What happens in the body when a person is on hunger strike?

Weather of Arabia - A person may resort to a hunger strike as a means of peaceful resistance or pressure, and it is considered one of the most dangerous tools and methods used in protest, and during this hunger strike period he refuses to eat any kind of food, with the aim of achieving his goals.

What is a hunger strike?

A hunger striker is a person who refuses to eat or drink of his own free will, provided that he is mentally sound and aware of what he is doing.

The Human Rights Foundation confirmed that the goal behind the hunger strike is never death, but this does not mean that there is no possibility of death due to the strike.

Of course, a hunger strike would affect the body in a negative and significant way, and this is usually the last means that a person resorts to, because it has many negative health effects, so what is this effect, and what happens in the body during a hunger strike?

How does hunger strike affect health?

The effect of a hunger strike on health depends mainly on the length of time a person engages in the hunger strike, and according to the "Medical Web" website, the effect is as follows:

• 3 weeks after the strike: hallucinations and dementia, as a result of the onset of brain damage.
• After 4 weeks of strike: muscle cells are destroyed, as a result of protein consumption as a form of energy in the body after the completion of fat stores. The bones become weak after about four weeks, due to the exploitation of all glycogen stores in the muscles and the transition to the protein itself.
• After 4-5 weeks of hunger strike: the possibility of permanent damage to the brain, as the brain feeds on glucose, which is not present now, in addition to the lack of minerals necessary for the functioning of nerves and fats necessary for the transmission of neuropathy. As well as permanent damage to the internal organs of the body, due to the lack of energy, glucose and minerals necessary for the functioning of the organs, and the body exploited all the fats and broke down the protein molecules to use them as an energy source.
• Death: which may occur at any time depending on the health worker of the person on hunger strike.

What stages does the body go through when a hunger strike?

Our bodies need a certain number of daily calories for the functioning of the organs, the brain, the heartbeat, and other things, and in the absence of these calories, the body tries to resort to another source of energy, which is fat, but because glucose does not enter the body, the body enters a state called Excessive ketone body, and this condition occurs several days after entering the strike.

With the passage of time, the health condition worsens, as the weight of the person on hunger strike decreases significantly, and the skin becomes shrunken with the appearance of cracks and red spots. Hair and nails also begin to break, and this is the result of a lack of protein and zinc in the body.

The person also suffers from acute diarrhea, due to the digestive system not working as efficiently as usual, and the person also loses a lot of fluids and minerals during this process.

In the event that the hunger strike continues for a long time, and the health situation deteriorates significantly, the person's life is at real risk and death.

The hunger striker may suffer from long-term health effects, especially in the event of damage to the brain or internal organs of the body.

What happens if the hunger strike is lifted?

In the event that the hunger strike is lifted and broken, this person must start eating gradually and often begins with intravenous feeding. If the hunger striker eats a large meal of food suddenly and at once, he puts his life at risk due to the lack or lack of digestive enzymes. In the body.

When a person makes a decision to go on a hunger strike, he puts his life at stake, but the goal may be higher, and this is what the Palestinian prisoners embody in defense and affirmation of their freedom and right to life, and to break the occupation, given the neglect of their cause and the intransigence of the occupation and the continuation of its policy of suppressing them. albeit at the expense of their health and safety.

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