Sudden weight loss can be a sign of a serious illness. Weight fluctuations of 1-2 kilograms are normal. But if you have lost more than 5% of your original weight, and this is in no way explained by changes in your diet and lifestyle, you should be wary and undergo a medical examination. A person loses weight when the organs of our body - the brain, heart, muscles - no longer have enough nutrients for normal work, and they send a signal to the adipose tissue that it is time to use additional resources. In response to this signal, fat cells begin lipolysis - the breakdown of fat - and provide the body with the necessary energy.

1. Sudden weight loss can be a sign of a serious illness.
Weight fluctuations of 1-2 kilograms are normal. But if you have lost more than 5% of your
original weight, and this is in no way explained by changes in your diet and lifestyle, you
should be wary and undergo a medical examination.
A person loses weight when the organs of our body - the brain, heart, muscles - no longer
have enough nutrients for normal work, and they send a signal to the adipose tissue that it is
time to use additional resources. In response to this signal, fat cells begin lipolysis - the
breakdown of fat - and provide the body with the necessary energy.
Reason for weight loss: DEPRESSION
One of the most common causes of sudden weight loss is depression. Depressed people
have impaired taste perception. Any food seems tasteless, appetite decreases. In addition,
neurosis and depression are often accompanied by an exacerbation of diseases of the
gastrointestinal tract, such as gastritis. Discomfort after eating aggravates the symptoms.
What to do? If, in addition to losing weight, you notice that you have a constant bad mood,
apathy, lethargy and lethargy, contact a psychotherapist. Only a qualified specialist can
make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
Signs of anorexia in a woman. The disease usually begins against the background of normal
nutrition, but every day the patient eats less and less. The reason for this, in her opinion, is
the excessive fullness of her arms and legs. The less she eats, the less she wants to eat,
and even becoming like a skeleton, she still sees herself as fat and is horrified at the
seeming weight gain. She will be reluctant to undress in front of anyone to hide her weight
loss. In order to escape the pressure of loved ones and normal nutrition, she will hide and
throw away food or make herself vomit after eating. Such patients often take large amounts
of laxatives, mistakenly believing that this will help them maintain their reduced weight.
With increasing weight loss, most women with anorexia stop menstruating. The skin
becomes yellowish, a gentle fluff appears on the body. Without proper treatment, many
sufferers develop severe depression and, in some cases, thoughts of suicide.

2. Cause of weight loss: HORMONAL DISORDERS
Thyroid, adrenal, pituitary and pancreatic hormones are responsible for the intensity of
metabolism in the body, so problems with these endocrine organs are immediately reflected
in weight. In patients with hyperthyroidism and type 1 diabetes, body weight decreases
despite increased appetite. Such diseases are accompanied by weakness, dry skin,
increased heart rate and mood disorders.
What to do? Be sure to visit an endocrinologist and get tested for thyroid hormones (TSH,
T3, T4). Blood tests are also needed: general and glucose.
Reason for weight loss: GI DISEASES
Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract cause weight loss. In the "list of suspects"
enterocolitis, atrophic gastritis and celiac disease. These diseases lead to atrophy of the
lining of the stomach and intestines, resulting in impaired absorption of nutrients, and this
leads to weight loss. Symptoms can vary: pain, bloating, a feeling of heaviness, diarrhea or
constipation. The lack of vitamins and microelements can manifest itself in the form of
anemia, dry skin, brittle nails, bleeding gums.
What to do? Address to the gastroenterologist. Most likely, he will prescribe a gastroscopy
and fecal analysis in order to make an accurate diagnosis.
Reason for weight loss: Diseases of the pancreas and gallbladder
Body weight decreases in chronic pancreatitis and chronic cholecystitis. Due to these
diseases, digestion is disturbed and the body loses the ability to absorb certain nutrients.

3. Patients feel discomfort after eating, nausea, diarrhea appear, with cholecystitis - pain in the
right hypochondrium. The stool changes consistency and acquires a greasy sheen.
What to do? Consult with a gastroenterologist. It is necessary to do an ultrasound of the
abdominal organs and pass a stool test. Follow a diet: exclude fatty and spicy foods from the
diet, eat little and often.
Cause of Weight Loss: INFECTIONS AND PARASITES
Weight loss can be a sign of a serious viral illness. Hepatitis C or HIV can develop for a long
time without significant symptoms, and often it is weight loss that is the first sign of the
disease.
Another reason for weight loss can be tuberculosis. Patients lose their appetite, in addition,
the body spends a lot of energy to fight the infectious agent. In addition to weight loss, the
classic signs of pulmonary tuberculosis are a prolonged cough with sputum production, as
well as a prolonged rise in temperature above 37 ° C, general weakness and night sweats.
A person can lose weight dramatically if helminths or parasitic protozoa, such as Giardia,
have settled in the intestines. Infection may be accompanied by nausea, bloating, stool
disorders, and skin rashes or fever.
What to do? Self-diagnosis is useless, you need to contact a therapist or infectious disease
specialist. Depending on your symptoms, you may be prescribed a chest x-ray, stool test,
and various blood tests.
Cause of weight loss: oncology and blood diseases
Oncological diseases are often accompanied by significant weight loss and deterioration in
the general condition of patients - cancer cachexia. Patients lose their appetite, the
perception of taste is disturbed. There are metabolic pathologies - muscle mass and the
volume of adipose tissue decrease even with good nutrition. In addition, psychological
factors can cause weight loss: patients with a recently confirmed diagnosis lose weight due
to developing depression. Chemotherapy also leads to temporary weight loss.

4. Weight loss is one of the main symptoms of lymphoma and lymphogranulomatosis. In
addition to weight loss, these diseases are evidenced by painless enlargement of lymph
nodes in the neck, armpits, and groin. With leukemia, weight loss is also observed.
What to do? Constant weakness, fatigue, prolonged fever are symptoms that should alert
you. You need to visit a general practitioner who can refer you to the right specialist - an
oncologist or a hematologist. It will be necessary to pass a general and biochemical blood
tests, make an x-ray. If lymphoma or lymphogranulomatosis is suspected, computed
tomography of the chest and abdominal cavity, a biopsy of the lymph nodes are prescribed,
and a puncture of the pelvic bone is performed to exclude leukemia.
Which doctors to contact if weight loss occurs:
The changes that occur in the body during weight loss cause serious disorders of the
digestive system, metabolism, weaken the immune defense, cause dysfunction of the
endocrine glands, therefore, when the first signs of a symptom appear, it is necessary to
urgently consult a general practitioner (therapist, pediatrician, family doctor).
You may also need to consult a doctor:
● Endocrinologist
● Oncologist
● Gastroenterologistpsychologist
● Infectionist
● Rheumatologist
● Phthisiatrician
With the exclusion of organic pathology and the confirmation of the diagnosis of anorexia
nervosa, a psychiatric examination is necessary.