The cause of poor appetite can be:
- Serious liver or cardiovascular disease.
- Influenza, pneumonia, hepatitis or kidney infection.
- Inflammation of the intestine or digestive canal.
- Chronic renal failure, acute heart failure, cirrhosis.
- Oncological diseases of blood, stomach, colon.
- Autoimmune diseases.
- Problems of the endocrine system, diabetes, low production of the thyroid hormone.
- Some types of dementia (acquired dementia).
- Some mental disorders of the elderly (depression, anorexia nervosa, schizophrenia).
- Some medications also cause a decrease in appetite. This means chemotherapy, antibiotics, anesthetics, drugs for diabetes.
In addition to the above, there are many more reasons that may be due to the poor appetite of the elderly. For example, a decrease in appetite can be caused by bad habits, such as excessive consumption of sweet or fatty foods. But sometimes the cause of poor appetite can not be identified.
Diagnosis of decreased appetite in the elderly.
If the decrease in appetite progresses gradually, and with a decrease in body weight, a doctor's consultation is needed, since in such cases, a bad appetite in a person is usually a sign of a serious illness. Doctors will prescribe the necessary tests, examine the patient and find out the cause of the decrease in appetite. For example, according to the results of a blood test, the doctor can tell whether hormone imbalance, liver disease or diabetes is the cause of a decrease in appetite. Urinalysis can detect a kidney infection. An x-ray of the chest reveals diseases such as pneumonia or lung cancer.
In the course of the diagnosis of a decrease in appetite, such procedures are most often used: complete blood count, ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs, examination of kidney and liver function, thyroid gland, x-ray of the upper gastrointestinal tract, barium enema and urinalysis.
If the decrease in appetite lasts for several weeks, the body may become exhausted, there will be a shortage of nutrients that provide normal life activity. Other consequences are determined by the disease, which caused loss of appetite. Diabetes can lead to disruption of the internal organs - the nervous system, eyes, kidneys, and cancer can cause death.
Return of appetite of the elderly people back to normal.
Return of appetite depends on the cause, which caused its decline. For example, if the cause was nausea, the patient will be prescribed special medications - ondansetron, promethazine, etc. If the reason for lack of appetite is dementia, the patient will be fed artificially, through a gastrostomy tube, or high-calorie mixtures. If the cause is appendicitis, surgical intervention can not be avoided. To treat various infectious diseases that cause loss of appetite, antibiotics are needed. With a lowered level of thyroid hormones, special hormone replacement drugs are prescribed. In the case of cancer, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or surgical treatment is necessary.
As in the home, bring the appetite back to normal.
- Add nutritional snacks, drinks and dishes with a high protein content to the diet.
- Yeast contains a complex of vitamin B and is a very effective food additive. Well stimulate the appetite of green vegetables. If the body lacks zinc, this can also be the cause of a decrease in appetite.
- To increase appetite, you can use a variety of herbal infusions, which are taken orally for half an hour before meals. The broth prepared on the basis of peppermint, melissa and dill gives a good effect if the decrease in appetite was caused by emotional or mental problems. This broth has a stimulating effect on the appetite, gives a good soothing and healing effect.