Symptomatically, the cancer process is manifested by local signs and general symptoms. Of the local manifestations, it is worth noting pain, probing the tumor conglomerate, or the presence of visible changes on the skin. As for the general signs, the person notes pronounced weakness, fever and poor cancer appetite.
Appetite regulates the intake of nutrients in the body for its normal functioning. Increased or decreased appetite can be due to both physiological regulation and pathological processes.
In malignant neoplasms, there is often a reduced desire to eat food, which ultimately can lead to.
Causes of loss of appetite for cancer
Reduced appetite for cancer is caused by cancer intoxication due to the release of toxic substances into the blood by the tumor. This is especially true of the stage when a malignant conglomerate decays.
Lack of appetite in cancer patients is also associated with fear, because often after eating nausea and vomiting, so the person deliberately warns them, refusing to eat.
In addition, with malignant loss of appetite may be associated with rapid saturability. The neoplasm, gradually increasing, fills the internal lumen of the stomach, resulting in a small amount of food remains.
Separately, it should be said about the effects of strong chemotherapeutic drugs that are used in the fight against cancer cells. Often, their side effects are nausea and upset stools, especially after eating.
In case of cancer of the digestive system organs, the advance of the food bolus along the tract can also cause pain, which is why the patient refuses to eat, preventing the appearance of severe pain.
Decreased appetite can be observed with endocrine dysfunction, for example, with reduced thyroid, pituitary, or hypothalamic work.
What if there is no appetite for cancer?
With reduced appetite must adhere to a certain diet, taking into account the caloric content, protein, fat and carbohydrates.
- Calorie content should be increased by 450 kcal per day due to high-calorie foods without excess fat. Thus, the work of the stomach will not increase, and additional energy will enter the body, necessary to fight cancer.
- In the absence of the possibility of feeding in a natural way (through the mouth), for example, with severe cachexia, the lack of the possibility of swallowing or critical narrowing of the esophagus, the question of setting up a nasogastric tube is considered. It is a "tube" that is inserted through the nose and moves through the nasopharynx and esophagus directly into the stomach. Due to this, food enters directly into the stomach. In this case, ground products and liquid dishes are used.
- Intravenous nutrition is also common among cancer patients. For this purpose, solutions of amino acids (“Oliklinomel”) are used.
To increase the appetite, the doctor may prescribe "Megestrol", which is a hormone - progesterone, and improves the appetite, activates the process of increasing body weight. Steroid drugs (“Dexamethasone”) are also able to improve well-being, appetite and get rid of. Metoclopramide eliminates nausea and prevents early satiety. Pancreatic enzymes can be used to facilitate the digestion process.
How to increase the appetite of cancer patients?
Herbs-based infusions and herbal teas will help increase the appetite for a seriously ill patient:
- 5 g of crushed calamus boiled in 400 ml of water for a quarter of an hour. Drink three times before meals for 2 glasses.
- 5 g of wormwood need to insist half an hour in a glass of boiling water. Drink 15 ml three times for half an hour before meals.
- 10 g of crushed dandelion overnight infused in a glass of cold water. Take three times half an hour before meals, 50 ml.
- 10 g of raspberry (berries) insist half an hour in a glass of boiling water. Drink warm four times a day for 100 ml.
- 10 g of blue cornflower flowers pour a glass of boiling water and drink 10 minutes later (half an hour before meals).
- 5 g of ground fruits of anise should be infused for half an hour in boiled water with a volume of 200 ml. Drink 100 ml half an hour before meals.
- 2 g of parsley must be heated (do not boil) on the fire in a glass of water for half an hour. Then filter and take 15 ml four times a day.
Also, you can increase your appetite acupressure. It is necessary to press rhythmically with moderate force for 20 seconds on the area on the sides of the nail on the little finger. Pressing can be done with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand.
Cancer patients may also occasionally experience increased appetite. This may be due to hormonal imbalance, damage to the pituitary or hypothalamus. In addition, an increase in appetite may occur at the initial stage of cancer and during recovery.
Even when lowered cancer appetiteIt is recommended to eat 6 times a day, in small portions, but always high-calorie and high-quality products.
The article describes the causes of reduced appetite, and lists solutions to the problem. You will also learn why bodybuilding success is 50% dependent on nutrition.
Healthy appetite - a pledge of the correct set of muscle mass. Appetite is one of the main indicators of training intensity. If after classes you have an overwhelming desire to eat something, it means that the training was done correctly, and the body regains its natural process.
But, unfortunately, this desire does not always occur. But without the consumption of the required amount of food, recovery processes occur more slowly. Accordingly, muscle growth slows down.
