home Adviсe Poor appetite what to do. Types of appetite and its disorders. Drugs to increase appetite

Poor appetite what to do. Types of appetite and its disorders. Drugs to increase appetite

To the question: “An adult has no appetite, why?” there are many answers.

Flaw nutrients Necessarily will affect not only your well-being, but also your health. Therefore, the problem of their absence needs to be solved as soon as possible. How to increase appetite and why did it disappear?

The difference between hunger and appetite

Before diagnosing loss of appetite, it is important to understand the concept. Appetite is often confused with hunger, a reflex that occurs in the absence of food.

The mechanism of hunger development is triggered by a decrease in glucose levels, which causes a signal to be sent to the centers of the brain. When a hunger spasm occurs, a person actively salivates, their sense of smell improves, and pulling sensation"in the pit of the stomach"

All these symptoms help a person feel hungry and go in search of food. At the same time, he has no desire to eat certain foods; he is ready to eat any dish.

The manifestation of hunger, in which a person desires certain foods, is called appetite. This feeling is influenced by many factors: time of day, country of residence, taste preferences, emotional state.

A violation of habitual taste needs, when a person does not want food at all, is called a decrease in appetite. This condition leads to anorexia and other problems.

Associated symptoms

The brain sends a signal that the body needs to take food. It contains neurons that carry a signal to the digestive organs.

In the body of an individual experiencing a feeling of hunger, Insulin levels are increased and active production is underway gastric juice . The absence of hunger indicates that the brain is working on other needs. Decreased appetite – protection against certain diseases digestive system.

There are symptoms that often accompany a person with lack of appetite. Nausea and weakness are the most famous of them. Thanks to these signs, it is easier for doctors to determine the cause of loss of appetite.

Causes of decreased appetite

All the reasons why appetite disappears can be divided into two categories: pathological and non-pathological.

Pathological causes

More often poor appetite in adults it speaks of illness.

To forget about problems with appetite, you will need professional help.

TO pathological reasons decreased appetite include:

Intestinal dysbiosis. Beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms. If their balance is disturbed, the body does not receive the necessary microelements from food.
Endocrine problems. Lack of hormones leads to nausea and vomiting. As a result, the person becomes weak and loses appetite.
Chronic gastrointestinal diseases. Similar symptoms indicate a stomach ulcer, gastritis,. At the first signs of exacerbation of diseases, you should undergo preventive treatment.
Mental problems, neuroses. High workload, stress, lack of rest and moral support lead to apathy and depression. These problems are often accompanied by weakness, nausea, fatigue and lack of appetite.
Intoxication of the body. Harmful bacteria can provoke intoxication, as a result of which a person will feel weak and aversion to food.
Cardiovascular diseases. Wear and tear of blood vessels provokes general weakness body, and high blood pressure causes nausea.
Drug addiction. The need to constantly take medications forces the gastrointestinal tract to work hard. Because of this, gastritis, ulcers, and pancreatic pathologies may appear.
Oncology. During chemotherapy, many processes malfunction, especially in the functioning of the digestive organs.
Viruses and infections in the body. When illness occurs, there is often a significant decrease in appetite, as energy is directed toward fighting viruses. To prevent large amounts of toxins from leading to weakness and nausea, you should maintain water balance, namely drink plenty of fluids.

Non-pathological causes

Natural reasons cause a situation in which a person refuses to eat.

They do not depend on any disease, as they arise due to external pathogenic factors.

Distinctive features non-pathological reasons:

the duration of the symptoms does not exceed 4-5 days, then the increase in appetite occurs independently;
need not health care, taking medications;
absent Negative influence for health;
symptoms recur no more than once a month;
loss of appetite does not lead to sudden weight loss.

