Some Common Causes and Features of Involuntary Weight Loss
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Cause |
Common Features* |
Tests |
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Abdominal pain, fatigue, abnormal areas of skin darkening, and light-headedness |
Blood tests |
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History of excessive alcohol consumption In men, feminization, with loss of muscle tissue, decrease in armpit hair, smooth skin, breast growth In men and women, sometimes a distended abdomen due to fluid (ascites) and small purple spots on the skin (spider angiomas) |
A doctor's examination Sometimes liver function tests and/or liver biopsy |
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Inappropriate fear of weight gain in an emaciated young woman or adolescent female and lack of normal periods |
Only a doctor's examination |
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Often night sweats, fatigue, and fever Sometimes bone pain at night or other organ-specific symptoms |
Organ-specific evaluation |
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Sadness, fatigue, loss of sexual desire and/or pleasure, and sleep disturbance |
Only a doctor's examination |
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Diabetes mellitus, type 1 (newly developed or poorly controlled) |
Increased appetite Excessive thirst and increased urination |
Measurement of the amount of sugar (glucose) in the blood |
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Drugs
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History of use |
A doctor's examination Sometimes stopping the drug |
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Fungal infections (in the lungs or bodywide) |
Fever, night sweats, fatigue, cough, and shortness of breath Often a history of living in or visiting an area where a specific fungus is common |
Usually cultures and stains Sometimes blood tests Sometimes biopsy |
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Headache, muscle pains, jaw pain when chewing, fever, and/or visual disturbances in a person over 50 |
Blood tests Sometimes temporal artery biopsy |
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Worm infections in the digestive tract |
Fever, abdominal pain, bloating, flatulence, and diarrhea Usually residence in or travel to developing countries |
Microscopic examination of stool |
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Fever, shortness of breath, cough, swollen lymph nodes throughout the body, diarrhea, and fungal infections |
Blood tests |
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Kidney disease |
Limb swelling, fatigue, itching, and sometimes frothy urine |
Blood tests and urine tests |
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Usually risk factors (for example, cranial nerve dysfunction, use of certain drugs, and aging) |
Only a doctor's examination |
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Diarrhea, flatulence, and sometimes greasy or oily stools |
Stool testing |
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Dental problems |
Tooth or gum pain Bad breath, gum disease, and missing and/or decayed teeth |
Only a doctor's examination |
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Cough and shortness of breath Fever, fatigue, and swelling of lymph nodes throughout the body |
Chest x-ray Sometimes chest CT Biopsy |
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Heart valve infection (bacterial endocarditis) |
Fever, night sweats, joint pain, shortness of breath, and fatigue Often in people with heart valve disorders or who inject drugs intravenously |
Blood cultures Echocardiography |
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Thyroid gland overactivity (hyperthyroidism) |
Increased appetite Heat intolerance, sweating, tremor, anxiety, rapid heart beat, and diarrhea |
Blood tests to evaluate thyroid function |
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Fever, night sweats, cough, and coughing up blood Sometimes risk factors (for example, exposure to people with tuberculosis or residence in poor living conditions) |
Sputum culture and smear |
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*Features include symptoms and the results of the doctor's examination. Features mentioned are typical but not always present. |
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CT = computed tomography; HIV = human immunodeficiency virus; NSAIDs = nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, OTC = over-the-counter; SSRIs = selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. |
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