Causes of lack of appetite
Apart from the fact that lack of appetite can be associated with individual eating habits or insufficient training intensity, the reason is sometimes more serious. Before you begin to increase the feeling of hunger by any means, you should make sure that you do not have pathologies that could cause anorexia. These include:
- diseases of the digestive tract - gastritis, ulcers, and others;
- pathological processes in the liver or gallbladder;
- mental disorders, depressive states;
- malignant neoplasms;
- inflammatory, infectious processes in the body.
It can also cause this disorder to take certain types of drugs and bad habits, such as alcohol abuse and smoking. Another possible cause of lack of appetite may be poor digestion, since the feeling of heaviness in the stomach and discomfort discourage the desire to eat something.
In this case, you should initially deal with this problem, and then improve your appetite. Enzymes will be useful for digestion, they help break down food and assimilate useful trace elements. Let Festal, Mezim or Pancreatin be always with you.
How to improve the appetite
For a bodybuilder, it is important to get the necessary amount of protein from food, since it is this element that leads to muscle growth. But proteins are rather voluminous and for their digestion the stomach takes much more time than, for example, for carbohydrates. Therefore, the daily rate of protein foods provided for a bodybuilder is quite difficult to absorb.
But there is a way out of every situation. There are certain recommendations that contribute to increased appetite, here are some of them:
- Eat more often, but less - it will allow you not to overfill the stomach, and it will require less time for splitting food. Accordingly, the feeling of hunger will come faster.
- In order to avoid aversion to any product, even if you really like it, you should systematically introduce diversity in the diet.
- Eating before bedtime leads to a decrease in blood glucose levels, which will cause an increase in appetite in the morning.
- Before eating drink a glass of sour juice, it contributes to receptor irritation and increases the feeling of hunger.
- Sour juice can be replaced with a slice of lemon or a solution of ascorbic acid. The effect will be the same.
- To increase the desire to eat something helps walking in the fresh air and exercise.
- We should not forget about the psychological factor, because the desire to eat something is initially formed as a signal from the brain. A beautifully laid table, an appetizing-looking dish and a pleasant aroma will surely make you want to eat.
Herbs that increase appetite
Fees of various herbs have always been considered excellent helpers for various diseases, and the lack of appetite was no exception.
For these purposes, it is customary to use bitter-tasting collections. They contribute to moderate irritation of the gastric mucosa and reflexively cause a feeling of hunger. Their main advantage is almost complete safety for the body, since they do not cause side effects.
Herbal preparations should be carefully taken for people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and those who are prone to allergic reactions.
The best herbs and charges for improving appetite, which can be easily purchased at the pharmacy, are:
- centaury;
- calamus root;
- bitter tincture;
- sagebrush;
- picking appetizing;
- dandelion root.
Preparations for increasing appetite
Pernexin. This elixir has a moderate degree of increase in appetite, all its components are of natural origin, therefore its reception is considered safe. The drug contains a whole complex of vitamins, especially group B, as well as iron and sodium glycerophosphate.
Peritol has a high impact on the receptors responsible for the feeling of hunger. The main effect of the drug is blocking the receptors that suppress appetite. The drug has contraindications, side effects may also occur.
Of the main contraindications are:
- increased intraocular pressure;
- asthma;
- gastritis or gastric ulcer;
- age after 50 years.
- nausea;
- headache;
- stomach cramps;
- dizziness;
- sense of anxiety.
Steroids. Virtually all anabolic stimulants cause an improvement in appetite, since it is an integral part of the increase in muscle mass. The best for these purposes is Primobolan. But we should not forget about all the possible side effects that are characteristic of this group of drugs.
Supplements and vitamins. The main vitamin, the decrease in the amount of which in the body causes a lack of appetite, is considered B12, and it is precisely its consumption that should be increased. Its best source is ascorbic acid. In addition, you should take the entire complex of vitamins, especially group B.
Iron preparations also proved to be effective in combating lack of appetite. They should be consumed with meals. But an excessive amount of iron or individual intolerance to this component can cause a breakdown of the digestive system. Medicaments containing iron - Fenuls, Ferrum Lek, Sorbifer.
There are also supplements sold in pharmacies. For example, Limontar on the basis of citric and succinic acid, or Stimuvet, containing a complex of vitamins. But practice has shown that their effect is assessed as low.
As a rule, appetite worsens in the summer. When it's hot outside, the desire to eat is dramatically reduced. If for an ordinary person to throw a couple of extra pounds is even useful, then for a bodybuilder - this is a serious problem. All kilograms that an athlete will lose are cherished muscles, since in principle he no longer has fat.
