Malnutrition
(Symptoms)
This page will help you answer your questions.
What is malnutrition?
Malnutrition means either a general deficiency of nutrients in the body, or an excess of some types of nutrients while lacking some other essential types. It can also mean an imbalance in macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates, and fats) or micronutrients (vitamins and minerals).
What are the causes of malnutrition?
- Malnutrition usually occurs due to not consuming enough nutrients. It can also occur because of certain medical conditions that prevent your body from absorbing nutrients.
- You may have trouble getting enough nutrients if you have:
- Lack of nutritional resources.
- Medical conditions that make eating difficult, such as nausea or difficulty swallowing.
- Medical conditions that deplete calories, such as chronic diarrhea or cancer.
- Additional need for calories, such as during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or childhood.
Mental health conditions that suppress eating, such as depression or dementia.
- Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
- Malabsorption disorders, such as pancreatic insufficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, or celiac disease.
- A condition that requires long-term intravenous feeding.
- A very restrictive diet or an unappealing diet chosen by someone else.
- Overnutrition occurs due to consuming more nutrients than you need. This can happen if you have:
Unstable lifestyle.
A condition that slows metabolism, such as hypothyroidism.
- Hormonal imbalance that interferes with hunger and fullness signals.
- Chronic stress.
Anxiety or depression.
Binge eating disorder.
Chronic overuse of nutritional supplements.
- How to deal with malnutrition ? Tips to help you overcome malnutrition
- Undernutrition:
- It is treated with nutritional supplements. This may mean individual micronutrients, or it may mean refeeding with a high-calorie special nutritional formula designed to restore everything your body has lost.
- It is best to start refeeding under close medical supervision to prevent and manage the complications of refeeding syndrome, which can be serious and even life-threatening.
- Overnutrition:
Adjust the diet to a balanced diet.
- Exercise.
- Lose weight.
Treat hypothyroidism if present.
- The lifestyle changes that you adhere to are what will help in treating overnutrition. This may include long-term support systems such as counseling, behavioral therapy, support groups, and nutrition education.
- When should you see a doctor?
- Recent weight loss or gain of more than ten kilograms unintentionally.
- The appearance of anemia symptoms suchas weakness, fainting, apathy, and fatigue.
- Suspicion of having an eating disorder.
- Frequently Asked Questions
- When is weight loss considered unhealthy or abnormal?
- If it is unexplained, meaning you are not following a diet or exercising to burn calories, there is no specific degree at which unexplained weight loss becomes a medical concern. However, many doctors agree that a medical evaluation is necessary if you lose more than 5% of your weight within 6 to 12 months, especially if you are elderly.
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ينصح بزيارة الطبيب إذا لاحظت أعراض نقص البروتين الحاد.
الأسئلة الشائعة:
هل يصيب النقص الحاد في البروتين الأطفال فقط؟
لا، يصيب الأطفال والبالغين، ولكن الأطفال أكثر عرضة للإصابة.
