Cold virus and weight loss

If your symptoms last for several days, the weight change can be pretty drastic. Since most of the weight that comes off when you are sick is "water weight," it will likely come back when you are feeling better and eating and drinking again. If you're actually trying to lose weight, this is not the way to do it. This is because when you are vomiting, you aren't losing fat. Your body is trying to get rid of the virus, bacteria, or other germs that are making you sick.

Vomiting and diarrhea are the symptoms of the illness—your body's defense against the germs. It eliminates any food and liquid in your digestive tract in an attempt to kill those germs. Once you have recovered and can return to eating as you did before, all or at least most of the weight will return because you are able to hold food and liquids down again.

The biggest risk and concern with the stomach flu for most people is dehydration. This is more likely to occur in young infants and children as well as older adults. Signs of dehydration in older children and adults include:. If you are concerned about dehydration, contact your healthcare provider or seek medical attention.

In some cases, dehydration can be managed at home if you or your child are able to keep down fluids. It's important to take it slowly if you have been vomiting, as adding too much too quickly can cause vomiting to return or worsen. If you are unable to hold any amount of fluids down, contact your healthcare provider. There are medications you may be able to take to stop vomiting.

If dehydration is severe enough, you may need IV fluids to recover. If you are ever with someone who appears to be dehydrated and loses consciousness, seek medical help immediately. Do not try to give an unconscious person anything to drink.

If you have symptoms of a stomach bug that last longer than a few days or persistent vomiting for more than 24 hours , contact your healthcare provider. Most gastroenteritis goes away on its own after a day or two. Diarrhea can last longer but it should be improving over time. If you have persistent weight loss and vomiting or diarrhea that don't resolve, especially after a week or more, go to the doctor.

You may need additional tests or treatments. There is no treatment when you get most stomach bugs other than waiting for it to go away. Because they are most often caused by viruses, antibiotics won't work. Even most stomach illnesses that are caused by bacteria, such as salmonella , go away on their own and typically aren't treated with antibiotics. The best thing you can do is to avoid getting it in the first place.

It isn't always easy, especially if someone else in your house has it, but there are steps you can take to try to limit the spread of those germs. This article does not cover weight loss from intentional vomiting due to eating disorders or weight loss due to chronic or serious illness.

These are serious issues and shouldn't be taken lightly. If you think you may be struggling with an eating disorder, please talk to someone and seek medical attention.

If you need information about an eating disorder because you are concerned about yourself or someone else, there are plenty of valuable resources available online and through the medical community. However, this study doesn't prove that AD36 causes obesity.

Instead, it could suggest that children with obesity are more susceptible to AD It might manipulate fat cell precursors into releasing more fat cells or be able to modify fat cells themselves so that they store more fat.

Erin Beck began writing professionally in as an opinion columnist for the West Virginia University student newspaper, "The Daily Athenaeum. Monitor the health of your community here. More Articles. Weight Management. This does not mean they have to suffer through coughs, cold and the flu; there are a variety of over-the-counter options that are still available to bariatric patients. It is important to avoid medications that contain NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, naproxen or aspirin common brand names are Motrin, Aleve, and Alka-Seltzer , however medications that contain acetaminophen Tylenol and other medications used to treat cold and flu symptoms are safe alternatives.

Over-the-counter OTC products are available at local pharmacies and grocery stores and are available to purchase without a prescription. Medications that are generally safe to take can be selected based on your symptoms. Remember, these medications are only safe if you do not have any other conditions such as high blood pressure that would prevent you from taking them.

Knowing the medications you CAN take is just as important as knowing the medications you should avoid. Read labels and look for the ingredients you know you can use.