If everything is already quite difficult, and the intake of certain drugs and medicines gives only a temporary effect, but you still need it, eat protein shakes. Of course, they can not and should not replace your basic diet, but they still bring 20-25% of the necessary protein into the body. Remember about vitamins, active workouts and healthy sleep, and then you will not have problems with appetite.
Video about foods that increase appetite:
Having a good, healthy appetite is a sign that a person is healthy. As a rule, his deterioration is associated with emotional and physical problems. The cause of poor appetite can be many diseases, for example, a violation of digestion. To learn how to improve the appetite of an elderly person, read below.
A sign of what appears to be a poor appetite for an elderly person.
Lack of appetite in an elderly person can be caused by:
Cardiovascular diseases;
Pneumonia, influenza, hepatitis or infection;
Cirrhosis, acute heart failure, or chronic renal failure;
Cancer of the stomach, colon, blood;
Inflammation of the alimentary canal, intestines;
Diabetes, low thyroid hormone, endocrine problems;
Certain types of dementia;
Autoimmune diseases;
Various mental disorders. For example, the appetite of older people may be spoiled due to schizophrenia;
Certain medicines. For example, poor appetite in older people can be caused by anesthetics, antibiotics, diabetes medications or chemotherapy.
The above reasons are not limited to the list of factors causing poor appetite in an older person. We should not forget that its deterioration may be associated with bad habits, excessive consumption of fatty foods and sweets. Sometimes it is impossible to determine what causes the loss of appetite in the elderly.
What can lead to lack of appetite in an elderly person
If the elderly have no appetite, this is fraught with weight loss, loss of strength, and general weakness. Sometimes because of this, all body systems fail. By the way, the worst case scenario is a violation of the brain, because the pensioner does not eat anything, which means that the necessary nutrients and trace elements do not enter the body with food. As you understand, poor appetite in the elderly is a serious problem.
A poor appetite in an elderly person can lead to muscle atrophy, problems with the musculoskeletal system. Anorexia is a common disease that occurs among the elderly. As a rule, the patient has no complaints, he gradually loses weight, but does not feel hunger. In such difficult situations, poor appetite in an elderly person can be fatal. To help the patient can only specialists. He needs to contact an endocrinologist, a gastroenterologist, a psychotherapist and complain about poor appetite.
What tests will have to pass
If a poor appetite for an elderly person causes weight loss, then you need to consult with a specialist. As a rule, a poor appetite for an elderly person signals the presence of a serious illness. The doctor examines the patient, prescribe tests, find out the reason for the absence of hunger.
Through a blood test, a specialist will find out what caused an elderly person to have a poor appetite. For example, we can talk about liver diseases, diabetes, impaired hormonal functions of the body. A urinalysis is prescribed to check whether a poor kidney infection is not caused by an infection in the kidney, and a chest x-ray is necessary to detect lung cancer, pneumonia.
To find out the reason that causes a poor appetite in an elderly person, it is necessary to conduct medical procedures. We are talking about a barium enema, a blood test (complete), an ultrasound scan of the abdominal organs, testing the functions of the liver, kidneys, a study of the thyroid gland, urinalysis and an X-ray of the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract.
If a poor appetite in an older person does not pass, then this is fraught with exhaustion. The appearance of the remaining consequences is determined depending on the disease caused by a lack of appetite. For example, if a poor appetite in an elderly person is caused by diabetes, then this can lead to disruption of the eyes and kidneys.
How to increase the appetite of an elderly person at home
If there is no appetite in the elderly, what to do? How to restore a healthy appetite? First of all, you need to understand what is the reason for his absence. For example, the pensioner is worried about nausea. Then the treatment involves the use drugsremoving nausea.
If the patient has dementia, the doctor will prescribe an artificial diet with a gastrostomy tube or high-calorie nutritional mixtures. If an elderly person has a poor appetite due to appendicitis, then surgical treatment is indispensable. If the deterioration of appetite is due to hormonal disruption, then you will need to take special hormone replacement drugs. If it is cancer, then the elderly person will have to undergo chemotherapy, radiation therapy.
How to increase the appetite of an elderly person? Use our tips:
Take care to include foods, nutritious snacks and high-protein drinks in the menu to improve appetite in older people.
An effective dietary supplement containing vitamin B complex - yeast. How to raise the appetite of an elderly person? Add green vegetables and foods containing zinc to your diet.
You can improve the appetite of older people with the help of herbal infusion, which should be drunk half an hour before meals. Chamomile, dill, lemon balm, peppermint help restore appetite, if its loss is associated with emotional and mental problems.
How to raise the appetite of an elderly person folk remedies
1. bitterness in food.
