired formation of the musculoskeletal system, and susceptibility to colds and viral diseases.
• A dangerous consequence of neurosis and depression is anorexia nervosa with rapid weight loss to the point of exhaustion.
• Loss of appetite is accompanied by headache, severe drowsiness and weakness, muscle pain, arrhythmia, muscle spasms, and impaired intestinal motility.

For any nervous disorder, nutrition is an important factor in maintaining body functions.

How to recover from an eating disorder

Appetite regulates the function of the body's intake of nutrients, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The center of hunger and satiety is located in the hypothalamus. If your blood glucose level drops, it sends a signal to eat and increase your energy balance.

With an unbalanced diet and the habit of snacking on sweets, the body does not receive the required amount of nutrients.

You can recover from an eating disorder by following three simple rules:

1. You should eat at least three times a day.
2. In your diet you need to adhere to the formula of 50% carbohydrates, 25% proteins and 25% fats.
3. Consume sweets in small quantities (up to 100 g) as a snack between main meals, and never eat on an empty stomach.

Replenishing the lack of amino acids

The cause of poor sleep and appetite, fatigue and malaise may be a lack of amino acids. The amino acid tryptophan is essential for humans and is involved in the regulation of vitamin B3 synthesis and appetite. You can fill the deficiency with certain products:

• Soybeans and legumes, lentils, chickpeas, peas.
• Dairy products, yogurt, milk, fermented baked milk, kefir.
• All nuts contain tryptophan. It is enough to consume up to 50 g of almonds, walnuts, cashews, and hazelnuts per day.
• Mushrooms and dried fruits, dates, raisins, figs.
• Meat and fish, especially sea fish.

B vitamins

Essential vitamins in food:

• Walnuts contain sufficient amounts of vitamin B1, B5 and B6.
• Bananas are rich in vitamin C and B5-6.
• Almonds and cashews are a source of a whole complex of group B - B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9.
• Avocados and oats are rich in vitamins B1, B5 and B6.
• Spirulina, spinach, asparagus and pumpkin are rich in vitamins B12 and B6.

Foods rich in zinc

In the body, zinc takes part not only in the metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and enzymes, but also promotes sexual development, the functioning of the immune system and the functioning of the pancreas with the synthesis of insulin.

You can compensate for the lack of zinc with the following products:

• Barley and buckwheat groats;
• lean turkey, rabbit and duck meat;
• peas, beans and chickpeas;
• low-fat cheese and cottage cheese;
• pine nuts, peanuts.

Medicines to increase appetite

First of all, it is necessary to make sure of the cause of the eating disorder, since the methods of treating psycho-emotional disorders are extremely different from the treatment of somatic diseases.

Restores appetite in anorexia nervosa syndrome, depression and neurosis.

Indirectly affect appetite and improve psycho-emotional state.

Regulate metabolism and increase tone.

Participates in metabolic processes and restores the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, thereby regulating eating behavior and appetite.

The importance of diet

Regular nutrition not only enriches the body with essential nutrients, but also sets the rhythm of functioning of all digestive and metabolic organs. At the same time, it is important to eat regularly and in a balanced manner, observing the intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Four or five meals a day are optimal.

• Breakfast should be in the first 2 hours after waking up, in a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate and protein foods.
• The first snack can be between breakfast and lunch. Fruits, light salad, dairy products are suitable.

• Lunch should contain at least 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carbohydrates. The share of simple carbohydrates - flour and sweets - should be one third less than the amount of complex carbohydrates (porridge, cereals, legumes).
• The optimal second snack is protein products (eggs, cottage cheese), nuts, 1 fruit of your choice, vegetables in any form.
• Dinner should be light, mostly protein with enough vegetables and fiber. Carbohydrates before bed are not recommended.

Appetite stimulants - spices and seasonings

Some foods especially increase hunger and appetite, and can rightfully replace medications.

1. Marinades, pickles, canned and lightly salted cucumbers and tomatoes.
2. Herbal spices - basil, cilantro, dill, red paprika and chili.
3. Ground black and white pepper.
4. Horseradish, mustard, ginger and wasabi.
5. Fresh sour berries or fruit drinks from cranberries, lingonberries, lemon and pomegranate juice.

However, if you have a stomach disease, gastritis or peptic ulcer, it is prohibited to stimulate your appetite with peppery, salty and sour foods. This can provoke inflammation of the gastric mucosa and exacerbation of the underlying disease.

Conclusion

Loss of appetite may not be the only manifestation of emotional overstrain and stress. To prevent nervous exhaustion and anorexia during depression, you should not resort to methods of increasing appetite without the advice of a doctor. Nowadays, an experienced neuropsychiatrist can easily identify the causes of poor appetite and prescribe the most appropriate treatment and remedies that will not cause harm to the body.

No appetite due to nerves

Our body reacts in its own way to chronic stress, the influence of which affects all organs and systems without exception, attacking first of all the weakest points. Chronic stress not only negatively affects the digestive organs and cardiovascular system, but also affects our appearance - it provokes the appearance of dandruff, hair loss, the herpes virus is activated in the body, the immune system is seriously affected, and therefore colds are overcome. Our eating behavior also suffers from nervous tension. Many people have the habit of “eating” stress, which often leads to serious weight gain, while others, on the contrary, suffer from loss of appetite under stress. How to get rid of nervous tension and not bring weight loss to a critical level.

Causes of weight loss due to stress

To understand why weight loss occurs under stress, you need to understand the physiology of weight loss. Scientists have proven that even with short-term, but quite strong nervous tension, a loss of calories occurs. Thus, while taking the exam, students lose about 200 kilocalories, which is comparable to a parachute jump. However, after a day the body recovers, which does not happen if a person experiences chronic stress, when nervous tension from experiences affects metabolic processes in the body. Our body perceives chronic stress as a disease in which loss of appetite is the body's response to nervous tension, which in turn causes chronic fatigue and depressive disorders. Therefore, loss of appetite under stress and weight loss are “news” from the body that it is time to relieve nervous tension and regain weight and appetite.

So, why exactly is chronic stress the cause of weight loss? Experiencing everyday stress, it is difficult for a person to relax, switch his thoughts and emotions to more important matters, which often tones smooth muscles, causing muscle spasms, including smooth muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, which reduces the need for food.

