Eating Disorder (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa)

Anorexia

Anorexia (an-o-REK-see-uh) nervosa — often simply called anorexia — is an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of weight. People with anorexia place a high value on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme efforts that tend to significantly interfere with their lives.

Bulimia

Bulimia (boo-LEE-me-uh) nervosa, commonly called bulimia, is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder. People with bulimia binge eat. This means people feel like they’ve lost control over their eating. They eat large amounts of food in one sitting. This often occurs in secret, and they often feel very guilty and shameful. Then they try to get rid of the food and extra calories in an unhealthy way, such as vomiting or misusing laxatives. This is called purging.

Causes

Anorexia

To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with anorexia usually severely restrict the amount of food they eat. They may control calorie intake by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives, diet aids, diuretics or enemas. They may also try to lose weight by exercising excessively. No matter how much weight is lost, the person continues to fear weight gain.

Anorexia isn’t really about food. It’s an extremely unhealthy and sometimes life-threatening way to try to cope with emotional problems. When you have anorexia, you often equate thinness with self-worth.

Anorexia, like other eating disorders, can take over your life and can be very difficult to overcome. But with treatment, you can gain a better sense of who you are, return to healthier eating habits and reverse some of anorexia’s serious complications.

Bulimia

If you have bulimia, you probably focus on your weight and body shape even when you’re trying to think about other things. You may judge yourself severely and harshly for what you see as flaws in your appearance and personality. Bulimia is related to how you see yourself — not just about food. It can be hard to overcome, and it can be dangerous.

It’s important to remember that an eating disorder is not something you choose. Bulimia is a complex illness that affects how your brain works and how you make decisions. But effective treatment can help you feel better about yourself, eat healthier and reverse serious complications.

Symptoms

Anorexia

The physical signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa are related to starvation. Anorexia also includes emotional and behavioral issues involving an unrealistic perception of body weight and an extremely strong fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. It may be difficult to notice signsand symptoms because whats considered a low body weight is different for each person, and some individuals may not appear extremely thin. Also, people with anorexia often disguise their thinness, eating habits or physical problems.

Physical symptoms

Physical signs and symptoms of anorexia may include:

Extreme weight loss or not making expected developmental weight gains
Thin appearance
Abnormal blood counts
Fatigue
Insomnia
Dizziness or fainting
Bluish discoloration of the fingers
Hair that thins, breaks or falls out
Soft, downy hair covering the body
Absence of menstruation
Constipation and abdominal pain
Dry or yellowish skin
Intolerance of cold
Irregular heart rhythms
Low blood pressure
Dehydration
Swelling of arms or legs
Eroded teeth and calluses on the knuckles from induced vomiting

Some people who have anorexia binge and purge, similar to individuals who have bulimia. But people with anorexia generally struggle with an abnormally low body weight, while individuals with bulimia typically are normal to above normal weight.

Emotional and behavioral symptoms

Behavioral symptoms of anorexia may include attempts to lose weight by:

Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting
Exercising excessively
Bingeing and self-induced vomiting to get rid of food, which may include the use of laxatives, enemas, diet aids or herbal products

Emotional and behavioral signs and symptoms may include:

Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them
Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
Eating only a few certain “safe” foods, usually those low in fat and calories
Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as spitting food out after chewing
Not wanting to eat in public
Lying about how much food has been eaten
Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body
Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that are fat
Covering up in layers of clothing
Flat mood (lack of emotion)
Social withdrawal
Irritability
Insomnia
Reduced interest in sex

Bulimia

Bulimia symptoms may include:

Living in fear of gaining weight and trying to lose weight in unhealthy ways.
Repeatedly eating unusually large amounts of food in one sitting.
Feeling aloss of control during binge eating. You may feel like you can’t stop eating or can’t control what you eat.
Vomiting on purpose or exercising to extremes after binge eating so that you don’t gain weight.
Using medicines that make you urinate, called water pill or diuretics, orlaxatives or enemas to pass stool when they’re not needed.
Fasting limiting calories or not eating certain foods between binges.
Using dietary supplements or herbal products for weight loss. These products can be dangerous.
Being very unhappy with your body shape and weight.
Letting your body shape and weight guide how you feel about yourself and your worth.
Having extreme mood swings.

People with bulimia may use different methods to purge. The severity of bulimia depends on the number of times a week that you purge and the problems caused by doing so.

Treatments

People with such issues have lot of emotional issues and anxiety being one of them.

So the main focus of the whole medical treatment is to help such patients manage their emotions as mush as possible and live a balanced life.

Homeopathy is one of the best mode of curing such patients from their emotional and anxiety issues.

By detailed case study doctor understands your core nature, the causes and symptoms and by prescribing the constitutional medicine such conditions are relieved as soon as possible.

Few of the homeopathic medicines which help in such conditions are: Kali carb, calc carb, Argentum nitricum etc.

Counselling therapy along with medicines help a lot in such health cases.

Eating Disorder (Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa)