Anorexia Nervosa

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• QWhen should I call my doctor if I have anorexia nervosa?

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  A RealAge answered

  If you have anorexia nervosa and you are concerned about when to call your doctor, you may already be one step on the path to getting better, because people who have anorexia nervosa often don't realize they have it or deny that they have a problem.
  
  People who suffer from the eating disorder anorexia nervosa often have a distorted body image and a fear of becoming overweight that causes them to restrict their food intake to a point of near-starvation. Often they don't call the doctor on their own behalf, but those phone calls are made by their family members and other people who care about them and are concerned about symptoms that they are observing. Some symptoms, including the following, are related to how a person feels emotionally and their behaviors.

  • You believe that you are overweight even when those around you, including possibly your doctor, say that you are underweight.
  • You think about food all the time.
  • You pretend to eat or lie to others about how much you have eaten.
  • You skip meals.
  • You weigh all of your food.
  • You exercise more than anyone you know.
  • You weigh yourself several times a day.
  • You take laxatives, diuretics and/or diet pills to try to lose weight.
  • You find yourself withdrawing from social situations, possibly because of a fear of eating in public, or because you feel you need to exercise instead.
  • You seem to be more irritable, depressed and/or anxious than you used to be.

  Anorexia nervosa can also cause physical symptoms including the following.

  • You are underweight and/or have a body mass index below 17.
  • Your menstrual periods, which used to be regular, have become irregular or stopped completely.
  • You frequently feel cold.
  • Your scalp hair is thinning.
  • You notice increased body hair.
  • Your skin feels dry and has a yellow tint.
  • Your nails are brittle.
  • You are often constipated.
  • You feel tired often.
  • You feel weak.
  • You have trouble sleeping.
  • You have been unable to become pregnant, despite trying.

  All of these symptoms may signal that you are at risk of serious complications from anorexia nervosa, and they are all good reasons to call your doctor. The earlier anorexia nervosa is diagnosed, the more likely that your treatment will be successful.
• QWhat is anorexia nervosa?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which preoccupation with dieting and thinness leads to excessive weight loss. If you suffer from this disease, you may not acknowledge that weight loss or restricted eating is a problem, and you may "feel fat" even when you're emaciated. Women with anorexia intentionally starve themselves or exercise excessively in a relentless pursuit to be thin, losing more than 15% of their normal body weight. Roughly half of all women suffering from anorexia never return to their pre-anorexic health, and about 20% remain chronically ill. The death rate for anorexia is among the highest of any psychiatric illness. The deaths are about evenly divided between suicide and medical complications related to starvation 

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• QHow is anorexia nervosa diagnosed?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  Parents, family members, spouses, teachers, coaches, and instructors may be able to identify an individual with anorexia, although many persons with the disorder initially keep their illness very private and hidden. A detailed history of the individual's behavior from family, parents, and teachers, clinical observations of the person's behavior, and, sometimes, psychological testing contribute to the diagnosis. Family members who note symptoms of anorexia in a loved one can help by seeking an evaluation and treatment early. Early treatment can often prevent future problems.
  Anorexia, and the malnutrition that results, can adversely affect nearly every organ system in the body, increasing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Anorexia can be fatal. Consult your physician for more information.
• QWhat are the symptoms of anorexia nervosa?

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  A HealthyWomen answered

  Symptoms of anorexia nervosa can include:

  • distorted body image and intense, persistent fear of gaining weight
  • excessive weight loss
  • menstrual irregularities
  • excessive body/facial hair
  • compulsive exercise

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• QHow is anorexia treated?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  Specific treatment for anorexia nervosa will be determined by your physician based on:

  • your age, overall health, and medical history
  • extent of the symptoms
  • your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
  • expectations for the course of the condition
  • your opinion or preference

  Anorexia is usually treated with a combination of individual therapy, family therapy, behavior modification, and nutritional rehabilitation. Treatment should always be based on a comprehensive evaluation of the individual and family. Individual therapy usually includes both cognitive and behavioral techniques. Medication (usually antidepressants) may be helpful if the person with anorexia is also depressed. The frequent occurrence of medical complications and the possibility of death during the course of acute and rehabilitative treatment requires both your physician and a nutritionist to be active members of the management team. Families play a vital supportive role in any treatment process.