The following factors provoke weight loss due to chronic stress:

1. Unstable nervous system, as evidenced by nervous tension arising for any reason, even if it is not significant;
2. The absence of a food cult in the family or one of the close relatives who had problems with changes in eating behavior;
3. A weakened immune system and frequent illnesses, coupled with emotional stress, provoke loss of appetite under stress;
4. Body type also plays a role. People with an asthenic physique (thin limbs, narrow chest, underdeveloped muscles) especially suffer from loss of appetite under stress. Asthenics, as a rule, have an increased metabolism, which prevents them from gaining weight even with regular nutrition, and in a state of chronic stress leading to nervous tension, losing weight is not difficult.

What are the risks of losing weight?

What are the risks of losing weight? Loss of appetite under stress can have serious consequences, in which body weight can become critical, sleep disorders appear, in which insomnia occurs in various manifestations (difficulty falling asleep, intermittent sleep, shallow sleep, early awakening). Exhaustion of the body caused by loss of appetite during stress often leads to frequent dizziness, lethargy and drowsiness, and decreased concentration. In women, exhaustion of the body is also reflected in the hormonal background; reduced production of estrogen leads to disruption of the menstrual cycle. In addition, the lack of nutrients obtained from food seriously affects the condition of the musculoskeletal system, disrupting its physiological functions.

How to regain your weight and appetite

How to regain your weight and appetite against the background of nervous tension and emotional distress? First of all, you need to neutralize the stress factor by analyzing it and finding a way out of it yourself or with the help of a psychotherapist, as well as using various relaxation methods.

In addition, healthy sleep will help restore weight and appetite, which can be restored with sedatives of plant origin, which are less dangerous than synthetic sleeping pills, which have a number of side effects that are addictive and dependent. Herbs that have a mild sedative effect and increase bile secretion, which helps increase appetite, include valerian officinalis, peppermint, hop fruit, lemon balm, St. John's wort, motherwort herb, blue cyanosis (the effect is 10 times higher than that of valerian), providing only a calming effect and promoting healthy sleep, but also normalizing the secretion of the glands of the digestive organs.

For ease of administration, preparations made on the basis of these medicinal crops are recommended - Valerian P, Motherwort P, St. John's wort P, the biologically active complex Nervo-Vit, which contains a collection of medicinal herbs (blue cyanosis, lemon balm, motherwort and valerian officinalis). The use of these innovative herbal preparations is of particular importance and a clear advantage over other drugs based on medicinal herbs, since they contain “living” plant materials, which can only be achieved by using cryotreatment, which preserves all the healing power of “living” nature. The recommended preparations produced using the “Secrets of Longevity” technology also include vitamin C, which not only enhances the effect of biologically active substances of medicinal plants, but also neutralizes the effect of free radicals, the increased production of which in the body occurs under the influence of stress.

Vitamin C increases the body's resistance to stress and stimulates the immune system, which is especially important for people with low immunity.

To improve the quality of sleep, you can take drugs produced in the form of dragees using traditional technology, containing plant raw materials: Dragee Valerian P, Dragee Motherwort P, dragees of the “Evening” series: Dragee Vechernee Plus, Dragee Evening Forte, Dragee Evening VHM, including fees sedative medicinal plants.

To regain weight and appetite, you need to be more attentive to your diet, which should be organized at least 5-6 times a day, while eliminating drinks that increase the production of the stress hormone - cortisol (strong tea, coffee, alcohol), replacing them with rosehip decoction or hawthorn, which have a mild sedative effect and are rich in vitamin C, or freshly squeezed fruit juices (preferably citrus).

An exhausted body with loss of appetite from stress requires a significant amount of nutrients, which can be replenished with the vitamin complex Apitonus P, which contains apiproducts, which are a storehouse of all substances useful for human life and an antioxidant complex that restores all redox reactions in the body.

Unstable functioning of the nervous system and sudden weight loss may be associated with dysfunction of the thyroid gland, so you should definitely undergo examination by an endocrinologist and do not forget to visit a doctor in a timely manner, since sudden weight loss may indicate the development of very serious diseases.

Loss of appetite due to nervousness: how to treat it

Lost appetite due to nervousness

In the Healthy Lifestyle section, to the question Lost appetite due to nervousness, what to do? asked by the author Valery Tretyakov the best answer is Tips for those who want to increase their appetite

Less is better, but often. If you don’t want to eat, don’t force your body with large portions. The stomach accepts small portions of food much more readily, so it is advisable to switch to more frequent meals, but in smaller quantities.

Tasty and beautiful. Prepare dishes from your favorite products and don’t forget to serve them beautifully, so that just the sight makes your mouth water.

Drink more fluids. Oddly enough, one of the most common causes of loss of appetite is dehydration or, more simply, dehydration.

Spices, seasonings, saltiness, fats. All kinds of spices and seasonings stimulate the production of gastric juice, thereby stimulating the appetite.

You shouldn’t expect your appetite to increase from something bland and boring - he’s not interested in it. Use mustard, pepper, horseradish, chicory, dandelion leaves, rosemary.

Organize your meals. Make it a rule to always eat at the same time, so that the body gets used to this regime and already knows and looks forward to the upcoming meal.

Do not suppress your appetite with light snacks on the go and sweets. To activate your stomach, eat salads of fresh vegetables and fruits about half an hour before the main course.

Vitamins. Often the reason for a decrease in appetite lies in a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, so to increase your appetite, consult a doctor and choose a good multivitamin complex. Vitamin B12 and ascorbic acid are especially effective in activating appetite.

Bad habits. Finally quit smoking! If you deprive the body of the pleasure it receives from the next dose of nicotine, it will try to find it in something else, most often in food.

An incorrect daily routine is also a bad habit, so try to alternate between work and rest, and most importantly, good, healthy sleep.

Active lifestyle. Exercise, walking in the fresh air, dancing, and even banal regular walking of your beloved four-legged friend will help normalize and increase your appetite, because, as you know, you need to work up an appetite, and it’s difficult to do this while lying on the couch and switching channels with the remote control.

Infusions of bitter herbs and complex herbal infusions are excellent for increasing appetite.

