Cachexia, often caused by an underlying disease, is characterized by substantial loss of body mass, weakness, severe fatigue, and loss of appetite. Treatment includes a high-calorie diet, medication, and addressing the underlying condition. Muscle mass lost with cachexia is often permanent.
One of the most easily detected symptoms of cachexia is the substantial loss of body mass. Other common symptoms include shortness of breath, weakness and severe fatigue. Many patients with this condition also experience significant loss of appetite. Some forms of the disease can be detected because the patient loses mass despite eating normally.
Because cachexia is usually the result of another disease, such as cancer or autoimmune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), it can often be easy to diagnose. It is especially common among patients in the late stages of a progressive disease. For this reason, a poor prognosis for the patient, accompanied by common symptoms, can be a clear indicator of the disease.
In many cases, the mass lost with cachexia is permanently gone. This is mainly because it causes a decrease in muscle mass. This will present itself as an increase in the patient’s weakness and fatigue. While loss of muscle mass is also common in other conditions, such as anorexia, the decline tends to be much faster with this condition.
Another potential sign of this condition is the development of malnutrition. This can present itself in conditions such as kwashiorkor and marasmus, which are forms of severe protein energy malnutrition. These conditions are among the rare cases in which cachexia is not caused by the development of an underlying disease.
Cachexia is also commonly observed in patients with anorexia. It develops both in individuals who have only that disease and in patients who have developed anorexia due to cancer. Both conditions can develop in patients whose cancer has returned after a period of remission.
The symptoms of cachexia are usually treated with a combination of diet and medication. Doctors usually prescribe a high-calorie diet in hopes of helping the patient gain weight. There are also medications that can help promote the growth of muscle mass and increase appetite. These include steroids and medical marijuana. Supplements with omega-3 fatty acids can also help increase appetite and weight.
Often the only way to effectively combat cachexia is to treat the underlying condition that caused it. For example, a successful course of radiation or chemotherapy can improve a patient’s overall health, which can lead to the development of muscle mass and weight gain. However, it is rare to reverse the symptoms of cachexia if the underlying disease does not improve.
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