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EMACIATION
Characteristics
In humans, the overall physical appearance of emaciation includes a thinning of the... more >> Emaciation is defined as extreme weight loss and unnatural thinness due to a loss of subcutaneous fat (the fatty, or adipose tissue beneath the skin) and muscle throughout the body.[1] It affects human beings and animals; one who is emaciated could be described as "wasting away" or being "gaunt." Emaciation is caused by severe malnourishment and starvation. Emaciation is a predominant symptom of malnourishment, a basic component of poverty and famine that also occurs with diseases.
Characteristics
In humans, the overall physical appearance of emaciation includes a thinning of the limbs, upper body and buttocks to an almost skeletal-seeming state with an apparent absence of fat and muscle tone. The skin is thin, dry and translucent in some areas of the body, to the point that veins beneath the skin are somewhat visible. The face is thin and drawn with a hopeless, vacant and distressed demeanor; the eye sockets are sunken, giving the eyes a bulging appearance. The scalp is bony with dry, withering hair that is lacking. On the torso, the collar bone, chest bone and ribs are quite pronounced; the stomach is bloated, which indicates gastrointestinal distress associated with nutritional depletion. The mouth and tongue may be excessively dry, or moist with the tongue thickly coated; there is usually strong halitosis, or foul breath.[3]
There is great fatigue, inability and lack of physical effort in the emaciated. Mental efficiency, problem solving and reasoning are somewhat impaired. The emotional state of an emaciated individual is often poor; feelings of depression, hopelessness, fear, anxiety and worthlessness may prevail. A person who is emaciated is usually submissive, both mentally and physically, to the will of others. Behavior is generally passive.[3][6]
The underlying starvation, malnourishment, and usually dehydration, associated with emaciation, affect and are harmful to organ systems throughout the body. The emaciated individual experiences disturbances of the blood, circulatory, and urinary systems; these include hyponatremia and/or hypokalemia (low sodium and/or potassium in the blood, respectively), anemia (low hemoglobin), improper function of lymph (immune system-related white blood matter) and the lymphatic system, and pleurisy (fluid in the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs) and edema (swelling in general) caused by poor or improper function of the kidneys to eliminate wastes from the blood.[3]
