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Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder

By: Sulamita Berrezi


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Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder where the individual experiences episodes of bingeing and purging. he incidence of the disorder is approximately 0.5 to 1 percent of women. Many of these women are in their adolescent years. he condition may also occur in men; 10 percent of bulimics are male. here are two types of bulimia nervosa: the purging type and the non-purging type.The former is associated with a excessive eating within a short period of time followed by acts of self-induced vomiting; the latter is associated excessive eating within a short period of time followed by other activities such as vigorous exercise, fasting, or inappropriate intake of laxatives to compensate for the excessive intake of food. hese patients experience a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode. he bulimic patient may engage in self-starvation between binge-purge episodes, thus presenting the same dangers as the anorexic patients such as osteopenia, in addition to the ones presented by the binging and purging. Approximately 25 percent of bulimics have had an episode of anorexia nervosa.

Many causes of the disorder are suggested; however, the exact etiology is unknown. Social factors may increase the risk of developing the disorder such as previous exposure to a traumatic/disturbing experience, abuse (mental, physical, and sexual), and family problems. Patients may also sufer as a result of bullying leading to low self-esteem. Social factors such as the Western perception of thin models representing the epitome of beauty and the general Western culture of thinness has been linked to bulimia nervosa. Research has linked low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) to bulimia nervosa and the development of depressed mood in these patients.Bulimic patients may be of normal weight or slightly above average weight and hence the presence of other symptoms such as enlarged parotid glands and scarring on the back of the hands are important in characterising the disorder.

Dental complications frequently occur and include erosion of enamel and periodontal disease. Rarely seen complications are esophageal tears caused by purging and acute dilation of the stomach, occur after very large binges. Other symptoms include peripheral edema. Often traits of childhood overeating are found to be more common in bulimic women compared to their unafected siblings. he increased risk of the disorder due to being overweight during childhood suggests that prevention strategies for childhood obesity are also useful for bulimia nervosa.

Young women with Type 1 diabetes mellitus have a higher incidence of eating disorders than young women in the general population. These diabetic adolescents often lose weight before being diagnosed with diabetes mellitus; when they begin having insulin treatment, they gain weight and as a result become apprehensive and try to use various measures such as bingeing and purging to reduce this weight. hese patients may eventually discover another method of losing weight; by omitting doses of insulin, they can reduce their weight and hence these patients undertake this dangerous behavior to maintain weight.

As a result, these patients are at an increased risk of developing other conditions such as retinopathy and also have increase risk of mortality from uncontrolled diabetes. To treat the bulimia nervosa, the patient is generally properly assessed and subsequently administered various self-help guidelines and possibly prescribed antidepressant (e.g., luoxetine) which selectively inhibits serotonin reuptake and hence increases the levels of serotonin. Patients may also be provided with cognitive behavior therapy. Patients who have strong support and encouragement from families and friends tend to have a greater chance of recovery.

Bulimia nervosa is more common than anorexic nervosa, and the prognosis is more favorable. Approximately 70 percent of patients have been known to recover. After recovery, however, many patients develop other problems such as anxiety and depression. Unexpected deaths may occur in patients, as women with bulimia nervosa are at risk to attempt suicide and many medical complications do exist due to the purging nature of this condition. Bulimic patients who have low weight also have an increase risk of death due to low blood potassium levels and cardiac arrhythmia

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