The list of non-pathological causes includes the following conditions:

Menstruation. In this period female body particularly susceptible to the influence of hormones. Sharp increase levels of estrogen and progesterone provoke weakness and loss of appetite. At the end of the cycle, abdominal cramps and headaches are often added to these symptoms.
Binge eating. Absence good nutrition during the day leads to an increase in appetite at night. The gastrointestinal tract organs were not exposed to stress all day, so in the evening, when preparing the body for sleep, the food consumed can cause bad dream, nausea and vomiting. All this will lead to a decrease in appetite.
Prolonged fasting. If a person voluntarily refuses to eat, this can cause nausea and weakness. Since in for a long time food does not enter, the secretion produced negatively affects the mucous membrane, irritating it. In the absence of food, performance decreases and weakness and loss of strength appear.

Diagnosis of poor appetite

Normal functioning is ensured by balance, which is an alternation of feelings of hunger and appetite. Violation normal condition for any reason leads to a decrease in appetite, and then a feeling of hunger.

Eating high-calorie foods can increase the interval between the onset of the desire to eat to 4-5 hours.

However, if hunger does not come for more than 8 hours, this is a signal that problems have appeared in the body.

A decrease in blood glucose levels will cause dizziness, weakness, and loss of strength.

To diagnose the cause of loss of appetite, you should consult a doctor. He will appoint full examination body, including testing. If a woman has a problem with appetite, pregnancy should first be ruled out.

Video - How to gain weight when you have no appetite?

What can you do to increase your appetite?

The reasons that provoked the loss of appetite and were identified during diagnosis are eliminated therapeutic methods. Parallel Doctors advise the patient to adhere to the following recommendations:

Follow a meal schedule. You need to eat several times a day in small portions. You should have dinner no later than three hours before bedtime. Eating at a specific time every day will help produce saliva and prepare the body to absorb food.
Food should be chewed slowly, without being distracted by extraneous stimuli (TV, computer). You should use attractive table settings and work on beautiful presentation of dishes.
Food should be tasty and varied.
When fighting poor appetite, it is very important to follow a daily routine: sleep at least eight hours, do not forget about rest. Physical activity V mild form welcome, as sport stimulates the urge to eat.
Stress, conflict situations, and bad emotions should be avoided.
In order for digestive juice to be produced more actively, you need to eat foods that stimulate this process, for example, pickled and salty foods. Spices, hot seasonings, herbs, sour berries, foods high in vitamins B and C, decoctions and infusions of bitter herbs help increase appetite.

Loss of appetite in old age

Lack of need to eat and persistent loss of appetite can occur in older people. Pensioners often limit themselves to healthy and nutritious foods due to financial problems. In addition, with age, it weakens, diarrhea begins, and the functioning of the receptors worsens. The body begins to digest food poorly.

The above factors affect appetite. To avoid problems with the gastrointestinal tract, you need to increase the number of easily digestible foods. The menu should include stewed vegetables, cereals, fish, meat low-fat varieties. Elderly people should remove fatty and fried foods, do not eat large portions and, if necessary, use a blender to grind food.

How to increase your child's appetite

Adults often have problems feeding their baby due to his refusal to eat. To increase children's appetite, you can take the following measures:

create an optimal diet age appropriate and the characteristics of the child;
maintain a meal schedule;
spend several hours a day on fresh air;
include outdoor games and sports in the daily routine;
attractively design children's dishes;
add fruits and dried fruits to porridge;
do not force feed the child;
do not overfeed the baby;
reduce the number of snacks on cookies and other starchy foods;
Place small portions on a plate.

If the lack of appetite continues for several days, you should not look for the cause and treat it yourself. The specialist will quickly determine what is causing the loss of appetite and prescribe medications to increase it.

Appetite disturbance is alarm signal, which may be a sign various pathologies(diseases, poisoning, vitamin deficiency, etc.). Often, people suffering from an appetite disorder subsequently overeat or, conversely, starve. As a result, rapid weight loss or gain may also occur. In this article we will give recommendations on what to do if you have no appetite.

