Binge Eating Disorder: Examination

A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:

• General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; further:
  • Inspection (viewing).
    • Skin, mucous membranes and sclerae (white part of the eye).
    • Abdomen (abdomen)
      • Shape of the abdomen?
      • Skin color? Skin texture?
      • Efflorescences (skin changes)?
      • Pulsations? Bowel movements?
      • Visible vessels?
      • Scars? Hernias (fractures)?
  • Auscultation (listening) of the heart [due topossible sequelae: Heart failure (heart failure), atrial fibrillation]
  • Auscultation of the lungs [due topossible sequelae: Bronchial asthma; decreased total lung capacity, increased work of breathing, especially at night!]
  • Examination of the abdomen (abdomen)
    • Percussion (tapping) of the abdomen
      • [Meteorism (flatulence): hypersonoric tapping sound.
      • Attenuation of tapping sound due to enlarged liver or spleen, tumor, urinary retention?
      • Hepatomegaly (liver enlargement) and/or splenomegaly (spleen enlargement): estimate liver and spleen size.
      • Cholelithiasis (gallstones): tapping pain over gallbladder region and right lower rib]
    • Palpation (palpation) of the abdomen (tenderness?, knock pain?, cough pain?, defensive tension?, hernial orifices?, renal bearing knock pain?).
• Cancer screening [due topossible secondary diseases of overweight/obesity].
• If necessary, dermatological examination [due topossible secondary diseases:
  • Acanthosis nigricans, which is characterized by darkening and rind formation of the skin folds at the armpits, the bends of the joints, in the neck and sexual area, is accompanied by an increased risk of mycoses (fungal and yeast infections).
  • Psoriasis]
• If necessary, gynecological examination [due topossible sequelae: cycle disorders].
• Neurological examination [due topossible sequelae:
  • Chronic migraine
  • Alzheimer’s disease]
• If necessary, orthopedic examination [due topossible secondary diseases:
  • Osteoarthritis (wear diseases of the spine and joints, such as coxarthrosis (osteoarthritis of the hip joint), gonarthrosis (osteoarthritis of the knee joint)).
  • Hyperuricemia (uric acid metabolism disorder / gout).
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Back pain]
• Psychiatric examination[due todifferential diagnoses:
  • Acute adjustment disorder
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Bulimia nervosa (binge eating disorder)
  • Depression
  • Personality disorders
  • Schizophrenia (severe mental illness belonging to the endogenous psychoses and characterized by disturbances of thinking, perception and affectivity).
  • Sleep apnea syndrome (sleep-related breathing disorders resulting in daytime sleepiness).
  • Nonspecific eating disorders
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder]

  [due topossible sequelae:

  • Alcohol abuse (alcohol dependence)
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Bulimia nervosa (binge eating disorder)
  • Depression
  • Erectile dysfunction (ED) (erectile dysfunction).
  • Insomnia (sleep disorders)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder]
• Health Check

Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.