Symptom

Unexplained Weight Loss

Overview | Possible Causes | Care and Treatment | HOME REMEDies | When to Call the Doctor | References

Unexplained weight loss

Overview

Unexplained weight loss is a noticeable drop in body weight that occurs even if the person is not trying to lose weight. The weight loss does not come about because of diet, exercise or lifestyle changes. Weight loss of 10 pounds or more, or five percent of body weight, over a period of 6 to 12 months is considered “unexplained.”

Unexplained weight loss can be a symptom of a serious condition or illness. For this reason, it is important to seek medical attention if you (or a family member) have weight loss that cannot be explained.

Possible Causes

Unexplained weight loss can be caused by conditions that range from mild to very serious. The causes can be physical or psychological, and include:

An overactive or underactive thyroid gland. The thyroid gland helps regulate your body temperature and control your heart rate and metabolism (the process that turns the food you eat into energy).
Cancer
Crohn’s disease (an inflammation of the bowels)
Heart failure
Addison’s disease, a condition in which the adrenal glands, which sit on top of the kidneys, do not produce enough of the hormones cortisol and aldosterone
Parkinson’s disease, a neurological movement disorder. Common symptoms include tremor, slowness of movement, stiff muscles, unsteady walk and balance and coordination problems.
AIDS
Gastrointestinal problems, such as peptic ulcer or ulcerative colitis
Dental problems
Depression or anxiety
Side effects of prescription medications
Celiac disease (allergy to gluten)
Diabetes
A parasitic infection
Drug abuse
Undiagnosed eating disorders
Swelling of the pancreas
Alcohol or drug abuse
Dysphagia (swallowing problems)
Dementia, a general term used to describe a decline in mental function that is severe enough to interfere with daily living.

Care & Treatment

Unexplained weight loss is treated by identifying the underlying condition (the condition or illness that is causing the weight loss). If no underlying condition is identified right away, your doctor may recommend a wait-and-see approach, along with a special diet.

For instance, your doctor may recommend that you use nutrition shakes to get more calories, or add flavor enhancers to your food to improve the taste so that you eat more. You may also be referred to a dietitian for advice and counseling.

Home Remedies

There is no particular home remedy for unexplained weight loss. The treatment mostly depends on the cause.

It's normal to lose a noticeable amount of weight after the stress of changing jobs, divorce, redundancy or bereavement. In these cases weight often returns to normal when you start to feel happier, after you've had time to grieve or get used to the change.

Significant weight loss can also be the result of an eating disorder or due to some other underlying illness. If your weight loss isn’t simply due to any significant change or loss in your life, and you didn't lose weight through dieting or exercising, see your doctor, as you may have an illness that needs treating.

When to Call the Doctor

If you're losing weight without trying and you're concerned about it, consult your doctor- as a rule of thumb, losing more than 5 percent of your weight within six to 12 months may indicate a problem. If you're an older adult with many or more-serious underlying health issues, even a smaller amount of weight loss may be significant.

Your doctor will work with you to try to determine what's causing the weight loss. At first that will involve a thorough history, a physical examination and basic laboratory testing. Imaging scans to look for hidden cancers are not usually helpful unless some other clue points in that direction.

Sometimes, if the basic evaluation is negative, watchful waiting for one to six months is a reasonable next step. You may need a special diet to prevent further weight loss or to regain lost pounds.

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