Unexplained Weight Loss: When to Worry and What It Could Mean
Verified By
KIMS-SUNSHINE
Specialist,
06 March, 2025
Unexplained weight loss is a phenomenon where a person loses more than 5% of their body weight in quick succession- between 6-12 months, or much sooner. For most of us, weight loss is a process that takes time and lots of effort, but for some people having some underlying medical condition, they may lose weight faster than ever, feel more tired and just lose their normal vitality. There are other times where you think you feel just fine even if you are losing some extra kilos. Let us learn why it is important to stay at a constant weight and what unexplained weight loss can mean in the long run.
Causes Of Sudden Unexplained Weight Loss In Adults
Some very well-known causes include having an overactive thyroid, are diabetic but still don’t know it yet, have mental issues like depression or anxiety and even cancer (though this one is pretty rare), respectively. Cancers that affect the digestive system or oral cavity are the most common ones which can cause weight loss, because you will not have an appetite at all and hence won’t eat well either. Hyperthyroidism can mean more thyroid hormones, which means your metabolism is much faster than before. If you don’t eat more, then weight loss is a given. Heart disease and heart failure can also lead to issues like fluid retention around the cardiac cavity- consequently hampering digestion and ruining appetite too.
Very old people who have dementia may just forget to eat, leading to weight loss. Kidney or liver disease also has the same effect, as say a failing heart. People having parasitic infections are also at risk. The same goes for people who have peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, Parkinson’s disease etc.
This is a common symptom which can be linked to a lot of different medical conditions, which is why doctors work hard to diagnose the exact condition causing the side effect. Some ways to dop so include getting blood tests done, getting imaging done, testing your urine or even getting a colonoscopy or MRI or CT scan done as needed.
Cancer Symptoms Related To Sudden Weight Loss
Cancer is a condition that takes time to become symptomatic in a lot of cases and you may discount appetite changes more often than not. This is because of chronic inflammation, which can change your metabolic pathways. If you know you have cancer and are undergoing treatment for it, then chemotherapy or other modes of treatment may also cause nausea – a symptom not very conducive to eating properly. If weight loss is very severe, then it is called cancer-cachexia (wasting away literally), which can even damage muscle.
Thyroid Problems And Unexplained Weight Loss
Having more thyroid hormones is also bad for you, as it can mean a quick metabolism and even faster weight loss. But, thyroid issues can cause a host of other symptoms too- like insomnia, mood swings, constipation, body aches, not being able to handle changes in temperature digestive disorders that lead to weight loss without dieting.