Eating wormwood helps restore appetite. Infusion consumed by 1 tsp., Diluted in 100 ml of water, 30 minutes before meals. The tool will not only restore appetite in the elderly, but also stimulate the secretion of bile.
2. Chicory before dinner.
To restore appetite in older people will help chicory, if you drink it 30 minutes before your intended meal. By the way, its use will not affect the level of pressure.
3. Lemon juice for appetite.
Squeeze the juice out of half a lemon and add warm water to it. To improve the appetite of the elderly, drink consumed immediately before a meal.
4. Infusion of dandelion rhizomes.
In the spring, it is useful to use dandelion leaves. Bitterness should not scare you, because the body just needs it. We recommend preparing dandelion infusion from rhizomes. To do this, pour 2 tsp. chopped roots with cold water (200 ml) and leave to infuse. To improve the appetite in the elderly, you need to take the infusion four times a day for cup.
5. Juice from carrots and watercress.
To improve the appetite in the elderly can with the help of watercress juice and carrots. Take four carrots and a bunch of press, squeeze the juice out of them and dilute with water in a 1: 1 ratio. Take the mixture 30 minutes before meals.
6. Yarrow juice.
Yarrow helps to restore appetite in the elderly. Squeeze the juice out of it and take 1 tsp. 3 times a day.
7. The centaury, the archangel, the sage, the rue.
Mix the herb of the centaury umbrella (20 g), sage (10 g), fragrant rue leaves (20 g), angelica root (10 g). Fill the mixture of herbs with boiling water (600 ml), leave to infuse for 40 minutes, then strain. To improve the appetite of the elderly, they need to take a glass of infusion three times a day before meals.
8. Wormwood, willow, yarrow, dandelion.
Take wormwood grass (1 part), white willow bark (half part), dandelion grass (1 part) and yarrow grass (1 part). Pour 1 tbsp. l mixture with boiling water (400 ml). Let the broth infuse for 30 minutes. To restore the appetite in the elderly, it is recommended to take the infusion three times a day, 100 ml for 20 minutes before meals.
By the way, faced with a problem related to the fact that the appetite has deteriorated in the elderly, it is important to keep in mind such a concept as "Imaginary anorexia". A sick person refuses to eat, because he believes that not enough attention is paid to him. Sometimes an elderly person eats food secretly from his relatives.
Increased appetite in the elderly: what to do
Increased appetite in older people can be caused by different reasons. Sometimes this problem arises as a result of memory impairment, that is, the pensioner simply forgets that he ate twenty minutes ago. In some cases, in the elderly, the feeling of fullness disappears as a result of the disease of one of the digestive organs.
Pensioners are prone to feelings and anxieties, which often cause increased appetite in the elderly. Old men try to alleviate their pain and thoughts about problems with food. Sometimes grandparents do not tell their loved ones about their experiences, and to understand that something is wrong, you can only eat by constant desire.
Gluttony can be caused by endocrine factors. Increased appetite of the elderly is sometimes associated with long-term diseases, metabolic disorders.
If an increased appetite in older people leads to obesity, then it is urgent to seek help from a specialist.
6 rules of diet for the elderly
1. Food should contain many proteins, trace elements, vitamins, as well as be balanced.
Impaired health may be due to inadequate protein intake. Usually, patients complain of weakness and constant fatigue. If there is not enough protein with food, then the tissues of the organs are damaged and destroyed, the physical functions of the body are reduced, and the appetite of the elderly is worsened.
In order to avoid deficiency of proteins, calcium and iron, it is necessary to regularly consume a certain amount of meat. Due to calcium, bones become less fragile and their density increases significantly. Iron deficiency is fraught with the development of anemia.
Sometimes an elderly person refuses meat, as it is hard for him to chew. To restore the appetite of the elderly, you need to make sure that the pensioner can easily use the food served to him. The elderly are recommended to eat one meat or fish dish per day. In addition, the liver is also useful if it is consumed no more than once a week. Thanks to milk, dairy products, cheese and eggs, you can compensate for the deficiency of calcium, vitamins and proteins, restore appetite in the elderly.
The absorption of vitamins in old age is halved. This is due to the fact that the appetite of older people decreases with age, living conditions deteriorate, they have to take a large number of drugs.
Vitamin A has antioxidant properties and provides protection against some forms of cancer. A large amount of it is found in fruits and vegetables, animal products, for example, milk, liver, and egg yolk. The precursors of vitamin A are beta-carotene and lycopene, which are rich in these products. Vitamin makes our skin healthy and also improves vision.
Vitamin D promotes good bone function. Most retirees consume only half the daily dose of vitamin D. As a rule, an elderly person is rarely in the sun, fresh air. In addition, the renal cells decrease the ability to process this vitamin. It is found in fish of the salmon family, sardines, and shrimps. By the way, to improve the appetite in the elderly, it is recommended to take dietary supplements.
