Symptoms
Common physical complaints /symptoms of anorexia (anorexia) and bulimia nervosa:
- Circulatory regulation disorders with low blood pressure
- Circulatory problems with cold hands and feet
- Slow pulse (bradycardia)
- Low body temperature (hypothermia)
- Stomach dysfunction, bloating and digestive disorders (e.g. constipation)
- Laryngeal pain due to vomiting
- Gout (hyperuricemia)
- Water retention in tissue (edema)
- Enlarged salivary glands (sialosis)
- Heartburn
- Depression
- Menstrual disorders up to and including amenorrhoea (absence of menstruation)
- Other hormonal disorders
- Osteoporosis
- Caries
- Dry skin and hair loss
- Mineral and vitamin deficiencies
Complications
Serious complications with anorexia/anorexia and bulimia nervosa:
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Brain atrophy (shrinking of the brain mass)
- Electrolyte disorders (e.g. hypokalemia)
- Renal dysfunction
- Nerve damage (polyneuropathy)
- Ulcers in the stomach or duodenum
- Anaemia (lack of blood)
- Lanugo hair (downy hair)
Diagnosis
The diagnosis can usually be made by taking the patient’s medical history and specific questionnaires. Disorder-specific instruments: Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI, Garner et al. , 1983) The EDI comprises 8 scales containing typical psychological characteristics of anorexia and bulimia patients: The newer version EDI-2 was supplemented by the scales asceticism, impulse regulation and social insecurity.
Eating behaviour questionnaire (FEV, Pudel &, 1989) FEV records three basic psychol. The concept of “restrained eating” (Herman & Polivy, 1975), which can be a prerequisite for eating disorders, forms the basis of this questionnaire. Structured Interview for Anorectic and Bulimic Eating Disorders (SIAB, Fichter & Quadflieg, 1999) The SIAB consists of a self-assessment sheet for the patient (SIAB-S) and an interview section for the investigator (SIAB-EX).
It includes the diagnostic criteria of ICD-10 and DSM-IV and besides the typical anorectic and bulimic symptoms, other relevant symptom areas such as depression, anxiety and compulsions are also considered. – Slimming striving
- Bulimia
- Physical. Dissatisfaction
- Ineffectiveness
- Perfectionism
- Interpersonal distrust
- Interoception and fear of growing up. – Cognitive control of eating behaviour (restrained eating), rigid vs. flexible control. – Disturbability and instability of eating behaviour in the event of disinhibition due to situational factors
- Feelings of hunger and their behavioural correlates
Therapy
For information on the therapy of bulimia please follow the link: Therapy bulimia