Causes of decreased appetite

Diet and diet

If you do not observe timely eating, and also include various harmful products(excessive amounts of sweets, soda, foods instant cooking, alcohol, etc.), then such a diet will soon affect the deterioration of appetite. In addition, poisons and toxins are formed in the body, which lead to loss of strength and poor health.

A balanced diet should correctly combine various food groups (fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins).

This also includes people who struggle with overweight. Often, diets involve the exclusion of certain foods from the diet, which subsequently affects rapid weight loss, and also leads to partial or total loss appetite.

Presence of diseases

Decreased appetite - common occurrence upon the onset or exacerbation of the disease.

Often, appetite disappears due to pain or discomfort (for example, with gastrointestinal disease).

In addition, loss of appetite occurs when metabolism fails and mental disorders(depression, stress).

The most common diseases in which the desire to eat disappears are gastritis and cancer.

It is worth highlighting food poisoning. In cases of intoxication, the body's forces are primarily aimed at removing harmful substances.

You will find the causes of appetite disorders in the article.

Fighting lack of appetite

To avoid health problems, it is important to control your appetite. As for its absence, there are methods of increasing appetite using special diets and drugs.

Diet and fasting

In addition, vitamins affect appetite and the health of the body as a whole. You should eat foods containing beta-carotene and ascorbic acid(carrots, rose hips, cauliflower, spinach).

As for fasting, to increase appetite, doctors advise having a fasting day once a week. In addition, the entire body is cleansed and the functioning of internal organs is improved.

Herbs and plants

Many herbs are famous for their properties to stimulate appetite (yarrow, dandelion, wormwood). Therefore, to stimulate appetite, you can take herbal tincture half an hour before meals or drink a cup of mint tea.

Onions and garlic also awaken the appetite. Therefore, when cooking, you can add these useful plants. All citrus fruits have a similar function.

Special preparations

Regarding the destination medicines, then you need to consult a doctor. You need to contact a nutritionist, gastroenterologist, psychotherapist, endocrinologist or general practitioner, depending on the cause of the pathology.

You can buy a vitamin complex without a prescription.

In addition, to arouse the desire for food, you need to ventilate the room, devote time walking, play sports and watch general condition health.

No problem. But if you can’t remember the last time you ate normally, this is a cause for concern. What are the causes of poor appetite and what to do if it does not improve for a long time, read this article.

Causes of loss of appetite

Good appetite sign healthy body. But its decrease or sudden loss can signal many problems, including infection and stress.

Infections

Decrease or sudden loss appetite loss can cause a number of infections. According to Medical center Illinois State University, the following are associated with loss of appetite: infectious diseases such as pneumonia, hepatitis, HIV and AIDS, pyelonephritis.

Chronic diseases

Poor appetite may be due to inflammation gastrointestinal tract caused by irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn's disease, celiac disease or colitis. Diseases of the kidneys, liver and cardiovascular diseases can also affect appetite. Meaning chronic diseases liver, chronic renal failure (COPD), heart failure, hypothyroidism. As a rule, on late stages congestive heart failure or acute renal failure, appetite disappears completely.

In the first trimester of pregnancy, the feeling of hunger may decrease. The body is reconstructed, “engaged” in the production of hormones, etc. But most often, appetite disappears due to toxicosis. There is no need to worry, but your appetite will appear soon!

Oncological diseases

Long-term lack of appetite can cause. The types most associated with poor appetite are colon cancer, stomach cancer and pancreatic cancer.

Stress

In times of increased emotional stress, the last thing we think about is food. And it’s not just negative events that upset us. Sometimes joyful moments - falling in love, preparing for a wedding, holidays - also lead to a decrease in appetite. The body will recover as soon as the person comes to his senses. But chronic stress is dangerous and can lead to exhaustion.