Plants that stimulate the appetite include: wormwood, bison, mustard, parsnip, horseradish, chicory, yarrow, dandelion, gentian, calamus, black currant, plantain, watch.

What can cause loss of appetite and how to increase it?

A complete lack of appetite is an alarm bell, signaling malfunctions in the body (endocrine disorders, rheumatic diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, etc.). Let's try to figure out what the causes of poor appetite are, whether it is possible to quickly improve nutrition and restore health.

Why do I lose my appetite?

Decreased appetite or refusal to eat leads to an imbalance in food balance, a decrease in the content of nutrients and glucose in the blood, which is dangerous for the normal functioning of the body. The main functions of food - energy, bioregulatory, plastic, adaptive, protective, signal-motivational - ensure the vital activity of the body and the constancy of the internal environment. Once in the body, food promotes the construction of new cells, participates in the formation of enzymes and hormones, and replenishes the body with proteins, minerals and vitamins.

If there is no appetite for a long time or any other disturbance in the habitual relationship with food appears, this is a signal that the person needs help. A psychotherapist, gastroenterologist, nutritionist, endocrinologist are specialists who will determine the causes of appetite disorders and help restore it.

Loss or decreased appetite in adults can have a number of causes:

• Intoxication of the body as a consequence of inflammatory processes and poisoning.

Occurs during acute respiratory viral infections, intestinal infections, hepatitis B and C, and chronic renal failure. Intoxication is accompanied by acute rheumatic diseases (lupus erythematosus, polyarthritis, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis), food poisoning, drug poisoning, low-quality alcohol, and carbon monoxide. A person has practically no appetite, weakness appears, as the body has difficulty digesting food. You cannot force feed a patient so as not to harm. It is useful to drink plenty of fluids, which will help get rid of toxins that have arisen as the body fights infection. To find out the cause of the malaise, it is recommended to undergo a detailed blood test and stool culture for intestinal pathogens.

• Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Acute conditions.

Digestive disorders occur with gastritis, enteritis, colitis, gastric ulcers, and liver diseases. Accompanied by nausea, vomiting, heartburn, belching with bitterness, pain in the esophagus and stomach. At the same time, a person is purely reflexively afraid to eat. Frequent split meals are recommended (liquid porridges based on oatmeal, buckwheat, semolina, rice cereals, without salt and seasonings). Such a diet should be supplemented with traditional treatment prescribed by a doctor. It is important to undergo an ultrasound of the abdominal organs, fibrogastroscopy (for gastritis), a general blood test and liver tests. To exclude viral hepatitis, it is recommended to donate blood for hepatitis B and C.

• Disturbances in the functioning of the endocrine system.

They lead not only to loss of appetite, but also to rapid fatigue, constant drowsiness, decreased blood pressure, and slower speech. Such symptoms appear for many years. Pathologies of the thyroid gland are sometimes associated with improper functioning of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus.

It is necessary to be examined by an endocrinologist, donate blood for thyroid hormones T3, T4 and TSH. If a malfunction of the pituitary gland and hypothalamus is suspected, the doctor will prescribe a computed tomography scan of the brain.

• Metabolic disorders due to cancer.

Malignant formations disrupt the metabolism in the body, so taste sensations are distorted and appetite disappears. The person feels nauseous, weakness appears, and intolerance to meat and dairy products often occurs. If a malignant tumor is suspected, an oncologist prescribes examinations in accordance with the clinical manifestations and prescribes treatment based on the results.

• Diseases of the nervous system, psychological disorders (loss of appetite due to depression, neuroses, dementia).

Appetite can change both downward and upward. Loss of appetite due to nervousness is characterized by a lack of sensation of the taste of food. Sometimes the very mention of food or its smell causes a negative reaction, including nausea and vomiting. A person eats only to survive, since food itself does not bring pleasure, and even a small portion of food taken causes a feeling of fullness in the stomach.

Anorexia nervosa is one of the mental disorders and is common among young girls. The pathological desire to correct the “flaws” of the figure at any cost, even at normal weight, leads to a refusal to eat. Over time, a persistent aversion to food appears, muscles atrophy, and the functioning of the musculoskeletal system is disrupted. Patients refuse food for so long that it ceases to be absorbed by the body. A change in the psyche occurs, and the person is no longer able to get out of this state on his own. A psychotherapist will help, and in severe cases, inpatient treatment.

Loss of appetite during pregnancy, children and the elderly

If a child has lost his appetite, he does not receive enough vitamins, micro, and macroelements necessary for growth and development. Babies do not want to eat when their baby teeth are cutting in (from 3 months to 3 years), since this process is often accompanied by fever and pain. Infants and older children refuse food when they have stomatitis (rashes and sores on the oral mucosa), which causes pain.

Pregnant women may lose their appetite for a short period of time. Foods that a woman loved before pregnancy often cause disgust at the beginning of pregnancy, morning or daytime nausea appears, which does not contribute to appetite.

What increases appetite

There are simple ways to increase your appetite:

Fractional meals are better accepted by the body. It is recommended to eat small meals in 4-5 meals at the same time. A beautiful table setting will help whet your appetite.

Walking in the fresh air and physical activity will give you a boost of energy and stimulate your appetite.

Deprived of the pleasure of nicotine and alcohol, the body will look for it in something else, and most often in food.

• Healing herbal infusions and products.

Infusion of wormwood, tea with mint, radish juice, onion, garlic, parsnip, chicory, calamus, black currant, plantain, all citrus fruits, green vegetables increase intestinal motility, strengthen the stomach, and increase appetite. A course of vitamins, minerals, ascorbic acid will strengthen the body and stimulate appetite.

In case of poisoning or overeating, clean drinking water is the best medicine. It flushes poisons and toxins from the body. Dehydration disrupts all vital processes at the cellular level.

For gastritis and other gastrointestinal pathologies, kidney diseases, and rheumatic diseases, you need to get qualified medical advice and treatment.

Short-term fasting for 12 or 24 hours helps improve appetite. The body will rest, get rid of the remains of undigested food, poisons and toxins. If you have gastritis, fasting is contraindicated.

Including fermented milk products (kefir, yogurt) and fiber (microcrystalline cellulose, vegetables, fruits, bran) in large quantities in the diet restores the digestive system, normalizes intestinal microflora and stimulates appetite.

