How is malabsorption treated is a very important question that needs to be answered considering the damage this condition can cause to health knowing that we should be very cautious about it, avoid it, and treat it urgently when affected. As such, for the purpose of this article, you are going to learn and understand the following after going through this guide:
- What is malabsorption syndrome
- Malabsorption syndrome symptoms
- Malabsorption syndrome causes
- Diagnosis of malabsorption
- Prevention of malabsorption
What Is Malabsorption Syndrome?
Malabsorption is one of the problems that affect the digestive system and becomes an obstacle to the absorption of the basic nutrients and elements important for the growth of the body. Therefore, malabsorption is a disorder that happens when the stomach is unable to absorb vitamins, salts, and important elements in the food that was eaten of which some of the disorders known to be associated with malabsorption are lactose intolerance and celiac disease.
People with a history of intestinal surgery are likely to experience malabsorption disorders. Since malabsorption is a condition that affects the benefit that is gotten from the food we eat which as a result may affect growth and the proper functions of the body and its performance, it is important to urgently seek for a solution and get the appropriate malabsorption treatment which usually should be handled by a specialist doctor. But in general terms, the issue of how is malabsorption treated can be solved in the following ways:
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1) Changes In Diet: It should be known that the treatment for malabsorption syndrome depends on the cause of the disease. Sometimes the route of the treatment should be the option of making changes in your diet. You can consult a specialist doctor and dietitian who can develop a therapeutic diet to help you manage and control the symptoms associated with malabsorption and to obtain all the elements and fluids in a natural and balanced way.
2) Taking Of Digestive Enzyme Supplements: Digestive enzyme supplements are enzyme packed capsules that are capable of breaking down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the stomach which can play a role in the management of malabsorption and are able to contribute to the control of certain gastrointestinal diseases associated with the digestive system such as lactose intolerance. Of course, different combinations of digestive enzymes are available in the market, some of which differ in terms of the type of enzyme, its source, and the dose in it. It can be taken to help the body increase its ability to digest and absorb important nutrients that it can not be able to absorb on its own.
3) Taking Of Nutritional Supplements: Taking certain nutritional supplements to replace the elements and nutrients that the body cannot absorb in the issue of malabsorption is essential. You can consult a specialist doctor to prescribe some dietary supplements which can give the body the nutrients that could not be absorbed by the stomach as well as aid digestion in the stomach while absorbing the required elements. In some cases, you will need to take intravenous nutrients, along with fluids if you are dehydrated.
Malabsorption Syndrome Causes
Some of the well-known causes of malabsorption can be seen as follow:
- Lactose intolerance or lactase deficiency
- Damage to the intestine due to inflammation, infection, surgery, or trauma
- The use of antibiotics for a long time
- Some conditions like celiac disease, chronic pancreatitis, cystic fibrosis, or Crohn's disease
- Diseases of the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder
- Radiation therapy, which possibly can injure the intestine lining
- Drugs that may injure the intestine lining like cholestyramine, tetracycline, or colchicine
- Certain abnormalities like biliary atresia that is congenital, or present from birth
- Parasitic diseases
Malabsorption Syndrome Symptoms
People need the required nutrients from food to have a healthy body. When the body is unable to properly absorb the needed nutrients, it certainly will experience negative side effects. The symptoms of malabsorption can vary depending on the cause, the seriousness of the condition, and how long a person has suffered from the problem. However, some of the examples of general malabsorption symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- Bloating
- Steatorrhea
- Stomach distention
- Stools that look greasy in appearance
- Stomach cramping
- Weakness
- Bone pain
- Sore tongue
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Bones fracturing easily
- Shortness of breath
- Muscle wasting
- Weight loss
Diagnosis Of Malabsorption
When your doctor suspects that you have malabsorption syndrome, your doctor may do some tests to confirm the suspicion which will include:
- Endoscopy: The use of an endoscope which is a flexible tube with a camera on it to examine the intestines.
- Lactose hydrogen breath test: A medical professional can estimate how well nutrients are absorbed by measuring the amount of hydrogen in an individual's breath after drinking a lactose solution.
- Stool test: A large amount of fat in the stool may mean malabsorption.
- Biopsy: A small sample of tissue is taken from the small intestine and examined to see if it shows signs of infection or other problems.
- Sweat test: An examination of a sample of sweat can help diagnose cystic fibrosis, and one of the effects of this disease is a lack of enzymes needed to properly digest food.
Prevention Of Malabsorption
Here are some of the notable ways for prevention:
- Some diseases like celiac disease or lactose intolerance may not be avoided, but the accompanying symptoms can be controlled by following the diet and nutritional supplements recommended by the specialist doctor.
- You can prevent malabsorption treatment by making sure that the proper amount of fluid is ingested in the body regularly which can aid digestion.
- In most cases, malabsorption can be prevented by avoiding excessive use of laxatives or alcohol, both of which are associated with an increased risk of malabsorption. If you have health conditions related to your digestive system, it is important to speak to your healthcare professional to know the best way to handle it.
- Making use of iron supplements to assist with anemia knowing that part of the malabsorption symptom is iron deficiency.
- Taking of supplements containing vitamin D and K, magnesium, and calcium in order to increase the nutrients that the body receives.
Summary And Takeaway
In this guide, the question of how is malabsorption treated was answered revealing three different ways for malabsorption treatment. Also, other important areas were covered in order to give a full understanding of the topic at hand of which among the areas covered include what is malabsorption syndrome, malabsorption syndrome symptoms, malabsorption syndrome causes, diagnosis of malabsorption as well as prevention of malabsorption. Having said that, it should be known that malabsorption is a very bad condition for health because it denies the body the essential nutrients it is supposed to receive, and therefore, you should avoid the issue of malabsorption by following the information in this guide while you take urgent steps to treat the condition if you have been diagnosed of it in order to avoid it leading to other health complications which may not be easy to handle.
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