Stomach pain and weight loss are common symptoms for a wide variety of conditions. Each of them could be indicative of a number of problems. However, both stomach pain and weight loss narrow the possibilities. If you are experiencing pain in the abdomen and are losing weight unintentionally, the following may be possibilities to consider and speak with your doctor about.
Cancer
Stomach pain and unintended weight loss are two symptoms of several types of gastric cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. This is a potentially deadly disease that affects an estimated 21,000 people each year in the United States, so ruling out cancer will be the first thing you want to do.
If stomach pain and weight loss continue for an extended period of time and occur with other known stomach cancer symptoms, you should seek immediate medical attention. These symptoms include a lack of appetite, a sense of fullness just below the breastbone after small meals, heartburn, nausea, vomiting and abdominal swelling. If your doctor suspects you may have stomach cancer, you may be scheduled for an MRI, an X-ray, an upper endoscopy or an upper GI series to determine the source of the symptoms.
Bacterial Infection
Abdominal actinomycosis is a bacterial infection caused by bacteria that usually reside on the enamel of teeth, gums, tonsils or the membrane lining the intestines or vagina, according to the Merck Manuals Medical Library. When the surface of the tissue that the bacteria are on is broken, it allows the bacteria to penetrate to deeper tissues. The infection leads to the formation of abscesses that will eventually cause symptoms to appear.
This infection's symptoms include stomach pain and rapid weight loss. If you experience these symptoms in addition to fever, diarrhea, constipation or vomiting, this may be your diagnosis. Doctors will determine whether a patient has this infection by conducting X-rays and sampling tissue from the abscesses.
Actinomycosis is more common in men, but women using intrauterine devices (IUDs) also get the infection, according to Merck.
Parasites
Weight loss and stomach pain may indicate the presence of a parasite living in the body. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMM), there are two main types of intestinal parasites: helminths and protozoa. Helminths include tapeworms, pinworms and roundworms, while protozoa are single-celled parasites that multiply inside the body.
Other symptoms of parasite infestation include gas or bloating, diarrhea, bloody stools, a tired feeling and passing a worm in your stool. Living in or visiting an area with known parasites, visiting international locations, and poor sanitation or hygiene can lead to parasite infestation. Also, according to UMM, the very young and the elderly are at highest risk of infection, especially when day care or other institutional care is involved.
Hunger
Although it might seem like an obvious answer to the problem, think about whether you are eating enough. Extreme dieting can certainly cause hunger, as well, and would explain both the stomach pain and the weight loss.
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