Anorexia
Eating Disorders
Anorexia
Anorexia is an eating disorder that involves weight loss caused by the patient himself and leads to a state of starvation. Anorexia is characterized by the fear of gaining weight, and by a distorted and delusional perception of one's own body that makes the patient look fat even when his weight is below the recommended. For this reason, a progressive decrease in weight begins by fasting and reducing food intake. It usually begins with the elimination of carbohydrates, since there is a false belief that they are fattening. It then rejects fats, proteins, and even fluids, leading to extreme dehydration. These drastic measures can be added to other associated behaviors such as the use of diuretics, laxatives, purges, provoked vomiting or excessive physical exercise. Affected people can lose from 15 to 50 percent, in the most critical cases, of their body weight. This disease is usually associated with serious psychological alterations that cause changes in behavior, emotional behavior and a stigmatization of the body.
Causes:
Its cause is unknown, but social factors seem important. Although there are many sociocultural factors that can trigger anorexia, it is likely that a part of the population has a greater physical predisposition to suffer from this disorder, regardless of the pressure that the environment may exert. For this reason, there are general factors that are associated with a triggering factor or certain biological vulnerability, which is what precipitates the development of the disease. The patient's own obesity Maternal obesity Death or illness of a loved one Separation from parents Away from home School failures Accidents Traumatic events
Symptoms of anorexia:
This pathology is characterized by a significant loss of weight caused by the patient and by a wrong perception of the body itself. Consequently, endocrine problems become apparent in a relatively short period of time. The main symptoms that determine the onset of the disease are the following: Refusal to maintain body weight above the minimum appropriate for the patient's age and height Fear of weight gain or obesity even when the weight is below recommended Distorted perception of the body, its weight and proportions Absence of three consecutive menstrual cycles in women (amenorrhea). Anorexics can experience a very varied series of symptoms: constipation, amenorrhea, abdominal pain, vomiting, etc. But it is the family that detects the symptoms that sound the alarm: Excessive concern about the caloric composition of food and the preparation of food Constant feeling of cold Progressive reduction of food Obsession over the image, the scale, the studies and the sport Using traps to avoid food Hyperactivity These symptoms are compounded by other typical traits such as irritability, depression and emotional or personality disorders. Likewise, there is an alteration in the feeling of satiety and fullness before meals, nausea, bloating, or even the absence of sensations. In this pathology there are also numerous cognitive disorders that focus on food, body weight and physical appearance: Selective abstractions Selective use of information Generalizations Superstitions The negative side of any situation is magnified Dichotomous thinking Self-referential ideas Arbitrary inference As for the clinical consequences, the symptoms are as follows: Heart rate is reduced Arrhythmias occur that can lead to cardiac arrest Blood pressure drops Menstruation disappears in women (amenorrhea) Decreases bone mass and In very early cases, growth slows down Decreased intestinal motility Anemia Long fine hairs appear on the back, forearms, thighs, neck and cheeks Chronic constipation .The decrease in energy expenditure produces a constant feeling of cold. The skin becomes dehydrated, dry and cracked. Yellowing of the palms of the hands and the soles of the feet due to the accumulation of carotenes in the sebaceous glands, Nails are broken, Hair loss, Problems with teeth and peripheral edema. Swelling and abdominal pain.
Dr. Carbonell
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