Conclusion

To increase the appetite of a child or adult, you need to promptly find out and eliminate the causes of disorders (cure diseases, change lifestyle, adjust diet). A healthy appetite will ensure good health and mood for many years of life.

A good appetite has always been considered a sign of health and normal functioning of the body. The feeling of hunger is a natural phenomenon that signals that a person needs to “recharge” and restore lost energy. Accordingly, a lack of interest in food may indicate a number of diseases or problems in the functioning of internal organs. What does lack of appetite mean in adults, and in what cases should you consult a doctor?

No appetite: reasons for an adult

What is a healthy appetite?

A signal that the body needs to replenish its reserves of proteins, carbohydrates and other substances is formed in the brain. It is transmitted through neural endings to the digestive organs, as a result of which the secretion of gastric juice is activated, the level of insulin in the blood increases, and the person feels a feeling of hunger.

The mechanisms of our appetite

Lack of appetite indicates disruptions in this process - these could be diseases of the digestive tract, hormonal disorders, oncology and much more.

Causes of loss of appetite may be caused by gastrointestinal diseases

The reasons for loss of interest in food are divided into pathological, that is, those that are the result of malfunctions in the body, and non-pathological - they do not pose a threat to health and do not require medical intervention.

Non-pathological causes of decreased appetite

Non-pathological causes can be distinguished from health-threatening conditions by a number of signs. In this case, there is no appetite for 3-5 days (maximum a week), after which the body’s functioning returns to normal on its own. Such episodes are repeated no more than once a month, do not cause serious weight loss and are not accompanied by nausea, weakness, fever and other symptoms. Such reasons include the impact of external factors on the body and some changes in its functioning, which can be corrected without medical intervention.

1. Accommodations. Lack of appetite can be observed in certain conditions - for example, during very hot weather or a sharp change in climatic zones.

In hot weather, most people have a decreased appetite

Chronic fatigue and lack of appetite

Lack of appetite due to stress

Dietary disorders

In pregnant women, lack of appetite may be caused by toxicosis

A decrease in appetite is often observed in older people, which can also be considered a variant of the norm - in adulthood, metabolic and digestive processes in the body slow down.

Pathological causes of lack of appetite

The reasons for loss of interest in food, which are associated with various diseases, pose a serious health hazard. Vitamins, microelements and nutrients stop entering the body, which over time can lead to general exhaustion and even death. These include:

• infectious diseases and exacerbations of chronic ailments;
• disruptions of the endocrine system (especially those associated with pancreatic dysfunction);
• diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;

In this case, loss of appetite is usually accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness, abdominal pain, etc. If these symptoms develop, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible, as this condition can have serious consequences.

Of particular concern should be cases when a person becomes sick from one type of food, or begins to experience an aversion to once favorite foods (for example, meat dishes) - this phenomenon often accompanies cancer.

If you feel sick from eating, you need to seriously think about your health

What to do if you lose your appetite?

If the lack of appetite is not accompanied by additional symptoms, you can try to restore it by following simple rules. If you have an aversion to food, you should not force your body - it is better to eat when you want, in small portions, but at the same time it is advisable to organize your food intake and eat at approximately the same time. Dishes should be tasty, healthy and beautifully presented - so that interest in food is awakened by just one look.

Garnish dishes with fresh herbs

In addition, if your appetite decreases, you should drink as much water as possible to prevent dehydration, walk in the fresh air more often, engage in physical activity and get proper rest. It is recommended to take vitamin complexes, especially those containing vitamin B12 and ascorbic acid.

Vitamins B and PP

Vitamins C, E, D, K

What should the menu consist of for loss of appetite in adults? The key rule is that the diet should be balanced and contain all the microelements and nutrients necessary for health. In addition, there are a number of products that help increase appetite - primarily herbs, spices, hot and salty foods, as well as marinades. True, it is categorically not recommended to abuse them - in large quantities, such food can cause digestive disorders, gastritis and even ulcers.

Spices improve appetite, but you shouldn’t overuse them

You should also not eat a lot of fatty and heavy foods - after eating you should feel full, not heavy and full in the stomach.

Do not overindulge in foods that are difficult for the stomach.

Before eating, you can drink a gram of dry red wine or other light alcohol with a bitter aftertaste - aperitifs in reasonable quantities contribute to a good appetite.

Mild alcoholic or non-alcoholic drinks, the purpose of which is to slightly quench thirst and stimulate appetite. Snacks are served with them

Classic Venetian aperitif

Foods that help improve appetite include:

• black radish juice - take a tablespoon for several days, washed down with a spoon of clean water;

The rule for such treatment is as follows: from potent remedies (horseradish, mustard, onion, radish), you need to choose one, and use it for no more than 20 days in a row.

Medicines to increase appetite

Medicines that increase appetite should be used only in extreme cases after consultation with a doctor. Each of them has a number of contraindications and side effects, and if used incorrectly and in dosage, they can cause serious harm to the body.

Causes and consequences of weight loss due to stress

The body's response to stress

Any nervous disorder causes serious disturbances in the body's systems. The central nervous system suffers the most, as indicated by the occurrence of various autonomic disorders. Loss of appetite in most cases indicates problems of an emotional nature. This leads to a significant decrease in body weight, which has an extremely adverse effect on the general well-being of patients. People suffering from chronic stress literally melt before our eyes. Poor and irregular nutrition causes a weakening of the immune system, as a result of which the body becomes vulnerable to many diseases, in particular viral pathologies.

Reasons for sudden weight loss

Stress is the main factor that adversely affects a person's appetite. In some cases, nervous tension causes insatiable hunger and people begin to consume a lot of unhealthy and fatty foods. However, obesity is considered a fairly rare consequence of mental disorders. Much more often the opposite trend is observed - weight loss under stress. Emotional stress does not allow you to completely relax and tune in to eating. A spasm of all muscles of the body occurs, including the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, so there is no need to eat. In addition, emotional disturbances also disrupt appetite. Constantly thinking about accumulated problems is so distracting that thoughts about food recede into the background.