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• QWhat are the complications of anorexia nervosa?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  Medical complications that may result from anorexia include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Cardiovascular (heart): While it is difficult to predict which anorexic patients might have life-threatening cardiac consequences that result from their illness, up to 95 percent of hospitalized anorexic patients have been found to have low heart rates. Myocardial (heart muscle) damage that can occur as a result of changes in the heartbeat, or repeated vomiting, may be life threatening. Common cardiac complications that may occur include the following: - arrhythmias (a fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat) - bradycardia (slow heartbeat) - hypotension (low blood pressure)
  • Hematological (blood): An estimated one-third of anorexic patients have mild anemia (low red blood cell count). Leukopenia (low white blood cell count) occurs in up to 50 percent of anorexic patients.
  • Gastrointestinal (stomach and intestines): Normal movement in intestinal tract often slows down with very restricted eating and severe weight loss. Gaining weight and some medications help to restore normal intestinal motility.
  • Renal (kidney): Dehydration often associated with anorexia results in highly concentrated urine. Polyuria (increased production of urine) may also develop in anorexic patients when the kidneys ability to concentrate urine decreases. Renal changes usually return to normal with the restoration of normal weight.
  • Endocrine (hormones): Amenorrhea (cessation of the menstrual cycle) is one of the hallmark symptoms of anorexia, when a menstrual period is missed for three or more months without any other underlying cause. Amenorrhea often precedes severe weight loss and continues after normal weight is restored. Reduced levels of growth hormones are sometimes found on anorexic patients and may explain growth retardation sometimes seen in anorexic patients. Normal nutrition usually restores normal growth.
  • Skeletal (bones): Persons with anorexia are at an increased risk for skeletal fractures (broken bones). When the onset of anorexic symptoms occurs before peak bone formation has been attained (usually mid to late teens), a greater risk of osteopenia (decreased bone tissue) or osteoporosis (bone loss) exists. Bone density is often found to be low in females with anorexia, and low calcium intake and absorption is common.

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• QCan anorexia nervosa be prevented?

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  A NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital answered

  Preventive measures to reduce the incidence of anorexia are not known at this time. However, early detection and intervention can reduce the severity of symptoms, enhance the individual's normal growth and development, and improve the quality of life experienced by persons with anorexia nervosa. Encouraging healthy eating habits and realistic attitudes toward weight and diet may also be helpful.

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• QHow can a person change their thinking to improve anorexia?

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  A Deepak Chopra , Alternative & Complementary Medicine, answered

  Anywhere that life hurts we have locked ourselves into some kind of false identification, telling ourselves private, unchallenged stories about who we are. The cure for anorexia is to somehow pry awedge between "I" and this powerful, secret identification. The same applies to all suffering because each person arbitrarily identifies with one thing after another that tells an inaccurate story of who he or she is. Even if you were able to surround yourself with pleasure every minute of the day, the wrong story of who you are will wind up bringing deep suffering.
• QWho becomes anorexic?

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  A Riverside Health System answered

  While anorexia mostly affects girls and women (85 - 95 percent of anorexics are female), it can also affect boys and men. It was once thought that women of color were shielded from eating disorders by their cultures, which tend to be more accepting of different body sizes. It is not known for sure whether African American, Latina, Asian/Pacific Islander, and American Indian and Alaska Native people develop eating disorders because American culture values thin people. People with different cultural backgrounds may develop eating disorders because it's hard to adapt to a new culture (a theory called "culture clash"). The stress of trying to live in two different cultures may cause some minorities to develop their eating disorders.

  This answer is based on source information from The National Women's Health Information Center.

• QWhat causes anorexia?

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  A Riverside Health System answered

  There is no single known cause of anorexia. Eating disorders are real, treatable medical illnesses with causes in both the body and the mind. Some of these things may play a part:

  Culture. Women in the U.S. are under constant pressure to fit a certain ideal of beauty. Seeing images of flawless, thin females everywhere makes it hard for women to feel good about their bodies. More and more, men are also feeling pressure to have a perfect body. Families. If you have a mother or sister with anorexia, you are more likely to develop the disorder. Parents who think looks are important, diet themselves, or criticize their children's bodies are more likely to have a child with anorexia. Life changes or stressful events. Traumatic events (like rape) as well as stressful things (like starting a new job), can lead to the onset of anorexia. Personality traits. Someone with anorexia may not like her or himself, hate the way she or he looks, or feel hopeless. She or he often sets hard-to-reach goals for her or himself and tries to be perfect in every way. Biology. Genes, hormones, and chemicals in the brain may be factors in developing anorexia.
  
  This answer is based on source information from National Women's Health Information Center.

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