• Home

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Malnutrition

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

Alternative Names:

Nutrition - inadequate

Treatment:

Treatment usually consists of replacing missing nutrients, treating symptoms as needed, and treating any underlying medical condition.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outlook depends on the cause of the malnutrition. Most nutritional deficiencies can be corrected. However, if malnutrition is caused by a medical condition, that illness has to be treated in order to reverse the nutritional deficiency.

Complications:

If untreated, malnutrition can lead to mental or physical disability, illness, and possibly death.

Calling your health care provider:

Discuss your risk of malnutrition with your health care provider. You must seek treatment if you experience any change in your body's ability to function. The symptoms include, but are not limited to, fainting, lack of menstruation, lack of growth in children, and rapid hair loss.

• Review Date: 5/18/2007
• Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Pediatrics and Psychiatry, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.