Vitamin C is water soluble. Bulgarian pepper, citrus fruits, broccoli, kiwi, strawberries, tomatoes contain it in large quantities. Its metabolism in the body of a man and a woman proceeds differently. Even if a man receives an equal or greater dose of vitamin, his blood level will be less than that of a woman. To restore appetite in the elderly, it is recommended to take ascorbic acid. Men 150 mg per day, and women - 75-80 mg.
Vitamin E has antioxidant properties. A large amount of it is contained in vegetable oils and margarine.
Vitamin B12. When it is deficient, disorders in the connective tissues appear. In the elderly, the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach decreases, and because of this, the vitamin cannot be absorbed. To restore the appetite of the elderly, it is recommended to take this vitamin as a dietary supplement.
2. Food should contain a number of calories that will cover the energy costs of an elderly person and keep him in good physical shape.
The older we get, the fewer calories we eat. If the pensioner has a high or, conversely, poor appetite in the elderly, then, first of all, you need to take care of proper nutrition, which will help restore normal weight. By the way, it is important to remember that obesity and depletion in the elderly, as a rule, are caused by one of the psychological problems. Increased or, conversely, poor appetite in older people may be associated with postponed stress, depressive conditions, etc.
3. Food should have a composition that prevents constipation and dehydration.
The large intestine in elderly people has a scant amount of mucus, which often causes constipation. Of course, this condition affects the appetite. Take care of the pensioner to drink water, tea, juices, eat liquid soups. In addition, the use of boiled or baked vegetables and fruits is helpful. This will help to gradually restore the appetite of the elderly.
If an elderly person consumes little liquid, then full-fledged excretion of metabolic products from the body becomes difficult, the appetite of the elderly worsens. The kidneys are overworked, and in fact in old age the number of active nephrons is gradually reduced.
To improve the appetite in older people, you need to take care of regular use of fluid. It is important that the pensioner drank a little, but often. By the way, often older people can not drink cold water and prefer warm. To restore the appetite of the elderly, offer them a warm drink.
4. When cooking, you can and should add a small amount of different spices to the food.
Spices allow you to speed up the metabolism. In addition, they give food a special taste that enhances the appetite in the elderly. Of course, it is important to make sure that the spices you choose like the retiree. Otherwise, the effect may be opposite, and the appetite in the elderly will disappear altogether.
5. It is necessary to maintain a diet.
To restore the appetite of the elderly, we recommend feeding them at a certain time. It is best to serve food in small portions several times a day. Prepare for this in advance and think about what an older person will have for breakfast, lunch, dinner. Sometimes the appetite in older people is played out at night, so you can drink a glass of milk or kefir during the second dinner.
6. Do not push on older people and do not force them to eat.
This statement does not apply to older people who have lost their appetite due to anorexia. But all other retirees themselves can determine how much food they need. If the grandfather overcame depression, lost his appetite, then you need to serve him light and tasty food. Feed him in small portions, but often. Respect your relative's preferences. The appetite of the elderly does not need to be controlled, if there are no good reasons for this. Do not argue with him if he refused some kind of dish. Otherwise, the appetite for the elderly will always be bad.
For a long time it was believed that increased appetite is a good sign, which means that a person is healthy and quite happy with life.
Doctors struggled only with reduced appetite - a symptom of illness and poor health. However, in recent decades, experts have distinguished between increased and normal food, and came to the conclusion that some people even have a feeling of hunger when their stomach is so full that it can safely be considered an anomaly. Needless to say, the lack of appetite control sooner or later leads to the emergence of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, metabolic disorders, problems with the pancreas, etc. Today we will talk about why this is happening, and can we deal with this phenomenon.
Increased appetite as a symptom of disease
In many cases, craving for food is indeed a symptom of disease. In diseases, the body at the level of instinct begins to accumulate additional energy for its own recovery.
Of course, you can not regard the desire to once again eat, as the presence of any disease. This can only be confirmed by diagnostic methods when visiting a doctor.
However, you should know what diseases can be discussed with excessive appetite:
- the presence of neoplasms in the brain;
- diabetes;
- changes in hormone levels (imbalance);
- thyroid function disorder;
- diseases of the digestive system;
- depression, psychological stress;
- physical and psychological fatigue;
- dehydration syndrome;
- insomnia;
- eating disorder;
- avitaminosis, anemia.
Increased craving for food often accompanies people in the recovery period after various diseases: infectious, inflammatory, and even colds. This is considered normal, as the body tries to make up for the energy expended during the illness.
