What is malnutrition?
A malnourished person may become tired, irritable, and unable to concentrate. Malnutrition occurs when a person receives too much or too little nutrients. Malnutrition occurs when they are malnourished because they eat very little food in total. A person with malnutrition may be deprived of vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients that his body needs in order to function. Malnutrition can lead to:
- · Short-term and long-term health problems
- · Slow recovery of wounds and infections
- · High risk of infection
- · Difficulty concentrating on work or school
- · Some deficiencies can cause some health problems.
Vitamin C deficiency:
Vitamin C deficiency can lead to scurvy. Scurvy is rare in the United States, but it can develop if a person does not have a variety of foods and fruits. Older people, young children, those who overindulge in alcohol, and other people with certain mental health conditions may be at greater risk.
Overall deficiency:
Malnutrition can lead to kwashiorkor, “a serious form of malnutrition.” Another symptom of this condition is an open stomach. Marasmus is another possible consequence of severe malnutrition. A person with marasmus will have very little muscle or fat in their body.
Symptoms
Other signs and symptoms of malnutrition include:
- · Lack of appetite or appetite or drink
- · Tiredness and irritability
- · Inability to concentrate
- · Feeling cold all the time
- · Depression
- · Loss of fat, body tissues and tissues
- · High risk of illness and prolonged recovery
- · Long-term wound healing
- · High risk of complications after surgery
- · Eventually, a person may have difficulty breathing and heart failure.
For children, there may be:
- · Lack of growth and low body weight
- · Fatigue and lack of energy
- · Irritability and anxiety
- · Slow growth in behavior and intelligence, which can result in learning difficulties
Treatment is possible. However, in some cases, malnutrition can have long-term consequences. Anorexia nervosa is a mental illness that can lead to severe malnutrition
Causes:
Malnutrition can occur for a variety of reasons. The sections below describe these possible causes in more detail.
Less food:
Some people become malnourished because they do not have enough food or because they have difficulty eating or absorbing nutrients.
This is possible because of:
- · Cancer
- · Liver disease
- · Taking medicines that make food difficult - for example, due to nausea
- · Oral problems such as dentures may contribute to malnutrition.
Mental health conditions:
Malnutrition or malnutrition can affect people:
- · Depression
- · Dementia
- · Schizophrenia
- · Anorexia nervosa
- · Social and travel issues
Factors that can affect one's diet and can lead to malnutrition include:
- · Not being able to get out of the house or get to the store to buy food
- · Find it difficult to prepare food
- · Have limited cooking skills
- · Not having enough money to spend on food
Digestive disorders and stomach conditions:
When the body is poorly nourished, even a healthy diet may not prevent malnutrition. Examples of digestive and gastrointestinal conditions that may cause this include:
- · Crohn's disease
- · Ulcerative colitis
- · Celiac disease
- · Persistent diarrhea, vomiting, or both
Disruption of alcohol use:
Drinking too much alcohol can lead to gastritis or chronic pancreatitis. These problems can make it difficult to digest food, absorb vitamins, and produce hormones that control the body.Alcohol also has calories, so a person may not feel hungry after drinking it. So they may not eat enough healthy food to provide the body with essential nutrients.
Risk factors:
In some parts of the world, widespread and prolonged malnutrition can be the result of malnutrition. However, in wealthier nations, those most at risk of malnutrition include:
- · Older people, especially if they are in the hospital or in a long-term care institution
- · People who isolate themselves from society - for example, because of mobility problems, health problems, or other factors
- · Low-income people
- · People who are recovering from or living with a serious illness or condition
- · Those who have difficulty absorbing nutrients
Diagnosis:
If the doctor suspects Crohn's disease, celiac disease, or other conditions, he may perform laboratory tests to confirm the diagnosis. Treating these conditions can improve nutritional status of a person. They may also do the following:
- Blood tests for testing and monitoring
- check certain nutrients, such as iron or vitamins
- Preliminary testing of albumin, as malnutrition often impairs the levels of this protein
- Albumin testing, which may indicate liver or kidney disease
Risk identification tool:
Some tools can help identify people who are malnourished or at risk. Another way to test adults is to use the Malnutrition Screening Tool (MUST). A Reliable Source of Research has shown this as a reliable tool. Experts have developed this tool to identify older people, especially the elderly, who are malnourished or at high risk for malnutrition. It is a five-step plan that can help health care providers diagnose and treat these conditions. The five steps are as follows:
Step 1: Measure a person's height and weight, calculate his or her body mass index (BMI), and then score points.
Step 2: Observe the percentage of random weight loss and give points. For example, a 5–10% random loss would give 1 point, while a 10% loss would add 2 points.
Step 3: Identify any mental or physical health conditions and score points. For example, if a person is very sick and does not eat for more than 5 days, the score will be 3.
Step 4: Add points from steps 1, 2, and 3 to get the full score.
Step 5: Use local guidelines to create a point-based care plan.
