Anorexia nervosa: symptoms, causes and treatment

It is one of the most dangerous eating disorders; recognizing its symptoms is useful.

The imposition of absolutely impossible beauty canons by society is increasingly on the rise and although there are many revolutions we are living that aim to change them, they still generate a strong impact on people's minds and self-esteem.

One of the direct consequences of these models of beauty is the appearance and increase of cases of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa.. Throughout this article we will talk about the characteristics of this disorder, as well as its symptoms, causes and possible treatments.

What is anorexia nervosa?

Within the classification of eating disorders we find a disorder known as anorexia nervosa, or simply anorexia. Although it occurs mainly in women, this disease affects more and more men, and causes those who suffer from it to the need to restrict their food intake, resulting in weight loss.with consequent weight loss.

The aim of this pattern of behavior is to lose body mass, since people with anorexia feel that they are overweight even though they are below the recommended weight for their height and age.. This makes anorexia a highly dangerous disorder, as it can lead to death from malnutrition, or cause disease due to the weakening of body tissues and the immune system.

This decrease in body weight can reach dangerously low levels, since the limitation of food intake is caused by an exacerbated fear of losing weight coupled with a distorted perception of one's own body.

This means that no matter how thin or how much weight the person loses, it is never enough, since when looking in the mirror he/she will continue to perceive a distorted body shape that does not conform to reality. This leads the patient to make all kinds of sacrifices around food.

Among these sacrifices are all kinds of behaviors aimed at losing weight, or not gaining it, people with anorexia nervosa limit excessively the amount of food eaten. In the same way, they may resort to purgative behaviors, the use of laxatives andThey may also use laxatives and diuretics and exercise excessively to burn calories.

The reality is that in anorexia it is not the way in which the patient tries to lose weight that is relevant, but the exaggerated fear of weight gain.

What differentiates it from bulimia?

Although the aforementioned purging behaviors can be associated with another eating disorder known as bulimia, there are a number of essential differences between the two disorders: In anorexia these purging episodes do not always occur, whereas in bulimia it is an essential requirement for diagnosis.

In bulimia the person ingests large amounts of food, usually of high caloric content, in a short space of time. This is called binge eating. In anorexia, on the other hand, the person avoids eating at all costs and keeps an exhaustive control of calories..

People with anorexia are characterized by a dangerously low body weight, while in bulimia they usually have a normative weight or even above the recommended weight.

What are the symptoms?

As we mentioned above, the main symptoms of anorexia are related to the refusal or restriction of food intake, low weight and excessive fear of gaining weight.

However, there is a wide variety of symptoms within anorexia, there is a wide variety of symptoms within this eating disorder.. These symptoms can be classified into two groups: physical symptomatology and behavioral and emotional symptomatology.

1. Physical symptoms

The physical symptomatology of anorexia nervosa includes:

• Excessively thin appearance.
• Excessive weight loss..
• Feeling of tiredness.
• Insomnia.
• Dizziness.
• Fainting.
• Abnormal levels of different Blood elements.
• Blue coloration of the fingers of the hand.
• Amenorrhea.
• Hair loss.
• Constipation.
• Alteration of the cardiac rhythm.
• Arterial hypopressure.
• Dehydration.
• Osteoporosis.

2. Behavioral symptoms

It includes all those behaviors that the person carries out with the objective of losing weight. Among them are:

• Rigorous restriction of food intake.
• Excessive exercise..
• Purgative behaviors and use of laxatives, enemas or diuretics.

3. Emotional symptoms

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by an emotional symptomatology that includes the following aspects:

• Experiencing an Intense fear of gaining weight.
• Excessive preoccupation with food.
• Denial of the sensation of hunger.
• Lying about the food eaten..
• irritability
• Withdrawal or social isolation.
• Alexithymia or inability to experience and manifest emotions.
• Depressive mood.
• Suicidal ideations.
• Lack of interest in sexual relations.

How can it be detected?

Some of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa can be difficult to identify at first sight, since the person is conscious of them and do their best to hide them..

However, there are a number of warning signs or behaviors that we can look for if we are not medical professionals and we want to determine if someone in our environment suffers from this condition.

Among these signs are:

• Constantly skipping meals. constantly.
• Making excuses for not eating.
• Rigorous selection of food, generally of low caloric content.
• Continually weighing oneself..
• Continuous complaints about your weight.
• Avoiding eating in public.
• Changing your dress codeswearing more and more layers.

What are the causes?

For the moment it has not been possible to determine a concrete or exact cause that provokes the appearance of anorexia nervosa, for what it is hypothesized that there are a series of biological, psychological and environmental factors that precipitate it. and environmental factors that precipitate it.

The experience of traumatic or emotionally charged personal or social events may play a key role in determining the onset of this eating disorder.

In addition, recent studies point to the possibility that there are a number of genes associated with anorexia-like behaviors, such as compulsions, depression, perfectionism and emotional sensitivity. However, no gene or organic pathology directly related to anorexia has been found so far.

Is there a treatment?

Anorexia nervosa is a very serious disorder which, if left untreated, can have fatal consequences for the person. So much so that statistics reveal that 10% of untreated cases of severe anorexia result in the death of the patient.

Due to the seriousness of the situation, it is essential to make an effective diagnosis, it is essential to make an effective diagnosis and start treatment as soon as possible. treatment as soon as possible.

A key factor in the effectiveness of treatment is the involvement of the patient's environment in the treatment. This intervention includes psychotherapy, in which psychological work is carried out on the emotional and cognitive aspects of the disorder, including distorted body perception.

In the same way, somatic and physical somatic monitoring of the person's physical condition, as well as the development of aThe person's somatic and physical condition should also be monitored, as well as the elaboration of a series of nutritional guidelines to help the person in his or her reconciliation with food.

Finally, in some cases, pharmacological treatment with antidepressants or anxiolytics can be used to reduce the intensity of the symptoms and facilitate psychological work.

Unfortunately, anorexia nervosa is a disorder with a high risk of relapse, so both family members and medical professionals should be attentive to the patient's development.

Bibliographic references:

• Attia, E. (2010). Anorexia nervosa: current status and future directions. Annual Review of Medicine. 61 (1): pp. 425 - 435.
• Casper, R.C. (1998). Depression and eating disorders. Depression and Anxiety. 8(1): pp. 96 - 104.
• Hay P. (2013). A systematic review of evidence for psychological treatments in eating disorders: 2005-2012. The International Journal of Eating Disorders. 46(5): pp. 462 - 469.
• Kaye W (April 2008). Neurobiology of anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Physiology & Behavior. 94(1): pp. 121 - 135.
• Surgenor, L.J.; Maguire, S. (2013). Assessment of anorexia nervosa: an overview of universal issues and contextual challenges. Journal of Eating Disorders. 1(1): 29.