With all the statistics you get to know about obesity in the USA, you might consider weight loss a naturally good thing. But when people experience an unintended and rapid weight loss, it can signify an underlying medical condition.

Sometimes we don’t have a standard definition of this unexplained weight loss, but significantly, natural weight loss is 5% or more weight reduction within 6-12 months. While natural weight loss occurs because of low-calorie consumption, changing lifestyle habits, and an increased physical workout, unintended weight loss happens because of underlying conditions.

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What Medical Conditions Cause Rapid Weight Loss?

Here are some conditions and issues that may lead to sudden weight reduction:

1. Depression

Early recognition and awareness can help if depression and other mental disorders lead to unnecessary weight loss. Sometimes treatment includes a multidisciplinary method like dietary and lifestyle changes, medications, behavioral changes, and counseling.

2. Gut Disease

Bowel diseases usually include various symptoms, such as vomiting, nausea, appetite, and change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, or bloating. A few instances are chronic liver disease, celiac disease, and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease). Your general physician may recommend a gastroenterologist for a checkup, which generally needs endoscopy or imaging studies.

3. Hyperthyroidism

It is because of a highly active thyroid. Weight loss occurs mainly because of high metabolic rate and gut mobility. Moreover, you may encounter symptoms like sleep changes, exhaustion, issues in regulating body temperature, and irritability. After diagnosing hyperthyroidism, doctors can treat it using different methods. You can discuss the same with your general physician or an endocrinologist. Treatments for this medical condition may involve surgery, radioactive iodine, or medications.

4. Diabetes

If a diabetic patient has inadequate insulin, the body cannot receive glucose from the blood and use it as energy. It may cause the body to reduce fat, breaking down muscles for energy, and resulting in faster weight loss. Other signs of diabetes include sweats, numbness, urination, thirst, and exhaustion. Your general physician can do blood glucose testing to decide whether you have diabetes, mainly if you can find diabetes in your family’s medical history.

5. Parasite

Two common intestinal parasites are crypto and giardia. Sometimes weight loss occurs because of malnutrition and Malabsorption as the parasite misleads the nutrients you intake. Maintain good personal hygiene, like washing hands frequently. During traveling, ensure to drink clean water, and food is well-managed at restaurants. Treatment will significantly depend on the parasite’s identification.

Final Words

Having a good connection with your general physician and regular yearly checkups will help you recognize the risks and causes behind rapid weight loss. Your primary care doctors can treat such sudden weight loss by recognizing the medical conditions. If they cannot identify any situation, they may suggest a wait-and-see method alongside a special diet.

For example, they can suggest adding more calories to your diet or adding some flavors to enhance the food’s taste so you can eat properly. Moreover, they can recommend dietician’s consultation and counseling for better results.

If you want to experience a healthy weight loss, feel free to consult with some weight loss specialists of Telemedicine Practitioners. It’s time to lead healthy lifestyle habits to prevent unintended weight loss!

Barbara G.
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