Loss of Appetite and Nausea

Loss of appetite and nausea are the common symptoms of mild to severe digestive system disorders. When a person is suffering from loss of appetite, he lacks the urge to eat and his/her daily intake of food decreases drastically. In case, the person tries to eat, frequent or occasional vomiting occurs expelling the undigested food. The body is unable to digest the food and so the normal functioning of the body is disrupted.

Loss of appetite and nausea are usually more pronounced after eating food as the digestive system of the person is unable to properly digest the food. While a temporary loss in the appetite is an opportunity to have a look at the eating habits and personal health of the patient, long continuous stretches of loss of appetite may be a matter of serious concern.

Symptoms
Loss of appetite and weakness go hand in hand. If an individual is not getting proper amount of nutritious food, the symptoms of weakness will be evident on the person's face and body. A person suffering from loss of appetite will experience fatigue due to the lack of minerals that are not supplied to the body. In fact, loss of appetite and fatigue are directly related.

The person will feel extremely tired even without doing much mental or physical work. Nausea is also experienced by many people, who have a loss of appetite and they can feel an urge to vomit though the urge doesn't usually lead to vomiting in most of the cases. Often, some stomach disorders are a major cause of loss of appetite, and nausea after eating is experienced by many people.

Causes
Appetite loss can be due to various factors that include medical conditions like under or hyperactive thyroid and stomach diseases, as well as unhealthy habits that can negatively affect the digestive system.

Wrong Medications
Sometimes, things that we take into our body on purpose, like drugs and medications, can cause hormonal changes in the body and effect the ability of the digestive system by slowing the transportation of food to the intestines. For example, drugs like erythromycin hamper the taste buds ability to taste and slow the transportation of the food to the intestines.

Amphetamines, that are given as a medical aid for weight loss also causes loss of appetite and nausea. Pain killers and anti-arthritis medicines that are almost a routine for many people, can also irritate the inner lining of the stomach and cause an aversion to food. In many cases of digitalis (used in heart medications) and diuretics (used in fluid retention and high blood pressure) consumption, the person's desire to eat lessens to a larger extent.

Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a severe eating disorder that usually affects the younger generation (mostly young girls). Basically, anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric illness and it is characterized by severe obsession of starving and fasting, instead of consuming proper amount of food. An anorexic girl develops a wrong perception of her weight and she always follows a diet that is aimed to lose weight. Long terms of anorexia can cause severe loss of appetite and nausea.

Aging
Nutritional deficiencies can lead to loss of appetite in the older people. With the aging process, especially among the older people, comes a deficiency of essential minerals like calcium and zinc in the body that increases the risk of various diseases. Lack of zinc in the body dampens the ability of the taste buds to taste food. This leads to loss of appetite in older men.

Stress and Depression
One of the major causes of loss of appetite is stress in today's fast paced lifestyle. Workload, academic pressures, emotional problems etc, all lead to complications in the stomach. After all, nobody feels like eating when one is upset, frightened or in depression. Loss of appetite due to stress is more common, and reducing food intake further lowers the energy levels of the body. The body remains undernourished leading to various risk factors of other diseases. Under stress and anxiety a person may start overeating which is again may cause nausea and is as dangerous as loss of appetite.

Treatment
Loss of appetite and nausea can be treated by eliminating the risk factors that trigger these problems. One should be vigilant and aware in inculcating healthy eating habits. There are many home remedies for nausea that you can choose to get rid of the feelings of dizziness and nausea. One can also focus on following effective tips:

• Eat small meals, distributed throughout the day. Eating less and eating often helps in maintaining the appetite.
• Stress, as aforementioned triggers most of us to eat beyond our normal capacity, which interferes with healthy appetite.
• Eating high protein foods helps in improved appetite.
• Always keep healthy snacks with you as a part of small meals to eat when you feel hungry. Don't wait to get very hungry and then eat the food.
• Many people habitually drink water with meals, which leads to a feeling of fullness, even before the meal is over. It is better to drink fluids a few times between meals.

Following a healthy lifestyle that includes regular exercises and drinking ample amounts of water daily, is essential to get rid of the stomach infections that can cause loss of appetite. Besides these, eating healthy food is also necessary to avoid the risk of loss of appetite, as food poisoning can also lead to other stomach disorders. Moreover, taking care of our emotional health, that often triggers loss of appetite, can help us to get rid of loss of appetite and nausea. A medical practitioner's supervision is always welcome in the due course of treatment. A doctor will do a proper body check up (if required) and will find the root cause of the ailment.

These were some of the symptoms, causes and treatment of loss of appetite and nausea. No doubt, loss of appetite and nausea is a miserable feeling. The duration of time that precedes the vomiting is often frustrating and causes discomfort to the person. However, loss of appetite and nausea can be treated effectively by following the above mentioned guidelines.