Oavsiktlig viktminskning

Några orsaker till oavsiktlig viktminskning

Viktminskning är ibland det första symtom som personen själv, en anhörig eller en vän lägger märke till. Men när en vårdpersonal ställer noggranna frågor kan personen inse att hen har fler symtom utöver den ofrivilliga viktminskningen. Viktminskning definieras vanligtvis som en förlust av mer än 5 % av personens kroppsvikt.

Vanliga orsaker till ofrivillig viktminskning anges nedan. Listan är inte uttömmande.

Cancer

In the vast majority of cancerfall, other symptoms will develop before any weight loss occurs. De första tecknen på cancer depend on the type and site of the cancer. However, occasionally, weight loss is the first symptom that is noticed. Common cancers that cause weight loss include those affecting bukspottkörteln, matstrupen, magsäcken, tarmen och lungan. The blood cancer lymphoma, of which there are several types, can cause unintentional weight loss among other symptoms.

Diabetes

Båda typ 1 och Typ 2-diabetes can cause unintentional weight loss. As with all causes of unintentional weight loss, it is important to report this to your doctor, as early diagnosis is important.

Angest och depression

Ångest och depression have many symptoms and unintentional weight loss can occur for multiple different reasons. People suffering with these symptoms may experience weight loss or weight gain, for example, some people may respond by comfort eating, whilst others may experience a reduced appetite. Rökare may find they respond by smoking more; nicotine can reduce your appetite, causing weight loss. Some people may resort to alcohol to combat anxiety and this may also be associated with weight loss. Loneliness is a common experience for older adults and can affect a person's mood. Weight loss affecting someone whose mental health is suffering may be the most obvious symptom to family and friends.

Alkoholberoende

Some people who drink a lot of alcohol may struggle to look after themselves well, which can cause them to lose weight. Family and friends may show concern about weight loss and not be aware that the person has an alkoholproblem.

Hypertyreos

Hypertyreos occurs when the thyroid gland produces too much of a hormone called thyroxine. This condition is also known as an overactive thyroid. The extra thyroxine causes many of your body's functions to speed up. This often causes many symptoms affecting different parts of the body. In the early stages of hyperthyroidism some people actually feel well and full of energy and don't realise they have a problem despite their weight loss.

Bestående (kronisk) infektion eller inflammation

It would be unusual not to have other symptoms with a chronic infection. But, occasionally, the first symptom that is noticed with infections such as tuberkulos eller HIV is weight loss. Hookworm infection of the gut is another example where weight loss may be the first indication of disease. Hookworm is a very common problem worldwide (but rare in the UK). Likewise, there are various conditions that cause persistent inflammation of a part or parts of the body. Again, other symptoms would be usual. However, sometimes an inflammatory condition såsom polymyalgia rheumatica may make you feel vaguely unwell and lose weight prior to other symptoms developing.

Malabsorptionssyndrom

There are various diseases that can affect the way food is absorbed and taken into the body from the gut. These would normally cause gut symptoms such as diarrhoea and abdominal pain. However, weight loss may be the first symptom noticed. Examples include celiaki, Crohns sjukdom och ulcerös kolit.

Demens

People with demens may struggle to look after themselves well and lose weight as a result. There can be many reasons for this. In older adults, weight loss may sometimes be the first symptom friends or family notice.

Ätstörningar

In conditions such as anorexi ,En person vet vanligtvis att hen kontrollerar sin kost och motion mycket strikt och aktivt försöker gå ner i vikt. Detta kan dock döljas mycket noggrant för vänner och familj och kanske inte ens avslöjas för läkaren.

Biverkningar av läkemedel

Sometimes medication may cause side-effects resulting in weight loss. For example, some medicines may cause a loss of appetite, or a muntorrhet. Some cause halsbränna or give a mild tummy discomfort. Others may affect the sense of taste or smell, or make people feel sick. Any of these side-effects could affect eating habits and result in weight loss.

Andra vanliga orsaker

Det finns många anledningar till att en person kan gå ner i vikt utan att avsiktligt försöka, och det beror inte alltid på specifika hälsotillstånd. Vanliga problem som brist på pengar, begränsad tillgång till mat, svårigheter att köpa och laga mat eller svårigheter att äta kan alla leda till oavsiktlig viktnedgång. I vart och ett av dessa skeden finns det många olika orsaker som kan leda till oavsiktlig viktnedgång. Svårigheter att äta kan till exempel bero på problem i munnen eller på ett tillstånd som påverkar förmågan att föra maten till munnen på ett precist sätt.

När man ska träffa en läkare

Om du fortsätter att gå ner i vikt utan någon anledning bör du kontakta en läkare. Som regel gäller att ju tidigare ett allvarligt problem diagnostiseras, desto större är chansen att behandlingen kan förbättra prognosen.

Vilka bedömningar och tester kan göras?

Your doctor is likely to ask various questions. He or she may actually uncover other symptoms that you were either unaware of or did not think were significant. He or she may also examine you. Tests, such as blodprov, vilket kan vara lämpligt eller inte. Efter läkarens bedömning kan den troliga orsaken vara tydlig, eller så kan ytterligare undersökningar behövas. Läkaren ger råd om vad som behövs utifrån vad hen tror orsakar viktminskningen.

Vad är behandlingen?

The treatment depends on the cause. See individual leaflets on the various diseases that can cause weight loss. The conditions above are not an exhaustive list.