Unexplained weight loss

Unexplained weight loss has many causes, medical and nonmedical. Often, a combination of things results in a general decline in your health and a related weight loss. Most often, medical disorders that cause weight loss include other symptoms. Sometimes a specific cause isn't found.

Potential causes of unexplained weight loss include

1. Cancer
2. Dementia
3. Dental problems
4. Depression (major depressive disorder)
5. Diabetes
6. Hypercalcemia (high blood calcium level)
7. Hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) also known as overactive thyroid.
8. Hyponatremia (low blood sodium level)
9. Medicines
10. Parkinson's disease
11. Previous stroke or neurological disorders

Less common conditions that may include weight loss as one of the symptoms are:

1. Addison's disease
2. Alcohol use disorder
3. Amyloidosis
4. Celiac disease
5. COPD — a long-term lung disease that causes trouble with breathing.
6. Crohn's disease — which causes tissues in the digestive tract to become inflamed.
7. Drug addiction (substance use disorder)
8. Heart failure — a condition in which the heart doesn't pump blood as well as it should.
9. HIV/AIDS
10. Peptic ulcer
11. Prescription drug abuse
12. Tuberculosis
13. Ulcerative colitis — a disease that causes ulcers and swelling called inflammation in the lining of the large intestine.

• Definition
• When to see a doctor