Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Symptom checker for unexplained weight loss in children and adults

Anorexia and bulimia are often thought to be the culprit behind unexplained weight loss but what about causes related to undetermined health conditions lying beneath the surface?  How do you decide what may be a normal or abnormal development throughout childhood and adulthood, when our bodies are naturally changing?

As parents, we can only hope our children will tell us when something is wrong but many times the problem is more complicated than what a child may understand or be able to communicate.  Most kids won’t recognize the symptoms they need to pay attention to and sometimes most parents don’t know which questions to ask. 

To help you navigate between the symptoms and the problem, “symptom checkers” provide a helpful way to get started.  Click on the following link to begin the process (http://www.drugs.com/symptom/unexplained-weight-loss-in-children-2.html). 

Below are some things that you might expect to see if your child has an illness related to their weight loss condition:

*Increased sleepiness

*Decreased urination

*Fever

*Vomiting, diarrhea

*Cough, sore throat, ear pain, chest pain

When our health is under attack, our body will respond in a number of ways.  For example, a fever burns up more calories when we’re sick.  On the other hand, vomiting/diarrhea are symptoms that relate to the body rejecting/eliminating/ reacting to illness and stress.  Coughing, sore throats and other body pain may be the beginning symptoms of a virus/ flu or the body responding to another illness related disease.  Weight loss can be directly or indirectly related to any of these symptoms.  Other health conditions, like Graves disease, can lead to the over-activity of the Thyroid gland (hyperthyroidism) and can be at the root of the problem (http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000358.htm).

In adulthood, women are more likely to have thyroid related health conditions and may experience the following related symptoms (http://www.buzzle.com/articles/thyroid-problems-symptoms-hypothyroidism-hyperthyroidism.html) :

*Sensation of feeling hot in cold temperatures

*Decreased/stopped menstrual cycles

*Nervousness, tremors

*Unexplained weight loss (even when eating more calories)

The good news is this:  Most thyroid related illnesses are treatable, but left untreated can become a greater problem.  Never, ever, use a symptom checker as the only answer to your condition.  Seek professional medical advice from an Endocrinologist or Internist, who can then guide you to the proper medical treatment for your condition.

Quick Tips for Wellness:  Unexplained weight loss is a red flag you don’t want to ignore.  Seek professional, medical advice immediately should you have any symptoms that suddenly appear and are negatively affecting your health.

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