11 Diseases That Make You Gain Weight

Weight gain or weight loss rely on the balance of calories in, which are obtained through your diet, and calories out, which is the energy you actually burn throughout the day. Maintaining a healthy body weight relies on several factors that balance your calories in and calories out, including the diet, your regular activity level, genetics and your body’s metabolism. Any underlying disease or medical condition in the body can affect tissues throughout your body and thus leads to changes in the metabolic rate of the body and the energy that you burn every day, ultimately leading to weight gain. Read below to know about the diseases that make you gain weight.

11 Diseases That Make You Gain Weight

Diseases That Make You Gain Weight:

#1. Hypothyroidism:

One of the most common diseases that make you gain weight is Hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is a dysfunction of your thyroid gland that is found in the throat and acts as a site of secretion for thyroid hormones. These hormones play a crucial role in your body’s metabolism, with the secretion of thyroid hormones, boosting the number of calories you burn every day. Hypothyroidism occurs generally when your thyroid becomes inflamed and your body’s immune system begins to damage the thyroid gland, causing a reduced production of thyroid hormones. This in turn results in a reduction in metabolism, which often causes unexplained weight gain. Depression, sensitivity to cold, brittle nails and hairs etc, are some other symptoms of hypothyroidism.

#2. Prolactinoma:

One more disease that can cause weight gain is Prolactinoma. Prolactinomas- benign or non-cancerous tumors that secrete the hormone prolactin, may lead to weight gain. These prolactinomas develop within the Pituitary gland that is present in the brain and secretes a number of hormones, including prolactin. The growth of prolactinoma here, increases the number of cells secreting the hormone prolactin, thus leading to abnormal levels of the hormone within your blood. Apart from causing weight gain, prolactinoma also leads to low sex drive, infertility, irregular periods in women and breast growth in case of men. This tumor, if left untreated may cause visual disturbances, as the size of prolactinomas interferes with the function of other nerve tissues.

#3. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome:

Polycystic ovarian syndrome or PCOS is one more disease that may cause unexplained weight gain. This condition occurs because of a dysfunction of a woman’s ovaries, thus leading to hormonal imbalance. The ovaries in women serve as the site for the production of a several number of sex hormones including estrogen, to a lesser amount of testosterone. Women with PCOS develop a hormonal imbalance, in turn leading to weight gain, or difficulty in losing weight. This condition may also cause acne and excessive hair growth in women.

#4. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease & Irritable Bowel Syndrome:

Gastroesophageal reflux disease causes the relaxation of the muscle between the esophagus and stomach, thus allowing the contents of the stomach to flow back in to your esophagus and this results in heartburn. While, this condition itself does not cause individuals to gain weight, common remedies to relieve the symptoms generally adds unnecessary pounds. Many people eat a lot to reduce the painful consequences of GERD temporarily. Eating to relieve the pain temporarily is pretty much guaranteed to make you gain extra pounds. So, it is good to talk to doctor, change to a healthy lifestyle and treat the condition without gaining unwanted weight.

Same is in case with Irritable Bowel syndrome, where during the days when you are experiencing less severe symptoms, you might eat more and that may make you gain weight. You must consult your doctor and take the necessary treatments for it.

#5. Gestational Diabetes:

Most of us are familiar with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. However, there is also one more type of diabetes that is Gestational diabetes. Non-diabetic women can develop gestational diabetes during their 5th and 6th month of pregnancy. During this time, the body produces enough of insulin; however, hormones made in the placenta block the effect it is supposed to have on blood sugar. Though some women do not experience the symptoms, others may experience weight gain, excessive hunger or excessive thirst and/or excessive urination. The best part of this is that gestational diabetes typically disappears after the childbirth.

#6. Persistent Depressive Disorder:

There is one more cause of weight gain and that is persistent depressive disorder, or a milder type of chronic depression. This disease can wreck, both your physical and emotional health. This mental health condition causes ongoing sadness and feelings of hopelessness. Those who are diagnosed with persistent depressive disorders often experience changes in sleep, appetite and making overeating and weight gain more probable. In case you are eating when you are sad, and if this happens on a regular basis then you must check in with your doctor and see if they can refer you to a mental health expert. Adopting healthier habits replaces the more destructive ones and can simultaneously lead to weight loss.

#7. Insomnia:

A good night’s sleep can make a big difference in your mood, concentration and your weight as well. Insomnia and sleep deprivation are amongst the biggest contributors to inadvertent weight gain, leading to an increased level of hunger, a reduced level of metabolic rate, and making it less likely you will hit the gym or cook healthy.

#8. Generalized Anxiety Disorder:

We all suffer from some kind of stress and frustration in life. However, generalized anxiety disorder goes beyond the occasional nervousness. With this condition you may produce constant stress and your body may produce more of stress hormones. Heightened cortisol levels may encourage your body to hold onto fat. You will also experience more intense food cravings. Talk therapy along with medication can help you manage the symptoms.

#9. Cushing’s Syndrome:

One of the most serious diseases that can make you gain weight is Cushing’s syndrome. This is caused by unusually high levels of cortisol. Depression, stress and even specific medications can lead to elevation in the stress hormone. Apart from weight gain, Cushing’s syndrome also causes symptoms like acne, high blood pressure and muscle weakness.

#10. Ovarian Tumor:

In case you are gaining weight around your belly, as opposed to your lower body, it can be more dangerous to your health and can signal a larger problem. Sometimes an extended stomach can be caused due to a tumor, like as Ovarian tumor. The condition could be really scary and thus you must check with your doctor to rule out any possible complications due to the tumor.

#11. Joint Pains:

Some types of disease of the joint like like arthritis, plantar fasciitis, and knee and hip problems may contribute to weight gain as these disease are likely to make you less physically active leading to weight gain.

Conclusion:

It must be noted that though we talked about some of the diseases that can make you gain weight, not all weight gain is dangerous, especially those that are around the bottom and hip regions. However, if it is painful and seems something to be serious, one must surely check out with an expert medical professional and treat anything that is abnormal.Weight gain or weight loss rely on the balance of calories in, which are obtained through your diet, and calories out, which is the energy you actually burn throughout the day. Maintaining a healthy body weight relies on several factors that balance your calories in and calories out, including the diet, your regular activity level, genetics and your body’s metabolism. Any underlying disease or medical condition in the body can affect tissues throughout your body and thus leads to changes in the metabolic rate of the body and the energy that you burn every day, ultimately leading to weight gain.

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Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:February 5, 2018

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