Weight loss due to stress occurs in both adults and children. There are too many factors that can cause nervous shock. Problems at school among teenagers, conflicts in the family, financial troubles, illness. Simply put, every person faces stressful situations every day, and if his nervous system is not stable, then its activity is disrupted with subsequent complications.

What does weight loss lead to?

The consequences of malnutrition can be very destructive, and while weight loss may initially be pleasing (this is especially true for women), further weight loss can cause the development of a serious disease such as anorexia. This pathology progresses mainly against the background of mental disorders, in particular stress and depression. Anorexia nervosa is very difficult to treat, so patients very rarely manage to cope with the disease and regain their original weight.

The consequences of prolonged lack of appetite and exhaustion of the body also include:

• decreased brain activity;
• drowsiness and lethargy;
• sleep disorders;
• dysfunction of the musculoskeletal system;
• dizziness and weakness;
• muscle spasms;
• cardiac arrhythmia;
• disruptions of the menstrual cycle in women.

Troubleshooting

Losing weight under stress should prompt you to seek qualified medical help. If measures are not taken in a timely manner to slow down the processes of weight loss and eliminate the main causes of loss of appetite, then the body can become very weak.

Nervous exhaustion leads to aggravation of stress and causes it to become chronic.

To regain your appetite and stop weight loss on your own, you need to use any methods to combat stress - use psychotherapy methods, increase physical activity, find yourself a useful and distracting activity or hobby. At the same time, do not forget about monitoring the work and rest schedule. To restore strength, the body will need a lot of vitamins and good sleep. You can learn more about methods of treating stress and its consequences from a specialist.

Anorexia, translated from Greek, means “no appetite” and is a disease characterized by dysfunction of the digestive tract and brain, which is manifested by a refusal to eat due to a complete loss of appetite.

The specific features of the disease make the pathology very dangerous. There are many deaths caused by heart failure due to anorexia nervosa.

Among anorexics, the majority are girls and teenagers who are addicted to diets and weight loss. Like alcoholism and drug addiction, the presence of anorexia is never acknowledged by the person suffering from it.

Classification of loss of appetite. Conditions leading to anorexia

Loss of appetite is divided according to the mechanism of occurrence:

• Neurodynamic anorexia is depression of the nerve center of the cerebral cortex, which is responsible for appetite, by strong irritants, such as severe pain.
• Anorexia nervosa is a refusal to eat due to schizophrenia, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and a great desire to lose weight.
• Neurotic anorexia - against the background of negative emotions, overexcitation of the cerebral cortex occurs.

Anorexia nervosa most often occurs against the background of depressive and psychiatric conditions, because these conditions are risk factors for the occurrence of anorexia.

Anorexia nervosa. Manifestations of anorexia nervosa

The symptoms of anorexia nervosa are characterized by changes in a person’s well-being, appearance, behavior and psychological sensations. Let's consider the categories of manifestations of anorexia nervosa.

Changes in food behavior of a person with anorexia nervosa:

• There is an obsessive opinion regarding excess weight or obesity.
• A person regularly refuses food and motivates this by the fact that he recently ate or does not want to eat. When eating food, the patient limits himself in quantity.
• Eating turns into a kind of ritual, before which a person carefully sets the table, the food on the table is in very small quantities, everything is cut into small pieces. Food is chewed thoroughly or, conversely, swallowed without being chewed at all.
• People with anorexia avoid events where eating is planned.
• Discomfortable sensations after eating.
• Focus on losing weight, obsessions with calories, a strong and obsessive desire to lose weight at a normal weight.

Behavioral signs of a person with anorexia nervosa:

• Avoidance of society, solitude.
• A great desire for physical activity and severe frustration when it is impossible to exercise regularly.
• Such people choose clothes that are spacious, wide, shapeless, in order to hide their supposedly excess weight.
• Inability to be flexible in thinking, fanatical, aggressive in defending one’s beliefs.

Mental state of a person with anorexia nervosa:

• Feeling of loss of control over your life, unable to take active action.
• Sleep disturbance, mental instability of behavior.
• Depression, apathy to what is happening, fixation on problems, dissatisfaction with one’s affairs and appearance.
• Doesn't consider himself sick and refuses to eat.

Physiological manifestations in the presence of anorexia nervosa:

• Weakness, dizziness, frequent fainting.
• Body weight is 30% or more below normal values, based on age and height.
• Menstrual cycle disorders in women, amenorrhea, impaired sexual activity.
• Constant chilliness and feeling of cold due to poor circulation.
• The presence of thin and soft vellus hair on the body.

With long-term anorexia nervosa, a person loses his health and worsens his appearance. Dystrophy sets in, and then cachexia, which characterizes the exhaustion of the body. Bradycardia, hypotension, and pallor are observed. The skin becomes dry, loses elasticity, and hair falls out. Muscles atrophy over time, internal organs experience dystrophic changes.

What is important in treating anorexia nervosa?

Borderline physical health conditions associated with anorexia nervosa are treated in the intensive care unit. But in order to prevent such a condition from occurring in a person again, psychological help is needed. But before starting psychotherapy, the patient must be convinced that he is sick and needs treatment. Without the patient's awareness of the whole situation, treatment is impossible.

As a rule, the course of psychotherapy takes about 3 months, during which the patient gains weight. Unfortunately, there are many cases of relapses of anorexia nervosa. This again depends on the psychological mood of the person. Therefore, next to a person who is undergoing treatment or has undergone treatment, there should be a loved one who will be support and support for him.

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What does lack of appetite, nausea and weakness mean?

In order to compensate for the lack of all microelements in the body, a person must eat properly and rationally. If there is no appetite, and the food itself causes rejection and a lot of other unpleasant sensations, then the person needs help. Lack of appetite can be caused by a variety of reasons, including not only diseases and pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract. Few people know, but this can also happen due to nervousness. In what situations lack of appetite is accompanied by nausea and weakness, we will find out further.