Psychological reasons

Medicines

The use of certain medications, including antibiotics and chemotherapy, can also cause poor appetite. Also included are digoxin, fluoxetine, quinidine sulfate, codeine, morphine sulfate and hydralazine. The same thing happens after taking drugs - heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants and LSD.

Poor appetite: what to do

Do you force yourself to eat more and more often and don’t know what to do about your poor appetite? Use these simple and useful tips.

Take a multivitamin

Taking vitamins daily will help awaken your appetite and bring your nutrition back to normal. Special attention It is worth paying attention to zinc, this mineral has a positive effect on digestion. Before purchasing and taking vitamins, be sure to consult your doctor.

As we found out, some drugs can worsen appetite. But don't rush to say goodbye to them. First, talk to your doctor to see if the medication is really the cause. If this is the case, the doctor will help you choose the right analogue.

Drink enough water

Avoid stress

It is impossible to completely avoid stress, but reducing its impact is quite possible. Geneticist Alexander Kolyada explained how to do this in the article “”. If you are depressed or in a constant anxiety, contact for professional help: appropriate treatment will help restore the taste not only for life, but also for food.

Change your eating habits

Sometimes poor appetite is due to the fact that food has become boring and is no longer satisfying. Try something new and, preferably, useful!

You will find the best recipes without harm to health here - "", and here - "

Good appetite it is wellness and health. and food taken on time is a source of minerals, vitamins, a producer of energy for the growth of the body and ensures vital functions.

When your appetite is good, you don’t think about it. Emerging problems with appetite or lack of it, apathy, can be a signal of imbalance, imbalance in the body, and sometimes development serious illnesses, complications. For some it's a problem excess weight, for others - thinness. Therefore, it is also important for them to normalize weight, restore appetite and stabilize the process of food digestion.

Decreased appetite, causes

Overwork causes a decrease in appetite.

Decreased appetite may be caused by the following reasons:

bacterial and viral infections. When all the body’s forces are aimed at fighting the source of the disease;
inflammatory processes of the gastrointestinal tract, such as, duodenum, liver. When eating is associated with stomach pain, diarrhea, belching, discomfort;
stressful situations, nervous outbursts of emotions, overstrain and overwork;
depression, despondency, depressed state when the desire to eat disappears;
desire to lose weight, overindulgence varied diets can lead to anorexia.

Loss of appetite in older people

Food should be tasty and healthy.

Loss of appetite in adults for a while is a passing phenomenon and you should not focus on it.

It’s another matter if there is a persistent loss of appetite and lack of need to eat food. When aversion to food, reluctance to eat exceeds the instinct of life.

Older people often live alone and lose the pleasure of living. Financial problems force pensioners to limit their food intake or eat cheap, low-quality products. With age, problems appear with deterioration of taste buds, weakened intestinal function, low acidity, inability to properly digest food.

All these reasons affect the loss of appetite. To properly perceive food and relieve problems of low appetite, the following rules must be observed:

Food must contain all the vitamins and microelements necessary for old age, since the need for them increases with age.
Increase the amount of easily digestible dishes such as porridge, stewed vegetables, steamed lean meats. Avoid fried and fatty ingredients.
It is better to eat in small portions and more often, as there is poor digestion and absorption of food.
If necessary, use food choppers (blenders).

To cope with the problem of decreased appetite, it is necessary to identify the causes of this phenomenon.

If you eat irregularly, the risk of metabolic disorders and metabolic disorders increases.

This video will tell you what food increases your appetite:

Appetite boosters for children

A variety of dishes will help increase your appetite.

Adults often worry about poor appetite in children. To eliminate these points you need to:

make the correct one according to age;
regular walks, outdoor games, acceptable physical activity;
beautiful design of children's dishes;
adding fresh fruits to porridge, muesli and other dishes;
use beautiful plates with pictures. To see the bottom, you have to eat everything on the plate;
eating at certain times of the day, following a diet;
the child does not need to be force-fed, as it develops an aversion to food, or even worse, a vomiting reflex;
do not feed heavily when the child is sick;
stop snacking between meals with cookies, buns, etc.;
do not feed the baby bad mood or when he is capricious;
diversify the range of dishes;
Do not add large portions.

