{"id":1543,"date":"2020-05-17T09:42:23","date_gmt":"2020-05-17T09:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.blog.kayawell.com\/?p=1543"},"modified":"2020-05-18T10:15:44","modified_gmt":"2020-05-18T10:15:44","slug":"bulimia-nervosa-symptoms-causes-risk-factors-and-prevention","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/bulimia-nervosa-symptoms-causes-risk-factors-and-prevention","title":{"rendered":"Bulimia Nervosa &#8211; Symptoms, Causes, Risk Factors and Prevention"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Overview<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bulimia\n(boo-LEE-me-uh) Nervosa is a severe, often life-threatening eating disorder\ngenerally called bulimia. People with bulimia that secretly binge \u00e2\u20ac\u201d consuming\nlarge amounts of food with a lack of control over consuming \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and then purge,\ntrying to unhealthily get rid of the extra calories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>People with\nbulimia may use different methods to rid themselves of calories and prevent\nweight gain. For instance, you can frequently vomit or misuse of laxatives,\nweight loss supplements, diuretics or enemas after bingeing. Or you can use\nother ways of getting rid of calories and avoiding weight gains, such as\nfasting, strict diet or regular exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When you\nhave bulimia, your weight and body shape probably concern you. You should\nseverely and harshly blame yourself for your self-perceived shortcomings.\nBecause bulimia can be hard to resolve as it is linked to self-image \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and not\njust about food. Yet good therapy may make you feel better about yourself,\nadopt healthy eating habits and reverse severe complications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_73 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\r\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\r\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\r\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\r\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/bulimia-nervosa-symptoms-causes-risk-factors-and-prevention\/#Symptoms\" title=\"Symptoms\">Symptoms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/bulimia-nervosa-symptoms-causes-risk-factors-and-prevention\/#When_to_see_a_doctor\" title=\"When to see a doctor\">When to see a doctor<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/bulimia-nervosa-symptoms-causes-risk-factors-and-prevention\/#Causes\" title=\"Causes\">Causes<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/bulimia-nervosa-symptoms-causes-risk-factors-and-prevention\/#Risk_factors\" title=\"Risk factors\">Risk factors<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/bulimia-nervosa-symptoms-causes-risk-factors-and-prevention\/#Complications\" title=\"Complications\">Complications<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/bulimia-nervosa-symptoms-causes-risk-factors-and-prevention\/#Prevention\" title=\"Prevention\">Prevention<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\r\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Symptoms\"><\/span>Symptoms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bulimia\nsigns and symptoms may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Concerned about body form and weight Living in fear of gaining\nweight<\/li><li>Regular episodes of abnormally high quantities of food eaten in\none sitting <\/li><li>Feeling a loss of control during bingeing \u00e2\u20ac\u201d like you can&#8217;t stop\neating or can&#8217;t control what you eat<\/li><li>Use of laxatives, diuretics or enemas after eating when no need\noccurs<\/li><li>Fasting, calorie restriction or avoiding other foods in binges<\/li><li>The inappropriate use of dietary supplements or herbal products\nfor weight loss<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have\nexperienced any signs of bulimia, seek medical attention as soon as possible.\nBulimia can have serious effects on your health if left untreated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_to_see_a_doctor\"><\/span>When to see a doctor<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nseriousness of bulimia is determined by the number of times a week you detox,\nusually for a minimum of three months at least once a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Speak to\nyour primary care physician or mental health professional about the signs and\nthoughts of bulimia. If you&#8217;re reluctant to seek treatment, confide in someone about\nwhat you&#8217;re going through, whether it&#8217;s a friend or loved one, a teacher, a\nfaith leader, or someone else you trust. He or she can help you take the first\nsteps toward successful treatment for bulimia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Helping a loved one with bulimia symptoms<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you\nbelieve a loved one may have bulimia symptoms, have an open and honest\ndiscussion of your concerns. You can&#8217;t force anyone to seek professional care,\nbut you can offer support and encouragement. You may even help find a trained\ndoctor or specialist in mental health, schedule an appointment and even agree\nto go along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Because most\npeople with