Understanding decreased hunger and vomiting sensations: Reasons and explanations
Nausea and loss of appetite are common symptoms that can be experienced in various health conditions, ranging from food poisoning to pregnancy and cancer treatment. This article aims to provide a clear understanding of these symptoms and their connections to different causes.
One of the most common causes of nausea and loss of appetite is food poisoning. In such cases, the symptoms often occur swiftly after consuming contaminated food, leading to inflammation and irritation of the stomach and intestines. Food allergies can also trigger these symptoms, as the body treats the allergen as a harmful substance, causing an immune response.
Medications, such as antidepressants, antibiotics, blood pressure medication, chemotherapy, and medication for ADHD, can also cause nausea and a loss of appetite. This is because these drugs affect neurotransmitter systems related to nausea regulation, disrupting normal gastrointestinal function and stimulating nausea centers in the brain.
Psychological factors, like stress, anxiety, and eating disorders, can also lead to nausea and loss of appetite. Stress hormones slow digestion, leading to poor appetite and nausea, while eating disorders like anorexia nervosa involve intentional appetite suppression, often accompanied by nausea.
Exercise, especially intense physical activity, can lead to nausea and loss of appetite. This could be due to redistribution of blood flow away from the digestive system, dehydration, or hormonal changes affecting digestion and hunger signals.
During pregnancy, hormonal shifts, especially early on, commonly cause nausea and vomiting, often referred to as morning sickness. These hormonal changes also affect appetite regulation, sometimes leading to reduced desire to eat. After surgery, nausea and loss of appetite are frequent due to anesthesia effects, pain medications, stress, and reduced gastrointestinal motility.
Cancer and cancer treatment can cause nausea and loss of appetite by damaging the lining of the digestive tract, altering neurotransmitter levels, and causing systemic inflammation. These effects together reduce the desire to eat and cause gastrointestinal discomfort.
In summary, nausea and loss of appetite are common symptoms across these conditions because they involve inflammation, immune responses, hormonal changes, neurotransmitter disruptions, physical stress, or psychological factors that affect how the digestive system and the brain regulate hunger and nausea sensations.
When experiencing persistent nausea and loss of appetite for more than 1 to 2 days with no clear cause, it is advisable to seek medical advice to avoid potential health complications. Similarly, people who have food poisoning should seek medical advice if they have blood in their stool, a fever, or signs of dehydration.
For those undergoing cancer treatment, some treatments can cause nausea, such as chemotherapy. A food allergy can cause nausea, which often precedes stomach cramps or vomiting. Exercise can cause nausea in some people, especially endurance athletes.
Severe pregnancy nausea and vomiting can last for the whole pregnancy, and a woman may wish to seek medical advice and treatment if this is the case. In such situations, doctors may recommend eating little and often, opting for foods that are high in calories, or cutting food into smaller pieces so that it is easier to swallow.
For those experiencing medication-induced loss of appetite, doctors are most likely to prescribe medication to restore a person's appetite if their loss of appetite is due to them taking a different medicine for a separate condition.
In addition to nausea and loss of appetite, other common symptoms that can accompany these conditions include dizziness, difficulty swallowing, excessive saliva production, and clammy skin.
[1] National Health Service (NHS). (2020). Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Retrieved from https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nausea-and-vomiting-pregnancy/ [2] American Cancer Society. (2021). Nausea and vomiting: What to know. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/nausea-and-vomiting/nausea-and-vomiting-what-to-know.html [3] Mayo Clinic. (2021). Exercise-induced nausea. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/exercise-induced-nausea/symptoms-causes/syc-20354905 [4] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020). Food poisoning. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/foodsafety/foodborne-germs/foodborne-diseases/food-poisoning.html [5] National Institute of Cancer Research (NCI). (2020). Cancer treatment and side effects: Appetite loss. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/appetite-loss/appetite-loss-hp-pdq
Food poisoning, caused by consuming contaminated food, results in nausea and loss of appetite due to inflammation and irritation of the stomach and intestines. Medications like antidepressants, antibiotics, blood pressure medication, chemotherapy, and ADHD medication can cause nausea and loss of appetite by affecting neurotransmitter systems related to nausea regulation.
Severe stress, anxiety, and eating disorders can also lead to nausea and loss of appetite, as stress hormones slow digestion and eating disorders involve intentional appetite suppression.
Exercise, particularly intense physical activity, may cause nausea and loss of appetite due to blood flow redistribution away from the digestive system, dehydration, or hormonal changes affecting digestion and hunger signals.
During pregnancy, hormonal shifts often cause nausea and vomiting, known as morning sickness, which can also affect appetite regulation. In cases where severe pregnancy nausea and vomiting persist, doctors may recommend eating little and often, opting for high-calorie foods, or cutting food into smaller pieces to make swallowing easier.
For those undergoing cancer treatment, chemotherapy can cause nausea and loss of appetite. In such situations, doctors may prescribe medication to restore appetite if the loss of appetite is due to a separate condition. Other common symptoms accompanying these conditions include dizziness, difficulty swallowing, excessive saliva production, and clammy skin. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
