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Wasting

What is Wasting?

• Wasting is an unexplained weight loss of 10% or more of your normal body weight
• Wasting can occur when you have chronic diarrhea for more than one month, or chronic weakness with fever for more than a month.

What causes Wasting?

• Wasting can be caused by many factors including social, economic, mental, emotional and physical.
• Wasting can be caused by either not taking in enough food (malnutrition), or not being able to absorb the nutrition from the food that is eaten (malabsorption).
• Malnutrition can be caused by:
• unable to afford food due to limited income
• poor appetite due to depression, illness or side effects of medications
• not having energy to shop for, prepare or cook food
• problem with chewing or swallowing due to gum or teeth diseases, or thrush or ulcers in the mouth
• a problem with keeping food down due to nausea and vomiting
• feeling full after eating only a little because the stomach is not emptying the food properly
• Malabsorption can be caused by:
• infection in the stomach or bowels that causes loss of their ability to absorb nutrients from food eaten
• Diarrhea due to infections in the stomach and bowels or due to side effects of medications

What are the symptoms of Wasting?

• Loss of more than 10% of original body weight without trying
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea

How can Wasting be prevented?

• Good nutrition: talk to a dietitian or nutritionist who can give you advice on what kind of food to eat that will match your body’s needs
• Take additional vitamins or nutritional supplements
• Exercise to build and strengthen your muscles may prevent loss of body mass
• Consult physician and/or dentist when you experience symptoms that affect your appetite, eating or swallowing. They can help find out what caused the problems and start treatment early.

How can Wasting be treated?

• Treatment should be based on the cause of the symptoms. Sometimes a combination of strategies is needed to help the problem.
• Ulcers and gum diseases can be treated with medications such as Thalidomide
• Thrush can be treated by medications such as Ketoconazole, Fluconazole or Itraconazole
• Diarrhea can be treated by using medications such as Imodium, Lomotil or Somatostatin, or treating infections in the gut that causes diarrhea
• Appetite can be stimulated by medications such as Megace or Marinol
• Weight gain can be stimulated with medications such as anabolic steroids or human growth hormone
• In some cases, short term or long term feeding through a tube into the stomach or into the vein may be helpful for people with severe wasting

 

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