Anorexia: Symptoms and Treatment
Anorexia nervosa, commonly referred to as anorexia, is an eating disorder that may become life-threatening if untreated. It’s characterized by extreme weight loss from self-starvation and is usually diagnosed when you end up weighing around 15 percent less than your normal or medically ideal body weight. Unfortunately, the condition may lead to dangerous health problems and potentially death without proper treatment and help.
Risk Factors for Anorexia
Anorexia tends to be more common among women than men. If you work in certain industries, such as acting, modeling, dancing, or sports, you have a greater risk of developing the eating disorder.
It’s also important to note that anorexia has certain indicators that help determine if you’re at a higher risk of developing the condition. For example, many people with anorexia have a fear of becoming fat, so much so that they may become obsessed with working out or limiting their food intake. Additionally, anorexics often are high achievers and perfectionists; perform well in their jobs or school and other activities; and may display obsessive, depressive, or anxious symptoms.
Causes of Anorexia
While the exact cause behind anorexia is not yet known, researchers agree there are common personality traits and environmental or biological factors that may be partly to blame for the condition. For example, some anorexics limit their food intake to gain control over some part of their lives when other areas of their lives become overwhelming or stressful. Emotions linked to low self-esteem, inadequacy, anger, loneliness, or anxiety may also contribute to the development of the condition. It’s also common for anorexics to have a history of being teased about their weight or appearance or to feel pressure from society to look thin.
Physical causes may include changes in hormones responsible for controlling the following:
- Moods
- Appetite
- Thinking
- Memory
Symptoms of Anorexia
Like many medical conditions, anorexia comes with a host of potential symptoms, including the following:
- Rapid Weight Loss
- Continued Dieting While Thin
- Obsessive Need to Log Calories
- High Interest in Food, Nutrition, or Cooking
- Fear of Gaining Weight
- Odd Eating Habits, Including Eating in Secret
- Feeling Fat, Even if You’re Thin or Underweight
- Anxiety, Depression, or Irritability
- Diet, Diuretic, or Laxative Pill Use
- Frequent Illness
- Compulsive Exercising
- Social Withdrawal
- Wearing Loose Clothing to Hide Extreme Weight Loss
Additionally, you may have or develop the following physical symptoms:
- Brittle Hair and Nails
- Dry Skin
- Anemia
- Constipation
- Swollen Joints
- Tooth Decay
- Low Tolerance for Cold Weather
Diagnosis of Anorexia
Diagnosing anorexia isn’t always easy, especially because the condition typically goes undetected for long chunks of time. However, if your doctor notices symptoms, they may perform a physical evaluation and physical or refer you to the care of a psychologist or psychiatrist. These medical professionals specialize in treating patients with mental illnesses and are better equipped to diagnose your potential anorexia.
Treatment of Anorexia
In many cases, treating anorexia is difficult because patients rarely want to admit they have a problem or are otherwise scared of gaining weight. In most cases, the overall goal of treatment is to help restore you to a healthy weight while treating any existing emotional or mental issues responsible for your feelings of low self-esteem or other problems you may have. Treatment plans may include the following:
- Psychotherapy
- Medication
- Nutritional Counseling
- Group and/or Family Therapy
- Hospitalization
Complications of Anorexia
If left untreated, anorexia nervosa may result in the following:
- Damaged Organs
- Low Blood Pressure and Pulse
- Loss of Hair
- Irregular Heart Beat
- Osteoporosis
- Death, in Rare Cases
Prognosis of Anorexia
Like many other conditions, anorexia worsens the longer it goes untreated. That said, the sooner you’re diagnosed and treated, the better your chances of making a recovery.