Combination of symptoms

In order to understand where to look for the cause, you should analyze the specifics of all existing symptoms:

1. Lack of appetite - the fact that a person could use some food is signaled by the brain, the neural endings of which send a signal to the digestive organs, forcing the person to think about food. As a result, gastric juice is gradually produced and the level of insulin in the blood increases. If there is no appetite, it means that the brain is busy with completely different, more important things at the moment. This can also be supported by diseases of the digestive tract, as a result of the progression of which, lack of appetite occurs as a natural protective reaction.
2. Nausea - this process is also completely physiological, it is necessary in order to empty the contents of the stomach in critical situations. This sign is extremely important in diagnosis, because in combination with other symptoms it allows a more accurate diagnosis to be made.
3. Weakness is a condition known to everyone, especially to those people who are forced to work a lot and hard. A person finds it difficult to perform usual actions, while feeling increased stress and fatigue.

Nausea, weakness and lack of appetite are perhaps the most common symptoms that both adults and children are familiar with. What prerequisites may influence the occurrence of such a clinical picture?

Causes

If we systematize all the possible causes that can cause weakness with nausea and complete lack of appetite, then they can be conditionally divided into two large groups: pathological and non-pathological.

Non-pathological causes

These reasons have nothing to do with the presence of diseases. They occur when the body is affected by external pathogenic factors, or occur as a natural process. Their main feature is the following:

• symptoms last no more than 4-5 days, after which they go away on their own;
• do not require medical care or medication;
• do not have life-threatening side effects on the body;
• may be repeated, but not more than once a month;
• do not cause acute weight loss.

1. Menstruation and premenstrual syndrome - during hormonal changes and preparation for fertilization, a woman’s body is literally subject to the actions of hormones. Sharp jumps in progesterone and estrogen, to which the body adapts gradually, can provoke nausea, weakness, and loss of appetite. When the cycle ends and a new one begins, the woman may also experience headaches and abdominal cramps, which is a completely natural process that does not require intervention.
2. Overeating, especially at night - when during the day a person did not have the opportunity to eat properly, and meals were reduced to a maximum of fast food, then when you come home, where a delicious dinner awaits, it is difficult to control yourself. As a result, the gastrointestinal tract organs had no load all day, and in the evening, when, in fact, the body and all its systems are preparing for sleep and slowing down their life support processes, the food eaten can cause poor sleep. Eating heavy food before bed leads to nausea, which indicates the inability of the pancreas to produce the required amount of enzymes. Symptoms are especially acute in the morning, when nausea can continue with vomiting, which will lead to weakness and lack of appetite.
3. Prolonged fasting - unauthorized refusal of food, supposedly in order to lose extra pounds, can cause nausea and weakness. The fact is that if food does not enter the stomach for a long time, the secretion produced has a detrimental effect on the mucous membranes, causing irritation. Sometimes nausea occurs immediately after a person experiences a strong feeling of hunger. Lack of food reduces performance and also causes weakness.
4. Chronic fatigue syndrome is observed in people who constantly experience fatigue and loss of energy. This condition is typical for people who work seven days a week, and the number of hours of work is greater than rest. Workaholism is laudable, but it takes a toll on your health. Lack of adequate sleep affects the nervous system and brain, which can give incorrect commands to the entire body.

Pathological causes

Associated with the presence of a disease in the body. In most cases, medical attention is required to resolve. This group includes the following reasons:

1. Dysbacteriosis is an intestinal disease in which the balance of beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms involved in the digestive process is disrupted. Poor digestion has a detrimental effect on the entire body, since it is not possible to obtain all the nutrients it is rich in from food.
2. Endocrine diseases - hormonal imbalance and insufficient production of certain hormones can provoke nausea, sometimes vomiting, followed by weakness and lack of appetite.
3. Chronic diseases of the digestive system that have worsened - most often such symptoms are inherent in gastritis, stomach and duodenal ulcers, as well as gastroduodenitis. Nausea, weakness and lack of appetite are the first signs that old diseases require attention and timely preventive treatment.
4. Mental disorders - if a person constantly experiences increased emotional stress and stress, while there is no rest and support from loved ones, depression may occur. This psycho-emotional state implies indifference to everything that happens around, and is also accompanied by lack of appetite, nausea and general weakness.
5. Intoxication – if pathogenic microorganisms are active in the body, this provokes intoxication. Especially often, such processes occur in the stomach and intestines, when bacteria entering from the outside begin to actively “take root” into the body and take from it everything that is available. In this case, nausea and loss of appetite are the primary signs indicating the presence of pathogenic microflora.
6. Cardiovascular diseases - similar symptoms are familiar to people suffering from chronic arterial hypertension, when the pressure in the body is increased. Nausea can occur even after eating, and weakness is dictated by the wear and tear of the blood vessels.
7. Drug dependence - if a person, either voluntarily or out of necessity, constantly takes medications, the gastrointestinal tract receives an enormous load, digesting and assimilating chemical compounds. As a result, nausea and lack of appetite may indicate the presence of gastritis and peptic ulcers, as well as pathologies of the pancreas.
8. The presence of cancer - when a person has cancer (no matter what organ), and chemotherapy is carried out, all processes in the body, including digestion, are disrupted. Appetite decreases, which causes fatigue and drowsiness. Nausea and vomiting may occur, especially after taking chemotherapy drugs.
9. The presence of an infection or virus in the body - many will think about why, when you are sick, you don’t feel like eating at all. The answer is very simple. The fact is that at the moment of active production of leukocyte cells, the body concentrates all its forces on this process, allowing the patient to recover as quickly as possible. Lack of appetite in this case is a justified measure. Excessive amounts of toxins can cause nausea and weakness, which can only be eliminated by maintaining adequate fluid balance.

Also, a decrease and complete lack of appetite, weakness and nausea are characteristic of the following categories of the population:

1. Drug addicts – long-term use of narcotic drugs gradually reduces the sensitivity of the brain and nerve cells, which leads to social degradation. Moreover, all the processes occurring in the brain are aimed at only one thing: searching for a dose at any cost.
2. People who smoke - nicotine kills microscopic cells found in the stomach. From here, the process of breaking down food becomes somewhat more complicated. Plus, tar-rich tobacco smoke can affect the circulatory system, causing anemia.
3. Alcoholism is the abuse of alcoholic beverages, which is carried out systematically, leads to disruption of the digestive processes, and also has a destructive effect on the cells of the pancreas and liver.
4. Toxicosis of pregnant women manifests itself as a protective reaction of the body. At the beginning of pregnancy, the hormonal background is rearranged in such a way that all conditions are favorable for the development of the fetus, although the body itself tries in every possible way to reject the fetus, perceiving it as a foreign substance.

