The problem could be as simple as a stomach bug that will pass in a day or two. But a lack of appetite for more than a few days can be a sign of something more serious, like a thyroid problem, cancer, or a mental health issue like stress or depression. Certain medications can also suppress your appetite.
Losing an appetite is a common sickness behavior, and not eating until hunger pangs hit (even if they are infrequent) is not a bad thing for adults.
Answer: Oftentimes when we get a cold or the flu, we lose our appetites, and that's very, very common. It's not important to force feed yourself in order to keep up with the cold. However, it is important to stay hydrated. What I'd recommend is actually drinking as many liquids as possible.
"Digesting food also takes energy, so if we're not digesting food, it frees up energy to help fight an infection or illness." While a drop in appetite might help in the short-term, loss of appetite throughout a longer-lasting illness, like some cancers, can lead to detrimental weight loss, says Hensrud.
Losing your appetite is common if you have a cold. This is why you sometimes lose weight when you're sick—you simply just don't want to eat. Your white blood cells release cytokines that help fight off infection, but these chemicals can also cause a loss of appetite.
And here's a more important solution: It's always important to eat well — especially when you're sick. Not eating when you're sick can inhibit your body's ability to heal itself. While you might crave junk foods while you're sick, they won't help your body heal either.
Having loss of appetite is not typically an emergency, but it may require emergency medical attention if it is accompanied by severe malnutrition or dehydration, dizziness, chest pain, heart racing/palpitations, localized numbness or weakness, confusion, or thoughts of hurting oneself or others.
Loss of appetite is common, and might be part of the body's attempt to focus its energy on pounding the pathogens. Don't force yourself to eat, but make sure to take in plenty of fluids.
If you find yourself having no appetite for a short period of time, it may not be necessary to force yourself to eat. If your loss of appetite is paired with other symptoms of being sick, such as vomiting, forcing yourself to eat may make you feel even worse.
Don't force yourself to drink or eat if you're nauseated or vomiting. It's a good idea to avoid eating for about 4 to 8 hours if you're vomiting often. Along the way, try small sips of water or flat ginger ale.
“Your body uses all its energy, including the energy needed to digest food, to fight the infection. That's why you often feel a loss of appetite during the flu. Loss of your sense of taste and smell due to runny nose and congestion also lowers your appetite,” Dr.
Cold or flu virus
A person with a common cold or the flu may feel tired and weak due to their body fighting off the viral infection. Other symptoms, such as congestion, nausea, or general discomfort, may also lead to a loss of appetite.
Fever is part of the immune system's attempt to beat the bugs. It raises body temperature, which increases metabolism and results in more calories burned; for each degree of temperature rise, the energy demand increases further. So taking in calories becomes important. Even more crucial is drinking.
Smoothies and milkshakes work well if you have trouble chewing or swallowing. Pudding, custard, sorbet, and frozen yogurt are other options. To add more calories, swirl in a few tablespoons of coconut milk to shakes and smoothies. If you've lost too much weight and need to eat more often, these drinks make good snacks.
Both bacteria and viruses can give us fevers. And the holistic benefits of a well-balanced diet are tough to overstate. But in cases of infectious disease, the rule that Medzhitov has discovered seems to have merit. As he first put it, “Starve a bacterial infection and stuff a viral infection.”
Foods to try if nothing tastes good:
Fruit sorbet or sherbet is also an idea. Experiment with spices and herbs. Instead of adding more salt to food to perk up the taste, try adding dried basil, oregano, or a lemon-pepper seasoning. Try eating meat at room temperature instead of hot.
Is 3 Day Water Fasting Safe? A 24 hour water fast, or water fasting for a day or two, is not particularly uncommon, but a 72 hour fast is fairly extreme and should only be done under the guidance and supervision of a medical professional.
A 72-hour fast, or fasting for three consecutive days without any food intake, can help your body enter a state of ketosis. Ketosis is a metabolic state in which your body burns stored fat for energy instead of glucose from carbohydrates.
“'Feed a cold, starve a fever' has been debunked,” says Rebecca Schilling, RDN, a dietitian with Dietitians Delivered. “The most current science suggests that during acute illness, such as cold or fever, nutrient needs increase. Eating and drinking is recommended over fasting.”