What is
the cause of constant hunger?
The feeling of hunger
is one of the natural ways in which the body expresses its need for food, and
it may be accompanied by a sound from the stomach, or a feeling of empty
stomach, or a person may lose his ability to focus, or have a headache, and may
lead to an increase in appetite, A person eats more than his body needs, which
may result in weight gain and obesity, and increased appetite is normal in some
cases, such as increased appetite that is felt after exercising, or some other
activities. This indicates that there is a problem in the nature of eating or
the components of meals, or a health or psychological problem, or a number of
other different reasons, so it is worth consulting a doctor in case of persistent
hunger, which is medically called Hyperphagia.
Reasons for constant hunger:
There are many different reasons that may lead
to a feeling of constant hunger, including the following:
1.
Diabetes:
The body converts the
sugars in food into glucose, which is the sugar that the cells of the body
benefit from in the production of energy.
There are a number of other symptoms that may indicate diabetes,
such as the frequent need to urinate, feeling very thirsty, feeling tired and
tired.
2.
Hyperthyroidism:
The production of excessive amounts of thyroid hormones leads to
increased feelings of hunger, and other symptoms that may accompany this
condition include increased sweating, rapid heartbeat, and muscle weakness.
3.
Some types of
medicine:
Taking
some types of medications may lead to appetite and feeling hungry more than
usual, and these medications include antipsychotics, antidepressants,
corticosteroids, and some medications used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.
Diabetes, such as insulin, and medications that increase insulin secretion in
the body.
4.
psychological
problems:
Some psychological
conditions, such as depression, anxiety, or premenstrual syndrome, may increase
the feeling of hunger, and severe stress may also increase the feeling of
hunger; This is due to the increased secretion of the hormone cortisol.
5.
Not getting enough
hours of sleep
Obtaining a sufficient number of hours of
sleep is one of the basic elements for maintaining health, and one of the basic
elements for the functioning of the immune system, and the brain. Sleep
disturbance leads to an imbalance of some hormones responsible for feeling full
and hungry in the body, such as the hormone ghrelin, which is responsible for
regulating appetite, and the hormone leptin. It is the hormone responsible for
feeling full.
6.
Diet:
Eating meals that do not contain sufficient
amounts of proteins may increase the feeling of hunger, due to the properties
of proteins in reducing the feeling of hunger, and there are many different types
of foods rich in proteins that can be added to the diet such as fish and dairy
products, and eating meals that It does not contain fats, which leads to the
speed of feeling hungry, due to the long time that fats need to digest, which
helps to feel full for a longer period. Which food needs to cross from the
stomach, which helps to delay the feeling of hunger.
7.
pregnancy:
A
woman’s pregnancy may lead to an appetite and an increase in the feeling of
hunger, due to the body’s keenness to secure the necessary food for the fetus,
which results in the woman’s weight gain in many cases during pregnancy, and
other symptoms that may indicate pregnancy are interruption of the menstrual
cycle, and a feeling of nausea, An increased desire to urinate.
8.
Not drinking enough
water:
Feeling thirsty may lead to
the belief that it is a feeling of hunger in some cases, and drinking a glass
of water when feeling hungry may help to get rid of the feeling of hunger, and
it is worth noting that obtaining sufficient quantities of water is necessary
to maintain general health, and brain health. .
9.
Doing exercise:
Regular intense or prolonged exercise may increase the speed of
burning calories in the body, which results in feeling hungry faster, and it is
worth noting that moderate exercise may help reduce appetite.
Diagnosis of persistent hunger
It is worth visiting the doctor if the constant feeling of hunger
persists for a long time or if it is accompanied by some other symptoms, and
the doctor diagnoses the condition through a clinical examination, and notes
the changes in the person’s weight. This is through the symptoms that appear on
the person, and in the event that the doctor is unable to determine the main
cause of persistent hunger, the person may be asked to perform some other
diagnostic tests, such as a blood analysis, through which it is possible to
detect the presence of a health problem in the thyroid gland, and in the event
of the inability to Determine the cause After conducting these various tests,
the doctor may refer the person to a psychiatrist to try to determine the cause
of persistent hunger.