Increased appetite in women
The response of the brain center responsible for hunger in a woman’s body is directly proportional to the monthly cycle phase. During the second phase, approximately 14 days before menstruation, this reaction becomes more pronounced, and the woman may feel a constant desire to eat. For some, this problem occurs already two weeks before the critical days, and for others - in 2-3 days.
This is explained, first of all, by cyclic restructuring of the hormonal level. After ovulation, the amount of progesterone in the blood increases. Progesterone promotes the release of the hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which, in turn, accelerate the production of gastric juice. This affects not only the appearance of hunger, but also a faster digestion of food.
Moreover, progesterone itself also causes increased appetite, since the main vocation of this hormone is to prepare the female body for pregnancy. An increase in its quantity means that a woman is ready to become pregnant, therefore a signal is sent to the brain that it is necessary to urgently stock up with nutrients in case of a successful conception.
Since in the second half of the monthly cycle, a smaller amount of insulin starts to be produced in a woman’s body, then for PMS you may want simple carbohydrates: cakes, sweets, chocolate. At the same time with the low content of pleasure hormones, all this can lead not only to a false feeling of hunger, but also to overeating.
Increased appetite in the elderly
The reasons for the increased needs and cravings for food in old age are many. One of these factors is the deterioration of memory and concentration: a person simply does not remember how much time has passed from the last meal, and requires food again. In addition, the elderly person may lack a feeling of fullness, due to numerous chronic diseases, including the digestive tract.
The old people worry and worry about their loved ones, about their health, about the fact that their life is coming to an end. Anxiety gives rise to the same craving for food: a person tries to drown out his problems and pain with another meal. Moreover, many old people keep their feelings “in themselves,” and you can learn about their nervous tension only by constant desire to eat.
There are endocrine factors gluttony. Long-term diseases, metabolic disorders - all this affects the state of appetite. It is necessary to diagnose, to find out the cause of this pathology, and to treat it.
It is especially important to consult with a specialist, if the constant use of food turns into a side effect - obesity.
Increased appetite during pregnancy
When a woman finds out that she is pregnant, rapid hormonal changes are already occurring in her body. The need for nutrients increases dramatically, moreover, the expectant mother begins to feel that she needs to eat. There are different and not always ordinary wishes and preferences in products.
The first trimester of gestation, due to the inherent toxicity of this period, may be accompanied by a decrease in appetite: nausea, weakness, and sometimes vomiting. However, in the second trimester, well-being tends to improve, and the need for food again manifests itself, even several times more.
It is not surprising, because the female body spends a lot of strength and internal resources in order to form and carry out a child. Every day the menu should contain a complete set of all necessary substances: proteins, carbohydrates, trace elements, vitamins, fats. If all the nutrients are enough, then more than necessary, the body will not require. This means that if a woman wants something, then this “something” is not enough in the body.
Try to eat only healthy foods, do not overeat, watch your weight according to the table of weight gain during pregnancy. Such a table can be taken in any female consultation. If excessive craving for food leads to overeating and excessive weight gain, then reconsider the diet with your doctor.
Increased appetite in a child
The appetite of the child is subject to significant fluctuations. It can be reduced for a short time, which can often be associated with poor nutrition, culinary quality of food, monotony of diet, insufficient drinking in the hot season and other factors. Long-term disturbances of appetite, its decline, up to the absence (anorexia), are associated with various pathologies and intoxication, diseases of the digestive organs, nervous systems, etc.
Increased appetite can be observed with brain tumors, in particular, the hypothalamic region, in some cases with congenital hypoplasia of the central nervous system, long-term use of steroid hormones, sometimes ftivazid, some antihistamines. Polyphagia is also observed in patients with some forms of malabsorption, chronic pancreatitis, duodenal ulcer.
Increased appetite when breastfeeding
During the period of breastfeeding, the reasons for the constant feeling of hunger can be:
- loss of fluid in milk;
- increased energy consumption (for milk production, child care, new household chores, etc.);
- the habit of eating hard during pregnancy;
- subjective factors - lack of sleep, feelings for the child, postpartum depression.
Equally important is the balance of sex hormones. Most young mothers have a hormonal level that stabilizes about six months after giving birth, and all this time, a woman may suffer from increased craving for food. As a rule, over time, the level returns to normal and the attitude to nutrition normalizes.
Restraining factor in order not to eat "everything", should be the health of the child. It’s no secret that practically everything that a mother eats goes to the baby as part of milk. What can turn the gluttony of a woman for a baby: diathesis, colic in the tummy, allergies and even bronchial asthma. Before you go to the fridge again, think about whether you really want to eat, or is it just a simple whim of the body?
