Loss of appetite (lack of appetite) may be due to a disease of the digestive system or it may be psychological. Anorexia: What exactly are we talking about? A little note on vocabulary. In medical language, we speak of a lack of appetite to describe anorexia (or lack of appetite). The term “anorexia” is intended for complete loss of appetite; The most famous type of anorexia is anorexia nervosa – it belongs to the family of eating disorders.

Anorexia (lack of appetite): is it dangerous?

Anorexia (loss of appetite) can actually be severe depending on its severity and duration. It is recommended to monitor the weight loss of a patient affected by anorexia: if it remains between 5% and 10% of the total weight, this is justified; Besides, it is necessary to consult a doctor. So your patient’s body mass index (BMI) should remain above 16 to 17. Remember: BMI is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in metres) and then multiplying it by yourself.

Anorexia (lack of appetite): how do we treat it?

Treating anorexia is treating the underlying cause: clinical examination and patient questioning are absolutely essential. In addition to treating the cause of a lack of appetite, nutritional supplements fortified with protein, calories, and/or fiber may be prescribed – these are only available by prescription.

Loss of appetite: is it a symptom of depression?

Anorexia is often psychogenic. It could be a matter of temporary depression or seasonal depression, or of fall or winter. Depression can also cause loss of appetite (lack of appetite). Then the accompanying symptoms appear.

1. Exhaustion. Even without making a lot of effort, we feel a constant lack of energy. This extreme fatigue is not relieved by rest or sleep.
2. general slowdown. A person feels that he is not able to respond quickly – he has no “strength”. Speech is slower and daily gestures are slower. The face is expressionless.
3. carelessness. There is a lack of motivation for daily activities: washing, cooking, shopping, etc.
4. very sad. The feeling of sadness is particularly painful, incomprehensible and overwhelming, often accompanied by crying for no reason and a sense of hopelessness. It lasts for at least two weeks.
5. Loss of pleasure (anhedonia). The little pleasures of life (listening to music, meeting friends, reading) disappear in people suffering from depression. Everything seems the same, boring, uninteresting. Life has lost all its meaning, every flavour, every colour.
6. low self-esteem. A person suffering from depression feels “useless”, believes that he is worthless, and blames himself for the painful events and unpleasant feelings that he is experiencing.
7. Loss of intellectual alertness. When you are depressed, it is difficult for you to think, find words, and speak fluently. You have the impression that your head is empty, that the world has become so complex, that you will not be able to adapt to it, you will not be able to cope with it.
8. physical symptoms Sleep is often poor, short, and devoid of refreshment with nocturnal awakenings. On the other hand, depression can manifest itself through bulimia: the patient eats a lot of food during “crises” without feeling particularly hungry.

Loss of appetite: a cause related to digestion.

Oral thrush (also known as oral candidiasis) can cause loss of appetite: Oral thrush can change the taste of food, resulting in a decreased appetite. For oral thrush, the mouth and/or tongue turn red and/or raspberry red (i.e. pink/red with swollen nipples like berries), or white patches may appear. It can also be a question of esophageal thrush: then the symptoms are more separate.

Less commonly, anorexia may be associated with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD); It could be Crohn’s disease. In addition to the lack of appetite, there may be abdominal pain (which recurs in ‘flashes’), diarrhoea, rectal pain, and/or mucus in the stool (sometimes bloody).