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Symptoms & Signs Index |
| Loss of Appetite | |
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Definition: Loss of appetite |
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Medical terms related to
loss of appetite : Food Aversion, Anorexia, Appetite, Loss of, Poor Appetite |
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Common
causes of loss of appetite: o Brain Damage (such as Stroke, Trauma, Dementia) o Emotional upset, nervousness, loneliness, boredom, tension, anxiety, bereavement, and depression o Pregnancy (first trimester) o Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD): Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close properly and stomach contents leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus causing heartburn or histopathologic changes in the esophagus. o Peptic Ulcer: An ulcer in the wall of the stomach or duodenum resulting from the digestive action of the gastric acid on the mucous membrane. o Stroke o Medications that can cause loss of appetite: Chemotherapeutic agents, Amphetamines, Sympathomimetics including ephedrine, Antibiotics, Cough and cold preparations, Codeine, Morphine, Demerol, Digitalis, Anti-HIV drugs
Other Causes of
loss of appetite: |
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Call your
doctor if loss of appetite is
accompanied by: o Weight loss more than 7% of the total body weight within a month o Pigmentation of the skin creases o Unexplained fever, swollen glands |
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Diagnostic tests
that may be performed include: o Barium enema, sigmoidoscopy, or colonoscopy o Liver function tests (LFT) o Kidney function tests o Thyroid function tests o Abdominal ultrasound (if a specific abdominal cause is suspected) o Upper GI series o Pregnancy test o Urine drug screening o HIV test |
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| Diagnosis of loss of appetite, Reasons of loss of appetite, Prevention of loss of appetite, Definition of loss of appetite, Treatments for loss of appetite | |