Definition
Anorexia nervosa (anorexia) = anorexia is an eating disorder in which weight loss is the main concern. This goal is often pursued by the patient with such consistency that it can even lead to life-threatening conditions. The diagnosis is confirmed, among other things, by the fact that the patient’s body weight is at least 15% below that of a “normal” comparison person and that there is a noticeable change in the patient’s hormone balance.
Anorexia symptoms
Common physical complaints as well as symptoms of anorexia and bulimia nervosa: . and These are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency
- Circulatory regulation disorders with low blood pressure
- Circulatory problems with cold hands and feet
- Slow pulse (bradycardia)
- Low body temperature (hypothermia)
- Gout (hyperuricemia)
- Water retention in tissue (edema)
- Stomach dysfunction, feeling of fullness and digestive disorders (e.g. constipation)
- Heartburn
- Menstrual disorders up to amenorrhea (absence of menstruation)
- Other hormone disorders
- Osteoporosis
- Caries
- Dry skin and hair loss
- Mineral and vitamin deficiencies
- Enlarged salivary glands (sialosis)
- Depression
If a person does not want to eat, relatives and friends are very worried. Especially parents of young girls are afraid that refusing to eat might indicate anorexia.
Or if an already slim person does not want to eat on a date, friends quickly think of an eating disorder. However, a dietary leave per se is not anorexia, if, for example, only a few kilos are to tumble and the eating behaviour quickly returns to normal. To a morbid eating disorder belongs therefore apart from the decreased food intake above all a psychological problem, above all the incorrect perception of the own body, the pressure from the outside by surrounding field and society and possible unprocessed internal conflicts.
Signs of this are, for example, negative statements about one’s own body or the idolisation of underweight stars, excessive preoccupation with the subject of nutrition and weight loss, a significant increase in physical activity and sport for weight loss and many other typical behaviours. Especially with young women, these signs occur without anorexia when they are dealing with their own figure. Therefore, it only becomes particularly suspicious when the person maintains their harmful behavior over a longer period of time, possibly wants to disguise it and begins to lie or neglects normal everyday life in favor of weight reduction.
Then the danger is great that the eating disorder will increasingly dominate life and the person will become anorexic. Hair loss is a common symptom of severe anorexia and is due to a lack of essential nutrients such as vitamins and trace elements, often in combination with brittle nails and pale skin. It is not uncommon for hair loss to lead those affected to the doctor, as they do not necessarily recognize the connection with their eating habits.
If the patient is treated and provided with the necessary nutrients, the hair grows back again. Long-term malnutrition leads to a reduction in hormone production in the female body and thus to the absence of ovulation and menstruation. Such a weakened body would not be able to bear a child, so infertility is a protective mechanism. If the underweight persists for a long period of time, the hormone balance can remain impaired for longer and, in the worst case, lead to permanent infertility in the woman, even if she gains weight again. The following topic could also be interesting for you: Menstrual disorders
