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Sometimes, it is very difficult to diagnose and treat some medical conditions. An eating disorder, bulimia is a critically dangerous sickness that is flattering increasingly popular among young women. As a way to be thin and beautiful, many young girls refer to extreme diets with the added pressures of society and even family members. These diets have severe effects on their mental and bodily health. This disorder involves a cycle of binging and purging and the side effects of this behavior can be devastating. It frequently develops slightly later in life, from mid to late teens or the early twenties. Studies have shown that 0.5 per cent to 2 per cent of young women in the UK have bulimia. Bulimics have an irresistible passion with food, weight and body image.

Bulimia is a psychological condition in which the individual may frequently eat a lot and then vomit it. The bulimic person may often exercise hard to oppose the effect of gaining weight because of heavy eating. Bulimics may suffer from periods of overeating, followed by efforts to rid the body of the excess calories by self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxative or enemas, compulsive exercise or calorie restriction. It is important to know side effects of bulimia so that the gravity of this problem can be realized. Side effects of anorexia and bulimia are related.

Bulimia:

In bulimia, life is a constant fight between the want to lose weight or stay thin and the irresistible compulsion to binge eat.

Key features of bulimia:

• Inappropriate behavior to prevent weight gain
• Regular episodes of out-of-control binge eating
• Self-worth excessively influenced by weight and physical appearance

Also, it is essential to note that bulimia doesn’t necessarily involve purging—physically removing the food from your body by chucking up or using laxatives, enemas, or diuretics.

The binge and purge cycle:

Dieting triggers destruction of the binge and purge cycle of bulimia. The more strict and rigid the diet, the more probable it is that you will become preoccupied, even obsessed, with food. Your body responds with powerful desires when you starve yourself. The compulsion to eat becomes too powerful after the build up of the tension, hunger, and feelings of deprivation. The relief that starts binging is extremely short-lived and soon after guilt and self-loathing set in.

Purging does not prevent weight gain:

Most people who suffer from bulimia end up gaining weight over time because purging isn’t effective at getting rid of calories. Vomiting instantly after eating will only remove 50% of the calories consumed at best and typically much less. This takes place because of starting of absorption at the time of putting food in the mouth. Diuretics and laxatives are even less effective. Only 10% of the calories eaten be removed by laxatives.

Bulimia at A Glance:

• Bulimia is diagnosed according to defined criteria.
• There are two types of bulimia: the purging and non-purging types.
• Bulimia (also called bulimia nervosa) is a psychological eating disorder.
• Bulimia can have serious medical complications.
• Bulimia is felt to be associated to a person’s dissatisfaction with their own body image, although the exact cause is not known.
• The purging type regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas.
• The non-purging type engages in other inappropriate behaviors such as fasting or excessive exercise, rather than purging.
• The goals of treatment are to renovate physical health and normal eating patterns
• The successful treatment of bulimia is frequently multidisciplinary involving both medical and psychological approaches.

Causes of Bulimia:

It is very difficult to determine the exact causes of bulimia as with other eating disorders. Some women develop bulimia due to genetic defect. Young women who have a biological sister or mother with an eating disorder are at higher risk, such as suggesting a possible genetic link.

Also, there is some proof that a naturally occurring brain chemical, serotonin may manipulate eating behaviors because of its relation to the regulation of food intake. Bulimics may have other psychological and emotional characteristics that contribute to the onset and progression of the disease.

Bulimic people may have low self-respect for example, as well as perfectionism. They may have difficulty to control impulsive behaviors, manage moods or expressing anger. The families of people with bulimia may be inclined to have more clashes, in conjunction with more criticism and unpredictability. At the root of feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing, there may be a history of sexual abuse.

Moreover, popular culture grows and strengthens a craving for thinness that may supply to a woman’s eating disorder. For women, success and worth are frequently equated with being thin. Particularly among young girls, the craving to be thin can also be fueled due to pressure from a peer group at school, work, or social circles. Bulimia may start later in life if they experience trauma or stress that engulfs their capacity to manage for other individual.

Bulimia is also often escorted by other co-occurring disorders or addictions that may create it challenging for a woman to gain control of her emotions and grow a healthy relationship with food. With symptoms of bulimia, co-occurring mood disorders, anxiety disorders and personality disorders are also often documented in women.

