Metabolic disorders: why weight gets bigger and skin deteriorates

Shutterstock

The term “metabolism” is usually of interest to people in terms of weight loss. Fast metabolism is good, slow metabolism is bad. Metabolic disorders in the body are very bad, because you can cure them. But in fact, the weight is secondary, the balance of the metabolism is extremely important for the functioning of the organism as a whole.

What is metabolism or metabolism? To function normally, our body needs energy. It gets it from food: it breaks down the proteins, fats and carbohydrates in our food and converts them into fuel through chemical reactions. For example, the brain needs calcium, potassium, sodium and fat, and all this should come in the form of, say, dinner. After this dinner, the body will immediately expend part of the metabolic products, and part will be stored in the liver, fatty tissue or muscle.

If problems arise at any of the stages of processing, the body does not receive enough energy, and some of the substances that should have been processed must somehow be excreted. The second option is that the treatment is too intense and there are more metabolic products than necessary. This may be, for example, due to the absence of any enzymes important for chemical reactions, or, conversely, abnormal chemical reactions that prevent their “colleagues” from occurring. As a result, the process of transformation of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, water-salt or hormonal balance can be disturbed. Here are some of the diseases that can result: diabetes, sickle cell anemia, hemochromatosis, Gaucher disease, porphyria, phenylketonuria. A fairly large number of metabolic disorders are hereditary, and not all of these diseases are detected immediately – some may appear already in adulthood. However, the genetic factor is not the only one, here are some other factors that can play a role:

Any of these factors can cause chemical reactions in the body and disrupt the process of converting food into energy.

Since metabolic disorders in women and men include a wide variety of options (there are many chemical reactions that occur and each of them can go wrong), the symptoms can be very different. Here are some examples:

All these signs of metabolic disorders are nonspecific, that is, it cannot be said unambiguously from them that the patient has problems with metabolism and nothing else. But several signs that at first glance are not related to each other can lead the doctor to believe that they are not related to individual diseases, but to metabolic problems. Some symptoms also require immediate medical attention. This:

In the treatment of any metabolic disorder, you need to start with a visit to the therapist. A doctor of this particular specialization should be the first link in the chain that will lead you to normal health. He will ask you questions about your way of life, your heredity. Existing illnesses, he will also specify the other necessary anamnesis, will send you for tests: blood, urine, hormones. Perhaps other, perhaps other examinations, as well as consultations with specialized specialists, will be required. Depending on the cause of the disease, the treatment may be different. For example, if dietary habits have affected metabolism, it is possible that proper nutrition under the supervision of a nutritionist and gastroenterologist will return metabolism to normal. If menopause is the cause (and it does happen, hormonal imbalance can greatly affect metabolism), replacement therapy may be needed. If the problem is in violation of the function of one or another organ, then, accordingly, this organ should be treated. Sometimes a bone marrow transplant, another surgery, hormone or enzyme therapy may be needed, and sometimes physiotherapy, vitamin and mineral supplementation, symptomatic treatment, or lifestyle changes are enough.

The main thing in this situation is not to self-medicate. What does metabolic disorder mean? The fact that chemical reactions have gone wrong, the basis of the foundations on which all our health rests. Here, complex treatment is required under the supervision of a specialist, otherwise you risk injuring yourself even more. However, adjusting your diet, exercising sensibly, and reducing your stress levels can help improve your overall health even before seeing your doctor. The same actions can be taken to prevent metabolic disorders – sports, vitamins, proper nutrition, giving up bad habits will help reduce the risk of developing metabolic problems.