What is the difference between marasmus and kwashiorkor

It is treated by giving diet rich in carbohydrates, fats and sugars and then slowly followed by protein. To digest the dairy products supplements of vitamins and minerals should be taken.

Apart from it, treatments are also given for an electrolyte imbalance or kind of infections. Common symptoms are enlarged liver, frequent infections, diarrhoea, abdominal swelling, irritability, muscle wasting, changes in hairs and nails, weight loss, changes in the skin cracking, peeling, pigment loss, patches.

The severe type of malnutrition that arises due to the deficiency of calories and proteins is known as marasmus. It is the chronic infections that affect the muscles and tissues of the body. This deficiency of nutrition can leads to insufficiency of vitamins also and can lead to complete starvation. Marasmus is considered as one of the major health issue related to the protein-energy malnutrition PEM in the world. It is the most severe problem faced by the children in developing areas like South Asia, Africa, and Latin America, the main reason is the inadequate supply of healthy food, intake of contaminated water and above that poverty.

The infections also develop due to drinking of contaminated water, that contains parasites, bacteria which enter the body and worsen the condition. Symptoms of marasmus may vary on the ground of severity and other related conditions and infections. However, some common are dizziness, fatigue, chronic diarrhoea and weight loss. Treatment may also vary, if the problem is due to deficiency of nutrition, it can be cured by providing a proper diet rich in a healthy diet; but if the problem is related to other conditions such as bacterial or any other infections, the additional treatment should be given.

One can lower the risk of marasmus, by giving proper and healthy diet, drinking sanitized water, discuss the health-related issues to the medical professionals. Following are the critical points to understand the general differences between kwashiorkor and marasmus:. So, we can say a healthy and nutritious diet is the one that contains the components rich in fats, carbohydrates and proteins. If one is failing to get enough quantity of these key nutrients, it will result in nutritional deficiencies, and that will indeed worsen the status of your health.

Therefore, eating healthy and nutritious is the best way to take care of your health. One can also consult the health care professionals regarding their diet as per their age. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Key Differences Between Kwashiorkor and Marasmus Following are the critical points to understand the general differences between kwashiorkor and marasmus: Kwashiorko r is the deficiency of protein in the body of children upto three years.

In contrast, Marasmus is the deficiency of calories and other nutrition in the children of upto one year. Kwashiorkor occurs due to deficiency of proteins, and marasmus occurs due to deficiency of calories, proteins and other nutrients. Kwashiorkor occurs in children between the age fo six months to three years, whereas marasmus occurs in children between the age of six months to one year. I learn one thing more difficult on totally different blogs everyday.

Thanks for sharing. You are commenting using your WordPress. You are commenting using your Google account. You are commenting using your Twitter account. You are commenting using your Facebook account. Notify me of new comments via email. Notify me of new posts via email. Join Moosmosis and our wonderful lifelong learning community today! Free lessons and student opportunities. Email Address:. Subscribe for Free! Facebook Youtube Twitter. Causes of Kwashiorkor vs Marasmus Daily, our body needs energy in the form of calories from food and water to function adequately.

Patients with Kwashiorkor are protein-deficient. Protein Malnutrition Marasmus Causes : Malnutrition in general , including proteins, carbohydrates, fat, etc; Energy Malnutrition. Credit Image: Wikipedia. Young boy in the left of this photo with Marasmus disease. Can you spot the symptoms of Marasmus in this patient?

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In the Winter? Published by Moosmosis. Just what I needed for my medical studies, thanks! Neat notes and easy to understand. Love your article! Very informative Like Liked by 2 people. Thank you Mary R! So glad you liked our article! Happy studying! I learned something new from your article today.

Thank you. So glad you found this helpful, Mike! Lovely and beautifully written! Thank you so much for your support, Athena! Your doctor will first look at physical symptoms. They may also ask about your current mental state or mood. They may do a skin test to determine if your immune system is working correctly. They may take a stool sample to rule out other issues related to diarrhea if diarrhea is a symptom. Your doctor may also test your urine or your blood to help identify a nutrition deficiency.

Both conditions are treatable by slowly increasing calorie intake through several, small meals. Your doctor may add liquid protein supplements if you have problems digesting food. Doctors often recommend multivitamin supplements and may prescribe medications to improve appetite.

If the symptoms are severe, hospitalization may be necessary. Seeking help as soon as possible is important for recovery and long-term survival. Children who develop kwashiorkor may not reach their full potential for height.

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