Signs and symptoms of bulimia:

Binge eating signs and symptoms:

• Eating unusually large amounts of food with no obvious change in weight
• Alternating between overeating and fasting: Rarely eats normal meals. It’s all-or-nothing when it comes to food.
• Lack of control over eating: Incapability to stop eating. Eating until the point of physical discomfort and pain.
• Mystery surrounding eating: Going to the kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy.
• Disappearance of food, numerous empty wrappers or food containers in the garbage, or hidden stashes of junk food

Purging signs and symptoms:

• Using medicines like laxatives, diuretics, or enemas after eating. May also take diet pills to curb appetite or use the sauna to “sweat out” water weight.
• Going to the bathroom after meals: Frequently disappears after meals or takes a trip to the bathroom to throw up. May run the water to cover up sounds of vomiting.
• Excessive exercising: Works out strenuously, especially after eating. Typical activities include high-intensity calorie burners such as running or aerobics.
• Smell of vomit: The bathroom or the person may smell like vomit. They may try to disguise the smell with mouthwash, perfume, air freshener, gum, or mints.

Physical signs and symptoms of bulimia:

• Not underweight: Men and women with bulimia are generally normal weight or slightly overweight. Being underweight while purging might signify a purging type of anorexia.
• Frequent fluctuations in weight: Weight may fluctuate by 10 pounds or more because of alternating episodes of bingeing and purging.
• Calluses or scars on the knuckles or hands from sticking fingers down the throat to induce vomiting.
• Discolored teeth from exposure to stomach acid when throwing up. May look yellow, ragged, or clear.
• Puffy “chipmunk” cheeks caused by repeated vomiting.

Side effects of Bulimia:

Physical Bulimia Side Effects:

Bulimics may have to face serious physical problems because of frequent vomiting and sessions of erratic eating.

• Swollen Cheek and Skin:
  
  • A bulimic may vomit just after eating a meal, leading to puffiness on face as tiny blood vessels rupture due to frequent vomiting. A person who suffers from bulimia must try to control the number of time that she/he vomits a day.
• Discolored Teeth and Bad Breath:
  
  • Frequent vomiting leads to contact of enamel with stomach acid that can gradually cause dental erosion. Ultimately, the bulimic person develops gray to yellow teeth. Moreover that, there can also be issues of bacteria in the mouth and tongues that leads to bad breath. After vomiting, brushing the teeth correctly is important to keep these problems at cove.
• Heartburn:
  
  • Forcing yourself to vomit frequently raises stress on heart muscles and valve. In the chest, the burning sensation increases and as the burning sensation occurs near the heart, it is called heartburn.
• Lack of Vitamins:
  • Deficiency of vitamins takes place in the body if the consumed food is not being absorbed by the body.Vitamin deficiency leads to hair loss problems, under eye circles and weakness in body. The body will consume its own muscles to get required energy and a bulimic person will grow weakness in muscles.

Some other physical bulimia side effects include:

• Esophageal problems
• Insomnia
• Dry skin
• Stomach ulcers
• Osteoporosis
• Irregular heart beat
• Menstrual dysfunction
• Decreased bone density
• Enlarged salivary glands
• Digestive problems

Psychological Bulimia Side Effects:

Bulimia also causes some psychological side effects that lead to self esteem issues.

• Thinking about Food Always:
  • In a bulimic person, the urge to eat a lot and then to vomit is very high and even when the individual is not hungry, she may be willing to look through for something to eat.
• Frequent Mood Swings:
  • A bulimic person may often feel anxiety and stress especially minutes before she is about to vomit. She may found getting restless to evade the urge to vomit. This leads to abrupt behavior, very often.
• Avoidance of Social Circles:
  • A bulimic person fights with self esteem issues. She turns into conscious about her bulimic behavior and so prefers solitude. Some other bulimia side effects may include depression, poor body image out of control feelings, and inability to eat with others.

Laxative and Diuretic Use:

According to estimation, one third of people struggling with bulimia use laxatives, and roughly 10% take diuretics. Various effects include:

Laxative abuse

• Irregular bowel function
• Systemic toxicity
• Chronic intestinal inflammation
• Chronic constipation

Diuretic abuse

• Body fluid stagnation
• Kidney damage
• Blood pressure complication

An eating disorder, bulimia nervosa is certainly a difficult to treat yet by following various bulimia tips; a bulimic person can control this complication to an appreciable extent. To treat bulimia, consulting a proper therapist and support of family and friends is very necessary. A bulimic may go deep into depression that can cause negative implications on health if he/she is not receiving proper love and care during treatment. By following proper steps of medication, you can cure bulimia side effects.

Bulimia – Causes, Side Effects, and Treatment video from Youtube:

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