In the body, everything should work harmoniously and clearly. However, it happens that some organs fail. In this article I want to talk about what are the causes and signs of metabolic disorders.
What is metabolism
At the very beginning, you need to understand the concepts that will be used in the article. So what is metabolism? First of all, it is necessary to clarify that another name for this process is metabolism. At its core, this is a set of various kinds of chemical reactions, the main purpose of which is to maintain the vital activity of the body. Other goals and objectives of metabolism:
- These processes are aimed at converting the food that enters the body into valuable calories.
- The next goal flows smoothly from the previous one. Metabolism also “monitors” the consumption of converted calories.
- Metabolism synthesizes hormones and enzymes necessary for the body.
- Also, these processes are responsible for the removal of decay products.
Metabolism is a process that must be considered not only as an example of the activity of individual organs or systems, but also at the cellular level.
main reason
If a person has a metabolic disorder, the reasons for this can be very different. So, first of all, doctors will trace the heredity of the patient. After all, this is precisely what most often leads to the presence of these problems in the patient. However, it is worth saying that the causes of metabolism have not yet been fully studied and research in this area of medical science is still actively being conducted.
Other reasons
If we talk about such a problem as metabolic disorders, the reasons for this can also be the following:
- Dysfunctions of various organs (pituitary, sex glands, adrenal glands, thyroid gland).
- Improper lifestyle (immobility, alcohol consumption, improper diet - starvation or excessive food intake).
- Metabolic disorders can trigger certain diseases, as well as stressful situations, lack of exercise, sleep disturbances.
About violations
What are the signs of metabolic disorders? It is worth saying that with such problems you need to contact an endocrinologist. For example, you can go to the Institute of Endocrinology, where you can get expert advice and assistance. Only specialists will be able to determine exactly what kind of disorder the patient has. It can be carbohydrate, protein, fat, mineral and other disorders. What will we talk about if it is specifically a metabolic disorder? The harmonious interaction of the most important substances that are involved in metabolism is disrupted. What problems may arise in this case?
- Oversupply or lack of substances.
- Various digestive disorders.
- The accumulation of intermediate products of exchange.
- Unequal formation of end products of metabolism.
Protein metabolism
Everyone knows that protein is the most important building material of the human body. Various diseases and pathologies can cause problems with impaired protein metabolism. What, then, will a person feel? The situation is automatically divided into two large categories.
Excess protein
What is the main symptom of metabolic disorders if there are problems with excess protein? A person will certainly feel a decrease in appetite. Other symptoms:
- Various intestinal dysfunctions. It can be both diarrhea and constipation.
- Kidney pathologies may develop, including renal failure.
- With an excess of protein, the human nervous system is in constant tension. Nervous breakdowns are possible.
- Salt may be deposited in the patient’s tissues.
- A significant increase in plasma protein is also possible.
Diseases caused by excess protein: arthritis, osteoporosis, fatty liver, gout, and obesity.
Protein deficiency
What will a person who does not have an excess feel, namely a deficiency of such an important trace element as protein?
- Weakness, drowsiness.
- Muscle weakness, hypotension.
- Fragility of nails, hair, deterioration of the skin.
- Weight loss (possible weight loss to a state of dystrophy).
- Also, with protein deficiency, human performance will be reduced .
- Frequent infectious diseases, as well as immunodeficiency.
Protein metabolic disorders in children also have certain symptoms. With a protein deficiency in children, there may be:
- Lag in physical development.
- Lag in mental development (decrease in cognitive functions, intellectual abilities).
Diseases that arise with protein deficiency: kwashiorkor (main symptoms: swelling, weakness, weight loss) and alimentary dystrophy (also underweight and swelling, but also various kinds of immunodeficiency states).
Carbohydrate metabolism
What are carbohydrates in the body responsible for? Their main task is the nutrition of brain cells and the implementation of energy functions. It is these elements that compensate for the loss of strength and energy in stressful situations or emotional stress. It is also worth saying that it is problems with a carbohydrate disorder that accompany the patient most often for life.
Excess carbohydrates
The main symptom of metabolic disorders in carbohydrate problems is body weight fluctuations. With an excess of carbohydrates, it can significantly increase, with a deficit, it can decrease. Other indicators:
- Trembling in the body, which occurs involuntarily.
- Hyperactivity.
- Hypertension (most often occurs against a background of a significant increase in body weight).
- An increase in blood glucose.
- Cardiovascular pathologies (most often also occur against the background of obesity).
Diseases that can occur due to excess carbohydrates: obesity and diabetes.
Carbohydrate deficiency
The main symptoms that may occur due to a deficiency of carbohydrates:
- Depression.
- Drowsiness, weakness.
- Weight loss.
- Tremor of the legs and arms.
- Decreased blood glucose.
Diseases: hypoglycemia and Girke's disease.
Fat Metabolism Disorder
Fats are an equally important element of the human body. It is thanks to fats that the body maintains internal homeostasis. Adipose tissue is found in hormones and nerve fibers.
An important symptom of metabolic disorders with a problem with fats is again a change in body weight. If we talk about an excess of fats in the body, a person is often diagnosed with obesity. Other symptoms:
- Atherosclerosis.
- The formation of stones in the gallbladder and liver.
- Blood problems: increased coagulability, excess cholesterol in the blood.
If we talk about a deficiency of fats in the body, the following symptoms can be observed:
- Hypovitaminosis.
- Body mass deficiency.
- Hair loss.
- Skin inflammation.
- Hormonal imbalance.
- Pathology of the kidneys.
Violation of water metabolism
What is another symptom of metabolic disorders? So, if it is water metabolism that is violated, a person may have edema, dropsy, and often a state of shock occurs (if we are talking about excess water in the body). Loss of electrolytes, disruption of the central nervous system, kidney disease - if we talk about a shortage of water in the body.
Violation of mineral metabolism
Minerals are biocatalysts of multiple physiological reactions, as well as stabilizers of the acid state of the body. Most often, various kinds of stressful situations, unfavorable environment, too fast pace of life (especially for residents of a metropolis), bad habits, nervousness and, of course, poor nutrition lead to mineral metabolic disorders. If we consider endocrine disorders, the symptoms of mineral metabolism problems can be as follows:
- External indicators: brittle nails, acne rashes, hair loss.
- Insomnia.
- Decreased immunity.
- Visual impairment.
- Upset stool.
- Decreased libido.
Children
Separately, it is also necessary to consider metabolic disorders in children. It is worth saying that similar problems can occur in babies even at a very young age. In this case, it is customary to talk about a disease that is called "exudative diathesis." The main symptoms:
- Red spots that appear on the baby’s body. May itch, get wet. Looks like a nettle burn. Pustules may also appear.
- Inflammation of the eyes of a child, runny nose (problems with mucous membranes occur).
To cope with metabolic problems in children of any age, just establish proper nutrition. If we are talking about babies, a nursing mother should fix her diet.
About types of metabolism
Everyone should know what kind of metabolism they have. So, there are three of them:
- Normal.
- Accelerated (or fast metabolism).
- Economic metabolism.
With a normal metabolism, people should monitor the diet, because an overabundance of food can lead to various kinds of problems. If a person has a quick metabolism, then he can eat everything and a lot. And all this is permissible because in their body fats burn faster than they accumulate. Those who have an economical mode of metabolism, as they say, "are getting fat from the water." Such people should carefully monitor their diet, not allowing themselves anything superfluous. However, how can one know what kind of metabolism a person has? There are two ways.
- Conduct a biochemical study of the body. Disadvantage: the high cost of the procedure.
- Carry out a little experiment.
About the experiment
In order to find out exactly what type of metabolism is present in humans, it is not necessary to visit the Institute of Endocrinology. In this case, you can use the proven method. To do this, you need to get up in the morning (preferably Sunday) and do all the hygiene procedures. After going into the kitchen, you need to warm up and quickly eat 300 g of porridge. Next, you need to wait a couple of minutes.
- With accelerated metabolism, perspiration will appear.
- If it becomes warm, the metabolism is normal.
- If a person does not feel or feel anything at all, he has an economical type of metabolism.
Prevention
Prevention of metabolic disorders is a great way to avoid metabolic problems. What will be relevant in this case:
- Proper balanced nutrition. It is necessary to refuse starchy, fatty, sweet food to the maximum. You can not overeat or starve. You also need to ensure that the body in full consumes all vitamins and minerals.
- The body must rest properly (continuous 7-hour sleep is important).
- Try to avoid stressful situations and emotional overload.
- It is necessary to completely get rid of all bad habits.
- It is also advisable to avoid adverse environmental factors.
In this case, the prevention of endocrine diseases will also be important. Particular attention should be paid to preventive measures for diabetes and hypoglycemia (carbohydrate imbalance).
Treatment
So, we found out what a metabolic disorder (symptoms) is. The treatment of this problem is what I also want to talk about. You can cope with metabolic disorders with the help of various kinds of medications.
- Stimulants, which contain caffeine and thein (most often they are taken by athletes).
- Hormonal drugs, as well as medications that treat endocrine disorders.
- Drugs based on antidepressants.
- Various kinds of extracts. For example, guarana extract, which normalizes cell metabolism and accelerates lipid metabolism.
ethnoscience
Important: if a person has certain metabolic problems, then it is best to seek help from a qualified professional. Otherwise, it can be great to harm your health. However, if there is no way to contact the doctors, you can try to cope with the problems with traditional medicine:
- To restore metabolism, you can prepare an infusion of walnut leaves. To prepare the medicine, you need to take two teaspoons of dried leaves, pour one glass of boiling water and leave for about an hour. The broth should be taken 4 times a day for half a glass before meals.
- You can drink tea from horsetail (sold at the pharmacy). For medicinal purposes - three times a day for a quarter cup. It will help not only adjust the metabolism, but also cleanse the body.
- And to speed up the metabolism, it is enough just to regularly visit a sauna or bath. However, first you need to make sure there are no other contraindications to their visit.