Bulimia Nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is the eating disorder in which a person purges and binges.? (bulimia nervosa look like) The person suffering with bulimia nervosa, eat a lot of food at a time and try to get rid of food using laxatives, vomiting or sometimes over-exercising. It’s a condition where the person thinks a lot about his body, shape and weight.? (Bulimia Nervosa) It affects the capability of having normal eating model. Bulimia is connected with psychiatric disorders and depression and also shares symptoms with another major eating disorder which is known as anorexia nervosa.

It is very difficult to conclude that the person is suffering from Bulimia. This is because the person suffering from bulimia purges and vomits in secret. People suffering from bulimia often refuse their condition and they do not like to share their symptoms with others. If bulimia nervosa is not treated it may lead to fatal complications and nutritional deficiencies. Although there are several theories, people do not have much knowledge about this and they do not have clear idea on what causes bulimia nervosa.

Bulimia is said to have a genetic component.? (Bulimia treatment). A women who has a mother or a sister suffering with bulimia nervosa, has a greater risk of developing bulimia nervosa. Psychological factors like impulsive behaviors, having low self-esteem and not able to control anger are also the factors which may cause bulimia nervosa. A chemical in the parts of the brain known as serotonin has something to do with bulimia nervosa.

The impact of above factors may lead to low level of serotonin which causes bulimia nervosa. The symptoms and signs of bulimia nervosa include repeated episodes of eating large amounts of foods i. e. , Binge eating, loss of control over eating, fasting, heart burn, constipation, indigestion, dental problems, weakness, sore throat, bloodshot eyes, irregular periods, vomiting blood, mood swings or depression, swollen glands in face and neck, using the bathroom regularly after meals etc.

, The medical complications caused from bulimia include dental cavities caused due to sensitivity of hot and cold food, soreness and swelling in the salivary glands due to repeated vomiting, wearing away of tooth enamel due to frequent exposure to acidic gastric contents, stomach ulcers, electrolyte imbalance, irregular heartbeat, suicidal behavior, decrease in libido etc. , The people who are with a family history of substance abuse and mood disorders, low self-esteem and white-middle class women who are mostly college students and teenagers are at high risk of getting bulimia nervosa.

Ten percent of the college age women are affected by bulimia in United States. Ten percent of people diagnosed with this disease are men. Ten percent of people suffering from this disease may die due to cardiac arrest, starvation, suicide or even with other medical complications. I have a personal experience with people suffering from bulimia nervosa. My best friend Shan was bulimic since she was young. At first she started by a loss of appetite and uncontrollable loss of weight. She heard on shows that someone was using a toothbrush.

She used to vomit using that. She was always depressed and did not want to gain weight again. The only way she thought was to keep it off by purging. She has a huge tea and then throws it up. She has lot of breakfast and lunch and then she purges it out. If she doesn’t vomit after eating, she gets bad heartburn and end up being sick. She went from 200 pounds down to 120. Every time she does it by telling herself that this is the last time she is purging. It has become a habit and now she can’t get rid of it.

She is undergoing treatment from the doctor since 2 months and now she is feeling better than before. It is difficult to be cured at once. Many people may improve with treatment but some feel that there are some issues after the treatment also. The aim of the treatment is to encourage healthy eating, help people to be stronger both mentally and physically, reduce risk of harm caused by bulimia nervosa. According to the community based study, the prevalence of bulimia nervosa with an even social class distribution is 0. 5% to 1%. About 90% of people suffering with bulimia nervosa are women.

In industrialized countries, the prevalence of bulimia nervosa is greater compared to that of the non-industrialized countries. White American women have a greater prevalence of binge eating while compared to African-Asian women. A community based control study compared 102 people suffering from bulimia nervosa with 204 healthy people; it found that people with bulimia nervosa had higher risks of mood disorder, physical and sexual abuse, and higher rate of obesity, parental obesity, parental shape/weight concern, and early menarche.

People suffering from bulimia nervosa, needs lot of support from their parents and family members. Family members should be prepared for resistance, denial and even anger from the patient. This is a very dangerous disease which can even cause death. Many health programs and treatment facilities have been created to fight with this disease. But the major problem about this disease is that, this disease goes unreported or even unnoticed. Therefore the family members need to be cautious about the symptoms and signs of the disease so that they can easily recognize the problem in friends and family members.

Recognition is the foremost step to help the people to be cured of this disease. REFERENCES: 1. Matthew Tiemeyer, What Does Bulimia Nervosa Really Look Like? March 5, 2009. http://eatingdisorders. about. com/od/whatisbulimianervosa/a/bulimiahub. htm 2. Bulimia Nervosa and binge eating disorder, Medscape Psychiatry & Mental Health eJournal. 1997. http://www. medscape. com/viewarticle/431281_4 3. Bulimia treatment, Signs and symptoms of eating disorder, 2009 http://www. bulimia-treatment. net/signs. php