TOP 5 reasons

Among the most rare diseases that indicate their existence by provoking nausea, lack of appetite and weakness are:

1. Diabetes mellitus is determined by metabolic disorders in the body, as well as the absorption of glucose. A person may not suspect for quite a long time that he has problems with the pancreas and hormonal system. The pathology can develop over years and decades, until it takes on an acute form with more dangerous symptoms.
2. Neurosis is a disorder of mental balance in which a person, under the influence of external stimuli, leaves his comfort zone. Nausea with neuroses appears exactly after appetite disappears. It is logical to assume that if food does not enter the body, it means there is no energy, and as a result, weakness appears.
3. Pathologies of the thyroid gland - the rather small size of this gland can cause big health problems when its activity becomes uncontrollable. A lack or excess of thyroid hormones provokes various pathologies and diseases that are difficult to correct and treat.
4. Oncology – in 95% of all cases of cancer diagnosis it is due to a random examination. A person may not even know about his problem, and the usual nausea in the morning, lack of appetite and weakness will be attributed to increased fatigue at work.
5. Anorexia is a disease associated with a mental disorder and is the most life-threatening. Long-term refusal of food plays a cruel joke on a person, subsequently provoking a complete aversion to any food, even if it previously caused complete delight. Sudden weight loss is always accompanied by dizziness and insomnia. Absolutely all processes in the body are disrupted, so all available forces are aimed at maintaining vital processes.

When is medical help needed?

Only 3% of all patients who note constant nausea, weakness and loss of appetite seek help from doctors. Most conscious patients are ready to pay thousands for a “pill for all diseases” recommended by a kind aunt from a pharmacy.

Let's consider a number of situations when medical assistance is really urgently needed:

1. Nausea does not go away for more than 5 days, intensifies after waking up and ends with vomiting.
2. In addition to general symptoms, more specific manifestations appear: pain in the abdomen, throat, and back.
3. Body temperature increases and is not reduced by any medications.
4. There is an acute attack of pain.
5. Bloody discharge appears.

What actions can you take?

If the emerging nausea, lack of appetite and weakness can be compared with the prerequisites (overeating, poisoning, PMS), and the general condition of the patient does not cause concern, you can resort to such actions as:

1. Drink a lot of pure mineral water.
2. Take medications with enzymes: Pancreatin, Mezim, Pancreazim, which will speed up the digestion process and also help digest everything that the body could not break down on its own.
3. PMS pain and lack of appetite can be eliminated with cranberry juice, nettle infusion and chamomile tea.
4. If there are signs of an infection or virus on the face, the main task in this case is to maintain water balance (to prevent dehydration and speed up the removal of toxins from the body), as well as taking antiviral and antibacterial drugs.

Of course, the main reason is related to poor nutrition, so you can reduce the manifestation of unpleasant symptoms and completely eliminate them with the help of the following recommendations:

1. Avoid fast food and eat only healthy foods.
2. Take food in small portions, not in one meal, but in 5-6 meals. The smaller the portion, the faster it is digested and absorbed in the body, without burdening it.
3. Drink more pure mineral water, since it is the lack of water in the body that provokes disruption of all vital processes at the cellular level.
4. Eat lean meats and fresh vegetables.
5. Avoid fasting, even if it is for medicinal purposes. Only sports and proper balanced nutrition contribute to weight loss.
6. Undergo an annual medical examination, without ignoring the testimony of doctors.

Thus, the unpleasant symptoms of nausea and loss of appetite can be associated with more than a hundred diseases, different in their focus. This fact indicates that if the symptoms do not go away on their own, and the clinical picture is supplemented by new manifestations, then you should definitely seek help from a doctor.

• nausea
• weakness
• lack of appetite
• constipation
• smell from the mouth

If you have at least 2 of these symptoms, then this indicates developing gastritis or an ulcer. These diseases are dangerous due to the development of serious complications (penetration, gastric bleeding, etc.), many of which can be FATAL. Treatment needs to start now. Read the article about how a woman got rid of these symptoms by defeating their root cause. Read the material.

• nausea
• smell from the mouth
• heartburn
• diarrhea
• constipation
• belching
• increased gas formation (flatulence)

If you have at least 2 of these symptoms, then this indicates developing gastritis or an ulcer. These diseases are dangerous due to the development of serious complications (penetration, gastric bleeding, etc.), many of which can be FATAL. Treatment needs to start now. Read the article about how a woman got rid of these symptoms by defeating their root cause using a natural method. Read the material.

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Loss of appetite due to nervousness: what to do

At first glance, it seems that stress and depression cause disturbances only in the nervous system. Any nervous disorder provokes a malfunction of all body systems, the autonomic nervous system.

• 55% lose their appetite and food seems less tasty.
• In 30%, emotional distress provokes functional intestinal and digestive disorders.
• For 10%, unpleasant thoughts about life’s problems distract them from eating.
• Less than 5% experience nausea or vomiting due to nervousness.

Lack of appetite can result in undesirable consequences due to stress, which already has a negative effect on the body.

What to do if a person has experienced a mental disorder and refuses to eat? We'll tell you in the article.

Why there is no appetite during stress

1. Any disorder provokes nervous exhaustion, emotional overload, and fatigue.
2. When stressed, the autonomic nervous system, which controls the functioning of internal organs, suffers.
3. Neurosis and depression are a provoking factor of general tension, spasm of the gastrointestinal tract, which is manifested by loss of appetite and altered perception of the taste of food.
4. Being exposed to constant stress, metabolism and hormone secretion changes.
5. Low levels of leptin and estrogen, sudden changes in cortisol due to stress are one of the main causes of nervous loss of appetite.

What could be the consequences?

Without treatment, the risk of rapid weight loss and nervous exhaustion is very high.

• A long-term lack of appetite can result in sleep disturbances and insomnia.
• A common complication of nervous weight loss in women is menstrual irregularities.
• In childhood and adolescence, there is a high risk of vitamin deficiency, a sharp decrease in immunity, impaired formation of the musculoskeletal system, and susceptibility to colds and viral diseases.
• A dangerous consequence of neurosis and depression is anorexia nervosa with rapid weight loss to the point of exhaustion.
• Loss of appetite is accompanied by headache, severe drowsiness and weakness, muscle pain, arrhythmia, muscle spasms, and impaired intestinal motility.

