Description bulimia
Bulimia nervosa include along with anorexia eating disorders.
It is characterized by bouts of excessive overeating plenty of food with subsequent selection of inappropriate methods to prevent weight gain. Most often it is inducing vomiting. Very often also abuse laxatives (laxative), diuretics (drugs dewatering), or trying to prevent ill abode weight passionate andexhausting exercise or starvation.
Although bulimia and anorexia two separate units may bulimia vomiting may also occur at anorexia. And also as anorexia and bulimia a mental disorder where patients increasingly concerned with its weight and body shape and often harshly denounced and punished for povšimnuté imperfections.
The disorder usually occurs after a series of failed attempts to diet and the cycle of continuous overeating followed by vomiting can lead to an obsession with the development of dependency.
Bulimia is most common in women under the age of 30. Incidence of the disease has recently relatively rises. Affected individuals are very ambitious, usually come from broken families.
Causes of Bulimia
As with anorexia, or bulimia in not known the exact cause of the disease. It is a combination of several factors. For example, the role played probably genetics. The observed higher incidence of bulimia among girls and women, which the mother or sister suffered from one of the eating disorders. However, it is not known to what principle the transmission should take place.
There are a few statements about the influence of serotonin and other aminoneurotransmiterů the emergence of bulimia. Serotonin is a naturally occurring brain chemical that transfers information between cells and is responsible for, inter alia, regulating food intake.
People with bulimia have certain characteristics. For example, they have low self-esteem and areperfectionists. Have problems with impulsive behavior, coping with feelings and control anger. They often come from families and unpredictable conflict in the past could become victims of sexual abuse.
Although it is debatable, the disease can help the trends of modern culture and society where attractiveness is combined with recognition and success. Despite this pressure may cause the desire for thinness, especially among young girls.
Risk factors for bulimia
Although the specific cause of bulimia is not known, research has shown some factors that can cause the formation, or accelerate. They include, among others, being on a diet. People holding diets have a positive effect and visible changes are pleased with the positive reactions to their surroundings for their change and it encourages them to further dieting. Subsequently episodes will be starvation diets breaking with overeating, and this then leads to even greater efforts to diet and so on until the round of it can develop a vicious circle.
Risk period of life is puberty. Some adolescents have difficulty coping with changing your body during puberty. They may be increasingly sensitive to criticism or comments on their address on their body weight. All this may be starting to develop some eating disorders.
Also important changes in their lives, such as moving, changing jobs or affiliate gauge induce stress.
A risk factor is a profession or career. Especially athletes, especially athletes, gymnasts, figure skaters, actors, dancers and models are at increased risk. Sometimes, the parents themselves may or coaches contribute to the development of fault pressure on losing weight in order to improve the outcome athletes.
The influence of the media and society on the development of eating disorders is questionable.Youth, however, may be inspired by respect skinny beauties of television and fashion magazines, which may contribute to the development of the disease.
prevention of bulimia
Although there is no sure way to prevent bulimia, here is some advice that might help a little.
Above all, parents should tighten or make fun of the character and appearance of their children.They should cultivate and strengthen healthy preview of their children on their body, regardless of their weight.
If you notice that your family member or friend with a lower self-esteem began to keep a strict diet, eating habits changed and is strongly dissatisfied with their appearance, try to go with him to talk about these things. Although you may not be able to prevent the development of this disease, your encouragement can help him realize and will try to change the thumbnail, or decides to seek help before the situation deteriorates further.
Signs and symptoms of bulimia
For bulimia, binge eating alternating with episodes of “cleansing”. Binge eating are at least 2 times a week and the patients they describe an uncontrollable desire to eat. It is impossible to stop eating. They are able to consume huge quantities of food. Sometimes they do not know how long they ate and how much they ate.
After this bout overeating, which usually ends up severe abdominal pain from overeating, followed by ameliorating the effort, the effort of cleansing and getting rid of calories to prevent weight gain.Some patients feel they must relieve even after eating small bites or normal.
Most patients with bulimia chooses to induce vomiting. After or during meals digress to the toilet.Sometimes they are abusing laxatives or diuretics. Bouts of overeating to compensate also starvation or extreme, sometimes several hours or during exercise.
Overall are depressed tend to have a bad mood. They are anxious and constantly preoccupied with their weight and overall appearance, are dissatisfied with themselves and they have about themselves and their appearance formed a very negative image.
They tend to look slim, sometimes with a slight overweight. It will therefore not usually suspect that something is happening.
For frequent vomiting are sore throat and mouth. Damaged teeth and gums. It can lead to loss of teeth. On the faces may be swollen salivary glands.
Overall, they are tired, dehydrated, have dry skin. On the skin are also abrasions, calluses and scars. They are usually present abdominal pain, bloating and problems with their intestines.Heartbeat is irregular.
In females, disorders of the menstrual cycle. It is irregular, or not at all.
bulimia treatment
Treatment is not easy. Concerning an acute condition, hospitalization is necessary when the treatment is based on the axles of the internal environment. Served infusion solutions.
The most important part of treatment is psychotherapy. Success is individual, group or family therapy.
Pharmacological treatment is applied antidepressants, anitiepileptika and antiemetics.
How can I help myself
Generally, it is very difficult or even impossible to cure the bulimia itself, without professional help.But you can do for yourself a few things that will help your therapeutic plan.
First of all you should faithfully follow him, you should not postpone or move the therapy sessions, also you should not try to change the diet and eating plan. You should observe it, even if you were sometimes less comfortable.
It is also important to know or learn something about their illness.
Do not avoid taking care of your health and fearing the members of your family and friends. Realize that they care about you. Therefore, close the home, neodhánějte them apart. Their friendship will help.
Try not to control your weight and avoid frequent glances in the mirror. It does not lead to anything good.
And finally, be careful with exercise. You’d better talk to your doctor about the kind of exercise which, if any, would be appropriate for you.
complications of bulimia
Bulimia can cause a number of serious or life-threatening complications.
Death may occur in the acute stage of the disease, mainly heart failure and circulation as a result of suicide or rupture enormously crowded stomach.
Frequent vomiting can lead to numerous complications, not only in the oral cavity. Acidic gastric contents damaging tooth enamel and destroys gums. Leads to increased decay and loss of teeth.Also, there is a disease of the salivary glands. They’re swollen.
Acidic gastric contents acting inappropriately on the lining of the digestive system. Due to this chemical irritation produced inflammation. They may arise from ulcers, scars, or there is a rupture of the esophagus.
The disease has on a woman’s menstrual cycle. It is irregular or absent. Complications therefore,can prevent pregnancy and / or full term fetus.
Consequently abuse diuretics include the development of swelling (edema). It is the abnormal accumulation of fluid in body sites where, under normal circumstances be allowed.
Abuse of laxatives is coming to an addiction to them and the destruction of natural excretory processes. It may take months before bowel function returns to normal. In addition, the combination of diuretics and laxatives threatening electrolyte complete disruption of the internal environment with life-threatening consequences.
Also, psychological problems may increase. Deepen the depression and anxiety. There are drugs and alcohol and a tendency to self-harm and committing suicide.
Other names: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, an eating disorder
