There are several contributing factors that could cause unintentional weight loss such as an underlying health, behavioural or emotional issue. Regardless of the cause, it is important to identify and get to the bottom of it. In common cases, weight loss can occur after a stressful event such as a change in career, divorce, redundancy or bereavement as your appetite isn’t the first thing on your mind.
We’re here to tell you about the importance of listening to your body when it shows you the signs. Avoiding these can lead to potentially bigger health complications and dangers such as:
-An increase in illness and infections.
-Tiredness.
-A change in your toilet habits.
-The immune system deteriorating.
You should always investigate the reasons why you might have lost weight when it’s unintentional as it suggests your body could be going through a change that you’re not aware of. Blood testing is one of the quickest, easiest, and least invasive methods to identify any issues or diagnose a number of health problems – from an infection to screening for a genetic condition or cancer.
According to Dr Shikha Pitalia, GP and Director at Pall Mall Medical, “Those who have lost weight without battling stressful situations, or deliberate diet or exercise, should visit their GP for a check-up. GPs will use blood tests to look for signs of illness. This includes most commonly in this scenario, an overactive thyroid gland. Less commonly, coeliac disease or inflammatory problems including Lupus.”
Dr Shikha also says “everyone’s body weight regularly fluctuates and there is no need for immediate alarm. However, it’s always wise to visit a GP, even if it’s just to put your mind at ease and exclude any serious illness, particularly if you’ve unintentionally lost more than five percent of your body weight over six to twelve months as this could be a definite sign of an underlying problem that should be checked out.”
If you have recently lost weight without trying to and it’s causing you concern, you should book an appointment with your local GP. However, if you’d like to avoid waiting for an appointment, you can get a next day appointment at Pall Mall and if you do require a blood test, your results will be available the next day.
