what is bulimia

We live in a society for which physical appearance is more important for people, we have created the ideal of a weight accepted by it, and many are obsessed with having a bodyweight to satisfy others. And that is where the problems come into play and everything gets complicated for some people who begin to see defects in their body and bulimia appears. 

For this reason, keep reading the following article and find out everything related to bulimia, what it is, what causes it, symptoms, treatment, risk factors, and compilations that can occur in people. Since we remind you that this condition does not distinguish in sex and even age in people to suffer from it.

WHAT IS BULIMIA?

Bulimia, also known as bulimia nervosa, is an eating disorder that also affects the psychological level of a person, who adopts behaviors that distance him from healthy eating.

Faced with this situation, the person consumes excessive food in very short periods of time, only to later repent and begin to cause vomiting, to expel the ingested food, and is part of the eating disorders that begin to occur at 11-12 years.

Generally, those who suffer from bulimia are obsessed with their weight and the shape of their body, judging themselves severely for defects that only that person sees. He doesn't like his image, that's why when food and self-esteem are linked, it is usually very difficult to overcome it, but when diagnosed early, it is possible to treat very well and prevent serious problems.

WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF BULIMIA?

The causes of bulimia itself are unknown, but there is a belief that the cultural and social impact, where the patterns of what is considered a perfect body are imposed, has great weight. And genetics may even play an important role because this disorder occurs in family members; in addition to the fact that without distinction of age for its appearance since there are adolescents suffering from it, for this reason, adolescents must be warned of websites that promote anorexia and bulimia with deadly advice.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF BULIMIA?

The symptoms of bulimia are the following:

• Eating excessively food in a short time uncontrollably and desperately.
• Induce vomiting or use laxatives to expel what was eaten, since you do not want to gain weight.
• Suffering from excessive fear of being fat.
• Self-criticize your body, your figure and want to lose too much weight even if you were at your ideal weight.
• Excessive concern for accommodating food.
• Irregular menses.
• Changes in moods.
• Anxiety.
• dehydration
• Throat pain.
• Cavities.
• Dry Skin.
• Reflux.
• Constipation.

HOW IS BULIMIA DIAGNOSED?

When it is suspected that someone suffers from bulimia, medical help must be sought, so parents must assimilate that it is not solved by just communicating or otherwise punishing. This is a problem that should be treated by a professional since it is usually a real and strenuous journey since those who suffer from it usually do not accept their situation.

The ideal is to go to a psychiatrist to diagnose bulimia since it is a mental health condition with physical elements, which must be taken care of by him and by the general practitioner together.

WHAT IS THE TREATMENT FOR BULIMIA?

The treatment will depend on the severity of the bulimia since it is considered a risk and the cause of other complications. These are the treatments:

• Support groups for problems faced by the disorder.
• Talk therapy, counseling.
• Nutrition advise.
• Medications for depression.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM BULIMIA?

These are the risks of binge eating and then vomiting, due to bulimia:

• Stomach acid in the esophagus permanently damages the esophagus.
• Esophageal ruptures.
• Cavities.
• Sore throat.
• Severe dehydration.
• Low potassium levels in the blood lead to heart rhythm problems.
• Constipation.
• Hemorrhoids.
• Problems with the pancreas.

WHEN WAS THE FIRST TIME BULIMIA WAS DISCUSSED?

Bulimia was characterized in the 20th century, by the research work of Abely, Ronderpierre, and Gellman, when they spoke of pathological hyperoxia in women, then Horst-Ulfert Ziolko also used it. Otto Dörr Zegers, mentioned it as the hyperphagia and vomiting syndrome, in the year 1972, in an article in the Chilean Journal of Neuro-psychiatry.

Then the British psychiatrist Gerald Russell in 1979, took it up again with the name of bulimia nervosa and gave his description for the first time in a complete way.

WHAT COMPLICATIONS CAN OCCUR WITH BULIMIA?

Next, we will list a series of complications that can be additionally suffered from the condition of bulimia :

• Aspiration of gastric contents passes into the bronchial tree.
• Esophageal or gastric rupture.
• Pneumomediastinum or pneumothorax.
• Cardiac arrhythmia.
• Anxiety or disgust for food.
• Obsession with a lower than normal body weight.
• Abuse with medications, laxatives, and diuretics.
• Follow varied diet regimens.
• Severe dehydration.
• Menstrual problems and infertility.
• destabilized weight.
• Lots of cavities and loss of tooth enamel.
• Increased salivary glands and infection are present.
• Hair loss.
• Fainting and dizziness.
• Injuries of the buccal mucosa.
• Dry Skin.
• Weak legs.

WHAT IS THE PROGNOSIS OF A PATIENT WITH BULIMIA?

Suffering from bulimia is a problem with high rates of morbidity and even mortality, in addition to affecting the lives of people and their families for many years. There is the research of the prognosis of the same that is very varied, the doctors think as follows:

• Short term: medical reports show a 50% improvement in behavior (binge eating and purging) in compromised patients. But without factors that allow predicting the result of the treatment, the purges give rise to electrolyte imbalances, esophagitis, and hyperamylasemia with a very disappointing prognosis.
• Serious cases: they can cause the death of the person due to binge eating and they can even commit suicide due to anxiety and the consumption of excessive anxiolytics.

 

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