Increased appetite for gastritis
When gastritis craving for food often disappears than increases, because stomach pains do not contribute to the desire to eat. However, sometimes it is possible and vice versa: uncontrolled secretion of gastric juice can provoke a false feeling of hunger. In addition, many patients try to eat pain with a lot of food.
There is a third reason: the inflammatory process in the stomach requires additional vitamins and nutrients from the body, as well as fluids for removing the residual products of the inflammatory reaction.
To fight with the constant feeling of hunger during gastritis is meaningless, it is necessary to treat gastritis directly. After healing, the appetite will recover on its own. But to go on about and overeat too. It will be more reasonable to eat often, but gradually, by reducing the load on the digestive system. The diet should be made as easy as possible: for example, replace the rich soup with broth, and the side dish with meat - stewed vegetables.
Do not try to dramatically reduce the diet, as fasting is not the best option for gastritis. Eat every 2-2.5 hours, but the portions should be small, not causing a feeling of fullness. As the disease gets better, the menu can be gradually expanded.
Increased appetite in the evening
Nutritionists explain increased appetite in the late afternoon for the following reasons:
- during the day a person did not receive calories;
- throughout the day, he consumed sufficiently high-calorie carbohydrate foods, which caused a sharp increase in blood sugar.
If the body lacks calories (for example, you are on a strict diet), then at the first opportunity he begins to demand food, and most often it happens in the evening or even at night.
If during the day you ate sweets, sweets, or were tempted to a cake, then after a couple of hours a sharp drop in the level of sugar in the blood will occur, and the body will begin to require an additional portion of sweets. Complex carbohydrates (for example, cereals) are another matter: they do not cause sudden jumps in glucose levels, sugar rises and falls gradually, and the feeling of hunger is controlled.
Choosing a diet, remember that too large restrictions on caloric intake force our body, sooner or later, to demand food and arrange a kind of reserves in the form of body fat. The human body can not allow death to come from exhaustion, so the lack of calories at some point results in an attack of gluttony. And if at first you seem to starve easily enough, then all subsequent attempts will end earlier and earlier with bouts of evening zhora.
Sometimes evening overeating is just a habit. All day at work, breakfast, lunch fully just no time. And what is the result: in the evening a person comes home and eats “two lunches”. And so every day. The body gets used and calmly endures day fasting, knowing that in the evening food will come in copious quantities.
All of the above factors can be regarded as a violation of the diet. This is not good for the digestive system, and for overall health. Therefore, food habits should be reviewed and eat fully and properly.
Nausea and increased appetite
Nausea can talk about many diseases and conditions. So, nausea is accompanied by some diseases of the digestive tract, disorders of the vestibular apparatus, toxicosis during pregnancy, poisoning and intoxication. And what might indicate nausea and at the same time feelings of hunger?
Nausea can cause an increase in salivation and increased production of gastric juice, which provokes a feeling of hunger. In such situations, you do not just want to eat: food is digested faster, the digestive tract works more actively. Perhaps even more frequent bowel movements.
If you do not talk about pregnancy, which may be accompanied by a similar condition, these symptoms may be due to such diseases:
- pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract (peptic ulcer, acute and chronic gastritis, a tumor in the stomach, esophagitis);
- pancreatic diseases (pancreatitis, tumors);
- gallbladder disease;
- increased intracranial pressure, meningitis, encephalitis, parkinsonism;
- seasickness.
Sometimes nausea and the desire to eat appear when taking certain medications. These can be representatives of cardiac glycosides or antidepressants.
Increased appetite, drowsiness and weakness
The feeling of hunger and drowsiness, fatigue are observed with low blood sugar levels. As a rule, this is a side effect of strict diets and fasting. You can take tests to ensure a low amount of glucose in the blood. If the fears are confirmed, it is recommended to visit a nutritionist who will revise your dietary principles and create a special menu that will meet your requirements (for example, for losing weight) and will not adversely affect your well-being and health.
The feeling of hunger appears completely logical, due to lack of nutrition for the body. The stomach is empty, respectively, the center of hunger indicates that it is necessary to take food.
Weakness and drowsiness are associated with irreplaceable energy costs, general dehydration and muscle protein loss. A person feels drowsiness, fatigue, he constantly wants to sleep, and in the morning does not feel a sense of cheerfulness.
Increased appetite and weakness can be observed with elevated blood sugar levels associated with diabetes, impaired adrenal or thyroid function. A persistent increase in the amount of sugar may be accompanied by the following symptoms:
- frequent urination;
- dry mouth;
- emaciation;
- hunger;
- weakness;
- visual impairment;
- the accession of infectious diseases.
