Have you ever wondered why is it making you feel hungry even after a wholesome meal? Well, it could be an underlying health condition which is making you feel hungry all the time.
Feeling hungry all the time may indicate that something is wrong with your health
HIGHLIGHTS
- Constant hunger may leave you depressed and irritated
- Increased cortisol levels may induce hunger pangs
- Skipping meals and pancreas problem could be responsible for hypoglycemia
Does your gut go growling, like, throughout the day? Even after a sumptuous, filling meal, the need to pick up a pack of chips and munch on it keeps running in your mind. The need to enjoy more food is so strong that you just can't get over the idea and fail to concentrate on your work. Constant hunger can also leave you irritated and depressed. Now eating more food to satisfy such hunger is not a solution. The solution lies in the problem; the problem which is constantly making you feel hungry. Yes, sometimes, an underlying health condition makes you feel hungry all the time. In this article, we bring you 8 such medical.
Also read: Are You Always Hungry? Blame These 8 Health Conditions
Here's a list of 8 medical reasons which are making you feel hungry all the time.
1. Persistent stress and anxiety
Stress-eating is something we all do at some point in time. When a stressful incident takes place, your cortisol levels increase and you feel the need to eat more comfort food. However, when stress and anxiety persist your need to eat more food increases. Persistent stress and anxiety affect your adrenal glands and causes them to produce more cortisol in the body. This increases your appetite and you end up feeling hungry all the time.
Stress and anxiety makes you eat more
2. Worm infestation
In some cases, excessive and uncontrolled hunger could be a tell-tale sign of worm infestation. Through unhealthy food or contact with germs, a tapeworm can enter your body and reach your intestines. This can go unnoticed for a very long time. Such parasites rob your body of all vital nutrients and leave you craving for sugars and fats.
Also read: Are You On A Fat-Free Diet? Take Note Of These Signs Of Fat Deficiency In Your Body
3. Obesity
Constant hunger, eating too much and obesity are a part of the same vicious circle. The more you eat the more weight you gain. Once you are obese, your body continues to long for the same unhealthy food. Excess body fat increases insulin levels and this leaves you craving for more food all the time. To make things worse, fat cells make your body sensitive to the satiety hormone. Therefore, obesity contributes to prolonged hunger to a great extent.
Excess body fat can make you crave for food
4. Hyperthyroidism
An overactive thyroid gland is one which produces too many hormones, more than what is required. Too many hormones kick up the metabolic processes of your body. This result in quick digestion which makes you feel hungry at shorter intervals. The thyroid gland is also responsible for producing the satiety hormone in your body. Due to this, you might find it harder to satisfy constant cravings. In this case, excessive hunger might not cause you to gain weight, but it is not good for your health in any way.
Hyperthyroidism quickens the digestion process which makes you feel hungry at short intervals
Photo Credit: iStock
5. Hypoglycemia
You might experience a growling tummy when your blood sugar levels go extremely low. This is when your body craves for energy. Skipping meals and pancreas problems could be responsible for this condition. This produces more hunger as a way to tell you that the body needs more food in order to function properly.
Also read: Peanuts For Weight Loss: Rujuta Diwekar Tells Why These Legumes Must Be Included In Your Diet
6. Insomnia
A deep and sound sleep has a number of benefits to offer for your overall health. Similarly, lack of sleep or insomnia, too, backfires on your health in a number of ways. It increases your stress levels and results in the release of cortisol in the body. Cortisol further induces hunger pangs and makes you feel hungry all the time. Sleep deprivation or insomnia messes with your body's metabolic function to quite an extent.
Lack of sleep can make you feel hungry
7. Dehydration
Sometimes, you tend to misinterpret thirst for hunger. Your body might be craving for a glass of water and you may feel that it wants more food. To beat dehydration, drink 8-10 glasses of water every day. This will also help you keep hunger pangs at bay. Similarly, when you do not drink enough water, it can leave you dehydrated and with a constant feeling of hunger.
Drinking enough water a day can keep you away from hunger pangs
Photo Credit: iStock
8. Type-2 diabetes
Wait, what? Low blood sugar levels induce hunger pangs, understood. But how can high blood sugar levels make you feel hungry all the time? Turns out, it can. People with type-2 diabetes also feel hungry most of the time even if their body does not need more food. This happens due to insulin resistance. Insulin allows your cells to get sugar from the blood which acts as fuel for the body. When the body would be resistant to insulin, sugar will not reach where it is required and will start to pile up in the bloodstream. The cells, deprived of sugar, will send the brain a signal that it needs more food and that leaves you feeling hungry most of the time.
Low blood sugar level induces hunger
Photo Credit: iStock
Disclaimer: This content including advice provides generic information only. It is in no way a substitute for qualified medical opinion. Always consult a specialist or your own doctor for more information. NDTV does not claim responsibility for this information.
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