For any nervous disorder, nutrition is an important factor in maintaining body functions.

How to recover from an eating disorder

Appetite regulates the function of the body's intake of nutrients, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The center of hunger and satiety is located in the hypothalamus. If your blood glucose level drops, it sends a signal to eat and increase your energy balance.

With an unbalanced diet and the habit of snacking on sweets, the body does not receive the required amount of nutrients.

You can recover from an eating disorder by following three simple rules:

1. You should eat at least three times a day.
2. In your diet you need to adhere to the formula of 50% carbohydrates, 25% proteins and 25% fats.
3. Consume sweets in small quantities (up to 100 g) as a snack between main meals, and never eat on an empty stomach.

Replenishing the lack of amino acids

The cause of poor sleep and appetite, fatigue and malaise may be a lack of amino acids. The amino acid tryptophan is essential for humans and is involved in the regulation of vitamin B3 synthesis and appetite. You can fill the deficiency with certain products:

• Soybeans and legumes, lentils, chickpeas, peas.
• Dairy products, yogurt, milk, fermented baked milk, kefir.
• All nuts contain tryptophan. It is enough to consume up to 50 g of almonds, walnuts, cashews, and hazelnuts per day.
• Mushrooms and dried fruits, dates, raisins, figs.
• Meat and fish, especially sea fish.

B vitamins

Essential vitamins in food:

• Walnuts contain sufficient amounts of vitamin B1, B5 and B6.
• Bananas are rich in vitamin C and B5-6.
• Almonds and cashews are a source of a whole complex of group B - B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9.
• Avocados and oats are rich in vitamins B1, B5 and B6.
• Spirulina, spinach, asparagus and pumpkin are rich in vitamins B12 and B6.

Foods rich in zinc

In the body, zinc takes part not only in the metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and enzymes, but also promotes sexual development, the functioning of the immune system and the functioning of the pancreas with the synthesis of insulin.

You can compensate for the lack of zinc with the following products:

• Barley and buckwheat groats;
• lean turkey, rabbit and duck meat;
• peas, beans and chickpeas;
• low-fat cheese and cottage cheese;
• pine nuts, peanuts.

Medicines to increase appetite

First of all, it is necessary to make sure of the cause of the eating disorder, since the methods of treating psycho-emotional disorders are extremely different from the treatment of somatic diseases.

Restores appetite in anorexia nervosa syndrome, depression and neurosis.

Indirectly affect appetite and improve psycho-emotional state.

Regulate metabolism and increase tone.

Participates in metabolic processes and restores the metabolism of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, thereby regulating eating behavior and appetite.

The importance of diet

Regular nutrition not only enriches the body with essential nutrients, but also sets the rhythm of functioning of all digestive and metabolic organs. At the same time, it is important to eat regularly and in a balanced manner, observing the intake of proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

Four or five meals a day are optimal.

• Breakfast should be in the first 2 hours after waking up, in a 2:1 ratio of carbohydrate and protein foods.
• The first snack can be between breakfast and lunch. Fruits, light salad, dairy products are suitable.

• Lunch should contain at least 40% protein, 30% fat and 30% carbohydrates. The share of simple carbohydrates - flour and sweets - should be one third less than the amount of complex carbohydrates (porridge, cereals, legumes).
• The optimal second snack is protein products (eggs, cottage cheese), nuts, 1 fruit of your choice, vegetables in any form.
• Dinner should be light, mostly protein with enough vegetables and fiber. Carbohydrates before bed are not recommended.

Appetite stimulants - spices and seasonings

Some foods especially increase hunger and appetite, and can rightfully replace medications.

1. Marinades, pickles, canned and lightly salted cucumbers and tomatoes.
2. Herbal spices - basil, cilantro, dill, red paprika and chili.
3. Ground black and white pepper.
4. Horseradish, mustard, ginger and wasabi.
5. Fresh sour berries or fruit drinks from cranberries, lingonberries, lemon and pomegranate juice.

However, if you have a stomach disease, gastritis or peptic ulcer, it is prohibited to stimulate your appetite with peppery, salty and sour foods. This can provoke inflammation of the gastric mucosa and exacerbation of the underlying disease.

Conclusion

Loss of appetite may not be the only manifestation of emotional overstrain and stress. To prevent nervous exhaustion and anorexia during depression, you should not resort to methods of increasing appetite without the advice of a doctor. Nowadays, an experienced neuropsychiatrist can easily identify the causes of poor appetite and prescribe the most appropriate treatment and remedies that will not cause harm to the body.

Loss of appetite due to nervousness

This can manifest itself as a result of important events in life: a transition to another job, the loss of loved ones, a painful break in a relationship with a loved one.

Loss of appetite occurs due to distractions: all sorts of nonsense creeps into the head, a person experiences excessive and prolonged nervousness, everything irritates. Sleep becomes very sensitive and poor. If you notice these symptoms, you should consult a doctor so that he can prescribe the most appropriate medications.

Loss of appetite due to nervousness occurs very quickly, but appetite returns as soon as the nerves return to order. Valerian extract can restore calm, but should be used with caution. Valerian reduces the excitability of the central nervous system, but its excessive use leads to dulling of attention and decreased reaction. It should be taken into account that this product improves the activity of the gastrointestinal tract.

You can take drops purchased at the pharmacy, or prepare an infusion this way: pour 1-2 teaspoons of dry raw materials with a glass of hot water and boil for one minute, then leave for 30 minutes and take one dessert spoon 3-4 times a day after meals.

So, if your appetite has disappeared as a result of stress, then valerian tincture will calm the nerves and have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. When a person is overcome by negative emotions, stress takes control over him, this leads to loss of appetite, weight loss and, as a result, deterioration of the condition of nails, hair, and skin. A healthy glow disappears, dark circles appear under the eyes, and the skin tone becomes sallow.

As a result, getting out of this state becomes not so easy: many systems of the body suffer from stress and weight loss. If you cannot cope with this condition on your own, an urgent consultation with a specialist is necessary. And some people think about how to reduce their appetite in the evening.