The body is then dehydrated, exhausted. A person does not just want to eat: most often he feels the need for sweets. However, he does not recover, but on the contrary, loses weight, which is why the feeling of hunger and weakness only intensifies.
Fluctuations in blood sugar should not be sharp. Track changes in the balance can be several times having passed tests for glucose. Subsequent consultation of an endocrinologist or therapist will determine whether there is a disease in the body. If so, the doctor will prescribe the appropriate treatment and monitor the dynamics of the patient's condition.
Very high appetite
"Brutal" appetite is often the result of a disorder of carbohydrate metabolism. Such disorders in most cases become causes of overweight and obesity. People with such problems pulls mainly on foods rich in simple carbohydrates: sweets, cakes, cookies, cakes, pastries.
When using these products, the amount of glucose in the blood increases rapidly. An excess amount of insulin enters the bloodstream, which also quickly lowers the level of glucose. As a result of a sharp drop in glucose, the brain center again receives a signal that it is necessary to take food. It turns out a kind of vicious circle - the more we eat, the more we need. As a result, carbohydrate metabolism is upset, and behind it the general metabolic processes. There is an accumulation of excess energy, a large amount of adipose tissue is produced, the splitting of which is blocked by the brain. And as a result - obesity.
Excessive food cravings are not formed immediately - usually these are years of poor nutrition, unhealthy lifestyles, stress, physical inactivity, etc. Because of this, stabilization of the work of the saturation center is necessary, only normalizing diet and life principles.
Increased appetite for cancer
With oncological problems, the appetite is usually reduced, and not increased. This is due to the strongest intoxication of the body, with the release of decay products by the tumor, as well as with the use of potent drugs that also negatively affect the saturation centers.
The absence of hunger in stomach cancer is due to the fact that the tumor, as it were, fills the gastric lumen, which creates a feeling of satiety.
Increased hunger can be observed only in the early stages of the disease, or at the stage of recovery, when the patient after the course of therapy is on the mend. This is considered a good sign and means that the body is recovering and requires additional nutrients.
However, feeding on cancer is necessary. It is very important to keep the body in working condition, because if it is weakened, it will not be able to resist the disease. Meals should be complete, high-quality, high-calorie, in small portions, but often.
Worms and increased appetite
A constant feeling of hunger can be associated with worms, if along with an increased burden to food there is a weight loss, and some of the other symptoms listed above.
In order to ensure the presence of worms, it is necessary several times to pass a stool analysis, you can also pass a smear or scraping.
Increased appetite in men
Men are subject to gluttony no less than women. It goes without saying that the male sex needs more high-calorie food than women. However, sometimes you can not hold back and eat too much. The reasons why the body makes a man eat more are also quite a lot:
- thyroid function disorders, endocrine disorders;
- diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, ulcers, dysbiosis, etc.);
- depressed, depressive states, lack of self-realization (dismissal from work, low wages, frustrations in the family, etc.);
- frequent stress;
- chronic fatigue, overwork, lack of sleep, hard physical labor;
- unbalanced nutrition, lack of adequate nutrition;
- alcohol consumption;
- dehydration.
Most often, most of these problems are solved in a relatively short period of time by establishing nutrition, a daily regimen, and providing time for enough rest and sleep.
If a man consumes alcohol, the resulting increase in appetite may be the result of metabolic disorders, failure of the production of digestive enzymes and gastric juice, chronic damage to the digestive organs. And, in the end, any drinking is accompanied by a dense “snack”, because alcoholic beverages irritate the receptors of the stomach and provoke a “brutal” desire to eat.
All this must be considered when starting to combat increased appetite. First you need to get rid of bad habits, to improve nutrition and lifestyle, to put in order the nervous system - and the main part of the problem can be solved.
Take your time during the meal, do not get distracted by talking on the phone, watching the news or reading newspapers. In order for the body to understand that it has eaten, the eyes must see the food, not the pages on the computer monitor.
Do not drink food, it may contribute to the emergency evacuation of undigested food from the stomach, which manifest a feeling of hunger in a short time.
Try not to overload the body, do not overwork. We always find time to work, sometimes forgetting about rest. But the body also needs to recover.
Do not forget to feed your body with vitamins, minerals, as well as clean water. All this is vital for the proper functioning of the organs, including the digestive system.
Speaking about the psychological aspect - problems on a personal front, stresses at work and in everyday life - one can only wish one thing: look at life more positively, strive to be an optimist, and then many questions will be solved by themselves, and life will become brighter.
As for the tablets that affect the centers of hunger in the brain, it is not recommended to resort to their use. It is better to use medicinal herbs, as well as use certain foods to reduce appetite.
Increased appetite does not always talk about illnesses, you just need to reconsider their attitude towards food and life.
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