How to increase appetite in an adult

Small meals will increase the appetite of an adult.

Different life situations cause strong feelings and negative thoughts, negatively affect appetite and the condition of the body as a whole.

Eating every day at certain hours promotes the production of saliva and prepares the body for eating;
use beautiful table settings and varied presentation of dishes;
do not snack between meals, eat dry and on the go;
diversify the number of dishes, balance the consumption of proteins;
use fractional nutrition in small portions;
get enough sleep, sleep at least 8 hours, alternate hours of work with rest, do not overwork;
physical activity. With regular exercise, the metabolism in the body proceeds faster, and thereby stimulates the urge to

Appetite may decrease because the need for calories decreases or metabolism slows down. This can lead to:

It's hot outside. The body does not have to expend calories for heating, which means there is no need to consume large quantity food. In addition, in the heat, the load on the cardiovascular, nervous, excretory system. And the body decides to make the task easier for itself and not waste energy on digestion.

Inactive lifestyle. Appetite often worsens when a person moves less. For example, when changing a job in which he had to work physically to a sedentary job in an office. Energy consumption decreases, metabolism slows down, and, as a result, the desire to eat decreases.

Elderly age. Over the years, our sense of smell and perception of taste weakens, which means that less digestive juice is produced when we see a dish. The intestines become lazier with age, and constipation may occur. Metabolism slows down, and there is no special desire to eat.

What should I do?

To improve your appetite, you need to approach menu organization wisely. First of all, switch to fractional meals - eat little by little, but every 3-4 hours. Remove heavy foods from your diet: mushrooms, fried and fatty foods. Try to eat more vegetables, fruits, berries - their acids stimulate your appetite. If there are no contraindications (gastritis, heartburn), you should use spices and seasonings. And of course, you need to work up an appetite - move more, take a walk.

Need strength for something else

Sometimes the body turns off its appetite because more important processes are occurring in it that need to be directed toward.

Intoxication due to illness. For ARVI, influenza, etc. inflammatory diseases Sometimes you don’t feel like eating at all. Microbes and viruses that cause them release many toxins during their life processes. The liver must remove them. Since it is actively involved in the digestion process, the body decides to remove the additional burden from it.

Stress. When we are nervous, the hormones adrenaline and cortisol are released into the blood, which increase heart rate, breathing, and increase sweating. The brain needs to regulate all these processes, and it is distracted from digestion. True, this is typical only for acute stress. If it is hidden and sluggish, many people, on the contrary, try to console themselves with food.

What should I do?

If you don't feel like eating, acute period illness (against the background high temperature) you can get by with a vitamin drink: juices, fruit drinks, tea with honey. But when it gets better, you need to eat so that the body can replenish lost energy. Priority is given to light protein dishes, vegetables and fruits rich in vitamins A and C.

You need to force yourself to eat afterward nervous tension. When it subsides, the body is depleted - its resources need to be restored. Products rich in magnesium are especially important for this: nuts, legumes, buckwheat, cabbage, beef.

When to go to the doctor

Decreased appetite is a frequent companion to gastritis, hepatitis, and problems with the pancreas. It can be observed when there is a malfunction thyroid gland, diabetes mellitus. Very often appetite worsens with cancer and autoimmune diseases. Depression can cause food aversions.

What should I do?

Contact your doctor if you experience a noticeable decrease in appetite for a week or more; if, against the background of reluctance to eat, pain occurs in the abdomen, joints, back, headache, nausea; if there is no appetite, and you feel anxiety, apathy, loss of strength, unusual irritability; if, although your appetite is poor and you eat very little, your weight does not decrease and even increases. Most likely, a series of examinations will be required, after which the doctor will make a diagnosis and begin treatment.