What is the reason for sudden weight loss?

If the body experiences a significant weight loss in a short period of time, this is called sudden weight loss. There are many reasons for this, which may be related to some chronic diseases, such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, gastrointestinal problems, or serious mental illness, etc. What you need to be alert to is that sudden weight loss may be related to malignant tumors. If you have a long-term low-grade fever at this time, you should pay more attention to it and go to a regular hospital for a physical examination in time.

What is the reason for sudden weight loss?

Sometimes in life, this phenomenon may occur: you haven’t seen an old friend for just a few months, and when you meet again, you find that the other person has obviously lost weight - the "potbelly" is gone, the arms and legs are thinner, and some are even so thin that they are "unrecognizable."

Although the saying goes "nothing can buy you slimness in old age", some experts warn that if you lose weight suddenly or noticeably feel your clothes become looser, your belt becomes looser, or your shoes become larger, it may not be a good sign. In this regard, experts have analyzed several diseases that may be indicated by sudden weight loss:

Hyperthyroidism

If your appetite has not decreased but your weight continues to decrease, and you have a thick neck or experience palpitations, insomnia, etc., you may be suffering from hyperthyroidism. Experts say that it is not as easy to identify hyperthyroidism in the elderly as in the young. About one-third of patients do not have an enlarged thyroid gland, and their main symptom is becoming increasingly thinner.

diabetes

Experts pointed out that they once met a patient who lost 10 kilograms in two months and found that his belt was getting looser and looser. This attracted his attention and he finally went to the hospital for a check-up, and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. In fact, the early symptoms of this type of diabetes are eating more, drinking more water, and urinating more, all accompanied by emaciation. This is because the body does not have enough insulin and cannot fully utilize the glucose in the blood, which leads to weight loss.

Sudden weight loss may be a sign of cancer

If we find that our body suddenly becomes very thin, we need to pay attention to it. The first thing to consider when suddenly losing weight is the possibility of cancer.

Malignant tumor is a chronic wasting disease. The energy and nutrients required by tumor cells during their growth process are far greater than those of the body's normal tissues. Moreover, as the tumor grows, this consumption will increase day by day. At the same time, tumors are often accompanied by symptoms such as bleeding and fever. The toxic substances produced by the tumor will also affect the patient's appetite, making the body's nutritional intake obviously insufficient, causing the patient to become severely emaciated.

Of course, cancer isn't the only disease that can cause people to lose weight rapidly. Generally speaking, if you suddenly lose weight without any human cause within a short period of time, or if you lose more than 10 kilograms in weight within a month, you should seek medical attention immediately even if you do not feel anything unusual in your body. Middle-aged and elderly people should pay special attention. If they suddenly lose weight, it is best to rule out a tumor first.