What You Need to Know About Treatments For Eating Disorders and Anorexia

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder. It is characterized by deliberately refusing to eat enough so that a person can maintain a normal body weight. Anorexia is a serious and also a life-threatening disorder. It usually stems from the sufferer’s underlying emotional instability. Anorexia nervosa also commonly referred to as anorexia is a confusing and complex disease. However many people know too little about. This eating disorder is known to seriously damage a person’s health if it is not treated properly and quickly. A sufferer has the desire to lose weight and lose weight quickly. They usually do it through self-starvation or severe restriction of the amount of food consumed daily. Anorexia is not only an emotional disorder that focuses on food but it is also an attempt to deal with perfectionism and a desire to control things by strictly regulating food and weight. Teens are mostly the culprit of Anorexia and are more common in girls and women. It is a life-threatening condition that can result in the following health problems or disorders:
Bones problems
Teeth problems
Pale graying skin
Kidney failure
Irregular menstrual periods
Death from starvation
Heart failure
Electrolyte imbalances
Suicide

It should not be taken lightly as it is a serious disorder and people who are suffering of anorexia need the right support and encouragement. Anorexia should not be left untreated.Anorexia often starts with a change in a person’s diet, which may be meant to help the person regain self-esteem and control. Obvious symptoms of anorexia include:
Refusing to eat
Extreme weight loss
Loss of menstrual periods or amenorrhea
A distorted body image
A preoccupation with food
Low self-esteem
Excessive exercise
Abnormal heart rate
Low body temperature
Lower blood pressure
What is an eating disorder?As mentioned earlier, anorexia is a type of eating disorder. Eating disorders are usually divided into three categories: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Compulsive Overeating. It is more prominent amongst teenage girls. This is due to their obsession to be thin, due to peer pressure or a distorted view of their body shape and weight. They become so obsessed with losing weight that without realizing they are giving up their entire lives. Their low self-esteem and a distorted body image make then believe that they are fat when in reality they are most of the time severely underweight.Facts you need to know about anorexiaThere is a misconception that anorexic have to be a living skeleton. Anyone who has an obsession to lose weight has the potential to be anorexia. Most anorexics abuse laxatives, diet pills, caffeine pills, and water pills in order to just to lose weight. Some even go to the extend of throwing up their food after eating or purging out their stomach or may chew their food and spit it out before swallowing. If you think a friend or family member is suffering from an eating disorder, the best thing you can do is encourage them to get help. The important thing is for you to get them to stop their eating disorders and start eating a healthy balanced diet, with the aim of being lean and fit. Do not pretend as if it does not happen or the problem does not exist. You need to know that a person suffering from eating disorders really do harmful things to their bodies because of their obsession about their weight. You need to make understand that treatment needs to begin in the early stages of an eating disorder. Never leave until the illness has taken such a strong hold of a person that they then need to be hospitalized. When this happens, it is usually associated with the stigma of a mental health.Treatment of anorexia is difficult, because a person suffering from anorexia believe there is nothing wrong with them. The duration and types of treatment depends on the severity of the condition. It gets more difficult if the person has a history of laxative or self-induced vomiting. Talking to an anorexia treatment professional is the first step toward successful recovery. A combination of treatments can give the person the medical, psychological, and practical support they need. There is also a high chance of relapse even after recovery so it is advisable to be vigilant at all times. As with all eating disorders, the psychological issues and emotional distress underlying the physical symptoms must be addressed for long-term recovery to be possible. Remember you can make a difference by helping a friend or family member confront her illness and seek treatment. Anorexia is a chronic illness that will become worse if left untreated or treatment is delayed. Persistence and courage are the keys to recovery. They need all the help and support from their loved ones to be able to successfully recover from any type of eating disorders, especially anorexia. The best you can do right now is be there for them.

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Eating Disorders Symptoms and Effects

Today many people around the world die from psychological illnesses. Studies reveal that eating disorders lead to the maximum number of deaths resulting from such psychological disorders. Thus any eating syndrome is serious, infact dangerous. Whether it is anorexia nervosa, night eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, PICA, binge eating or anything else, it must be taken seriously and treated so that the patient can lead a normal life. However, the diagnosis and treatment of an abnormal eating pattern is not so easy. Sometimes many patients die as they do not get treatment at the right time. Again most of the times many individuals or their family members remain unaware of the disease. So it is essential for us to know the common symptoms and effects of these disorders.SymptomsAs there are a number of eating disorders, there are a number of symptoms. The symptoms vary from one syndrome to another. Binge eating syndrome, anorexia, night eating syndrome, PICA, bulimia nervosa and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified are the most common types of unhealthy eating behaviors. You must know the common signs of these disorders.
If a person starves so that they can be slim even when they have healthy bodyweight, then they might have anorexia nervosa. Fatigue, brittle nails, irregular periods in case of women, growth of lanugo, etc., are some common symptoms.
If a person fluctuates between binging and purging, that is eating heavy meals and then vomiting, using laxative or over exercising, then they may be suffering from bulimia nervosa. Abnormal bowel functioning, sores in the mouth and throat, heartburn, going to the bathroom after meals, hiding food etc., are the symptoms of this disorder.
Binge eating happens when a person is unable to control their urge for eating. They feel depressed and guilty during and after binging. Eating food in heavy quantities until the point of physical discomfort, frequent weight loss and gain, making self-defeating statements, high cholesterol levels, mood swings etc., are the symptoms of this disorder.
EffectsSuch a syndrome has a number of serious health consequences. You may appear to be normal, but this does not surely dictate that you are healthy and are not exposed to any kind of risks. The effects of abnormal eating patterns can be dangerous to the point of death.
Dehydration caused by lack of essential fluids in the body. It can cause brain damage, kidney failure, seizures and even death.
Amenorrhea, that is, absence of period
Deficiency in digestive enzymes leading to a disturbed digestive system
Mental and emotional issues like forgetfulness
Anemia mainly found in anorexic patients can result in fatigue.
Osteoporosis, again found in anorexic patients that results in weak bones and make them prone to fracture
Besides these, these disorders may also result in osteomalacia, hypothermia, hypoglacema, vitamin deficiencies, cardiovascular diseases, etc. Detecting an unhealthy eating behavior may not be easy for everyone (patients or for their family members also). You never know when your sister or uncle has started developing some unhealthy eating patterns. You may have noticed that sometimes they show some not-so-normal eating patterns, which may seem to be casual. However, if these behaviors persist for some long time, the individual must be taken to a physician who will confirm the existence of any specific eating syndrome. Once you identify the symptoms and start taking precautions, half of the battle is won.

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