As defined, rapid weight gain refers to the excessive gaining of weight in a short period of time.
Although it is not always alarming especially if it is caused by overeating due to holidays or vacations or pregnancy which makes women prone to gaining weight, rapid weight gain should be one of the things that people should pay attention to.
Why? Because this drastic change in weight gain can be a bad indicator of health or can be an indicator of an impending sickness.
What causes rapid weight gain?
Aside from the possibility of pregnancy or just gaining weight through overeating, experts say that people who are experiencing rapid weight gain should seek professional or medical help as soon as possible.
Experts say that when people who are suffering from rapid weight gain should go to a doctor for a consultation the soonest possible time, chances are, they have better fighting chances of the impending health condition.
To most people, rapid weight gain does not only cause them great discomfort but physical and emotional stress as well because they are always thinking of what causes their condition. The following are just some of the causes of rapid weight gain:
1. Rapid weight gain can be caused by a serious health condition. Studies show that rapid weight gain-that is not caused by pregnancy or overeating-can be an indicator of serious illnesses that involve the endocrine system as well as the heart and lungs of a person.
2. It may indicate perilous retention in the body's fluids. This is very dangerous for the person because he or she might experience fluctuations in the body fluids which can be hard to sustain and monitor.
3. Rapid weight gain can be sign of imbalance in body's nutrients. This is the very common reason why people gain weight. Since they don't eat the standard size of food servings every meal, the level of the nutrients in the body tends to fluctuate. But, if the person does not have drastic changes in eating patterns and his or her weight goes up suddenly or without apparent reason, chances are, he or she needs medical attention as soon as possible.
4. This can be caused by thyroid problems. If the thyroid get active than its usual rate, then, rapid weight gain will follow. This is because the thyroid has the ability to control the amount of food intake through satiety levels of the person. Once it is overactive, chances are, it cannot perform its normal functions and will lead to certain conflicts in the person's physiological state.
If there is a suspicion that weight gain is caused by a thyroid problem, the person should seek medical attention as soon as possible so he or she can be given proper medications to control the thyroid.
5. Rapid weight gain can also be caused by certain food allergies. When a person has allergic reactions to certain foods, things, or smell, he or she can exhibit various body responses such as developing rashes and irregular breathing. In others, the manifestation of these allergies may result to rapid weight gain.
To avoid rapid weight gain caused by allergies, it is always best to be informed about the things that have allergens so you will not have to suffer form gaining too much weight.
Is Smoking Bad For Your Health
It has been known for many years that stress can affect your health but we are only now beginning to fully understand just how stress can affect the body. Some of the myths surrounding stress, such as the fact that stress can lead to ulcers, are being laid to rest and others are now being confirmed.
Many of the more obvious effects of stress such as headaches, muscle tension, a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure and digestive problems are easily recognized and well known, but there are also a number of longer-term, and potentially serious, conditions that can be caused by chronic stress.
Studies undertaken at the National Institutes of Health and elsewhere for example strongly suggest that stress affects the immune system. Interestingly, these same studies show that the effect can be both positive and negative.
Since one definition of stress is that it is simply a person's 'fight or flight' response to a perceived threat, it can have a positive effect. It can, for example, trigger the release of chemicals which help heal infections from bites. That makes sense if you consider how evolution might have tailored the immune system to deal with these problems.
However, when this particular response persists over an extended period of time, the effects can be harmful and one result is that the immune system actually reduces in effectiveness resulting in a higher susceptibility to infection and a lowered resistance to colds and other virus induced illnesses.
Another result is a general feeling of tiredness and sometimes depression. When a person is stressed for long-periods, a feedback loop is created between the cause of the stress (the belief that it is not possible to solve the problem that is causing the stress) and the effects. This creates a cycle in which the belief becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Chronic stress can also impact your health by compromising you circulatory system. When stress hormones released by the 'fight or flight' trigger are not used up by the physical activity of, for example fighting off infection, they can cause actual physiological stress on the body.
High blood pressure increases the tension on the walls of blood vessels which can lead to tiny tears appearing in the blood vessels. When the body reacts to heal these micro-tears scar tissue can be produced and this decreases the blood flow through the vessels.
If stress levels are extremely high or persist for a long enough period of time then heart attacks can occur. The risk of heart attack is also raised in older people or in people carrying certain genetic characteristics. As the blood vessels narrow, the heart may not be able to deliver enough blood and oxygen at moments of high demand.
It has also been known for a long time that stress can worsen the effects of rheumatoid arthritis and this is now also explained by the effect of stress on the immune system, as there is a proven and well documented link between rheumatoid arthritis and the body's immune system.
Avoiding stress is important for all of us to maintain good health and, fortunately, as we begin to gain a better understanding of stress we are also developing a number of very effective stress relief techniques.
Both Jason Richards & Stress Relief are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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