bulimia are usually normal weight or slightly overweight, something\nis wrong may not be apparent to others. Red flags noticeable by family and\nfriends include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Constantly worrying or complaining about being fat<\/li><li>Having a distorted, excessively negative body image<\/li><li>Eating excessively large amounts of food in one sitting\nrepeatedly, particularly foods that the person would normally avoid<\/li><li>Strict dieting or fasting after binge eating<\/li><li>Not wanting to eat in public or in front of others<\/li><li>just after feeding, during meals, going to the bathroom for a long\ntime<\/li><li>Exercising too much<\/li><li>Having sores, scars or calluses on the knuckles or hands<\/li><li>Having damaged teeth and gums<\/li><li>Changing weight<\/li><li>Swelling in the hands and feet<\/li><li>Facial and cheek swelling from enlarged glands<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Causes\"><\/span>Causes<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The exact\ncause of bulimia is unknown. Several factors, including genetics, biology,\nemotional health, social expectations and other problems, may play a role in\neating disorders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Risk_factors\"><\/span>Risk factors<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Women and\ngirls are more susceptible to bulimia than men and boys are. Bulimia sometimes\noccurs at late adolescence or early adulthood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Factors\nwhich can increase your bulimia risk may include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Biology:<\/strong> People with first-degree relatives (siblings, parents or\nchildren) with an eating disorder may have a greater risk of having an eating\ndisorder, indicating a potential genetic link. As a child or teen being\noverweight can increase the risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Psychological and emotional issues:<\/strong>\nPsychological and emotional problems, such as depression, anxiety disorders or\nsubstance use disorders are closely linked with eating disorders. People with\nbulimia may feel negative about themselves. Traumatic events and environmental\nstress can in some cases contribute factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Dieting:<\/strong> Individuals who diet have an increased chance of having eating\ndisorders. Many people with bulimia severely calories in binge episodes, which\ncan cause an impulse to consume and purge binge once again. Other bingeing\ntriggers might include stress, poor body self-image, food and boredom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Complications\"><\/span>Complications<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Bulimia can\ncause many severe problems, and even life-threatening ones. Complications may\ninclude:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Negative self-esteem and problems with relationships and social\nfunctioning<\/li><li>Dehydration, which can cause severe medical complications, such as\nkidney failure<\/li><li>Heart issues, including irregular heartbeat or heart failure<\/li><li>Severe tooth decay and gum disease<\/li><li>Absent or irregular periods in females<\/li><li>Digestive problems<\/li><li>Anxiety, depression, personality disorders or bipolar disorder<\/li><li>Misuse of alcohol or drugs<\/li><li>Self-injury, suicidal thoughts or suicide<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prevention\"><\/span>Prevention<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While there\nis no sure way to avoid bulimia, before the condition gets worse you can direct\nothers toward better conduct or medical care. Here&#8217;s how you can help:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Support and improve your children&#8217;s healthy body image, whatever\ntheir size or shape. Help them establish confidence in ways other than their\nlooks.<\/li><li>Have regular, enjoyable family meals.<\/li><li>Avoid talking about weight at home. Focus instead on having a\nhealthy lifestyle.<\/li><li>Discourage dieting, especially when it involves unhealthy\nweight-control behaviours, such as fasting, using weight-loss supplements or laxatives,\nor self-induced vomiting.<\/li><li>Contact your primary care provider. He or she will be able to\nrecognize the early signs of an eating disorder and help prevent it from\nprogressing.<\/li><\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Overview Bulimia (boo-LEE-me-uh) Nervosa is a severe, often life-threatening eating disorder generally called bulimia. People with bulimia that secretly binge \u00e2\u20ac\u201d consuming large amounts of food with a lack of control over consuming \u00e2\u20ac\u201d and then purge, trying to unhealthily get rid of the extra calories. People with bulimia may use different methods to rid [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1543","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthcare"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1543"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1543\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1543"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1543"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kayawell.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1543"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}