Experiencing bloating, weight loss or weakness? It could be malabsorption
Malabsorption syndrome affects your ability to absorb nutrients, causing diarrhea, foul-smelling stools, fatigue, bone pain, and deficiencies. Early diagnosis and targeted treatment can help manage symptoms and prevent serious complications.
Malabsorption Syndrome, What’s Going On? It is a condition where your intestines are unable to effective absorption one or more nutrients that you’re consuming through your diet. It often begins insidiously and has a gradual progression. It may been seen due to multiple factors like defects in digestion of fats, or difficulty in the hydrolysis of nutrients.
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Hidden Causes You Might Miss A number of other conditions and diseases may lead to malabsorption, like any fluctuation in the levels of thyroid hormone, co-morbidities like diabetes mellitus, consumption of drugs like laxatives or methotrexate. Liver diseases may reduce the synthesis of bile, thus impairing fat metabolism, which in turn causes deficiencies. Excessive bacterial growth has also been implicated.
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Notice stool patterns Diarrhea is one the most common features of malabsorption syndrome, and it may occur due to the osmotic activity of carbohydrates. The effects of bile acids and fatty acids also affect the gastrointestinal motility. Multiple episodes of diarrhea in a day can be concerning, and you must consult your physician if you feel dehydrated.
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Too Gassy? Flatulence Could Be a Clue The carbohydrates that are broken down in your colon by bacteria can produce gas, which leads to the feeling of flatulence. Under normal conditions, a certain number of gut bacteria are already present, and they are considered a normal fauna. However, in conditions like malabsorption syndrome, there can be marked bacterial overgrowth which contributes to the release of gas.
Foul Smelling Stools If you notice any change in your stools, especially if they begin emitting a foul odour, with or without other symptoms, you must inform your healthcare provider. This foul smell could be a result of the inadequate absorption of proteins. The proteins that are lost from the intestine also contribute to it.
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Muscle Cramps or Numbness Your muscles may also have to bear the brunt of this syndrome. Improper absorption of nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, magnesium and phosphate can weaken your muscles. Not only that, you may even experience sensations like tingling, prickling or numbness in your limbs.
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Is Your Bone Health at Risk Since your gut is unable to absorb important nutrients like proteins, calcium and vitamins (especially vitamin D), they fail to reach the bone. In turn, they result in pain in your bones, and make you more susceptible to fractures. It is necessary to check your vitamin D and calcium levels to rule out deficiencies.
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Vitamin Shortfalls You Shouldn’t Ignore Besides vitamin D, you may also have underlying vitamin K and vitamin C deficiency. Vitamin K is necessary for clotting, and reduced levels can cause pin point red spots on the body due to bleeding of small capillaries. Bruises may be commonly observed that are more than one centimetre in size.
More Than Just Gut Issues Over the course of time, malabsorption may show presentations like weight loss, increased hunger, growth retardation and anaemia. It may also lead to the absence of menstrual bleeding and infertility in some cases. Kidney stones have also been reported in people with malabsorption syndrome.
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Tailored Treatment For Each The treatment must be tailored depending on the cause. For example, for those who have celiac disease, a gluten free diet is recommended. If the problem is arising due to inadequacy in the pancreatic function, pancreatic supplements must be provided. You must consult your healthcare professional for thorough investigations and adhere to the medicines they prescribe.
Rajeshwaari Kalla is a freelance health and wellness writer
