Extremely harmful for mental and physical health of a person, there are various side effects of bulimia. Go through this article to know more about them.
Some medical conditions are very complex to diagnose and treat. Bulimia nervosa, or simply bulimia, is a medical condition that majorly affects women especially, those in the younger age group (19 – 40). It is a psychological condition in which the person may often eat a lot and then vomit it. To counter the effect of gaining weight due to heavy eating, the bulimic person may often exercise hard. Sometimes, she may just starve, without feeding on anything. Side effects of Anorexia and bulimia are related. It’s said that due to the perception that the individual is gaining weight, the bulimic person vomits frequently.
Physical Effects
Due to frequent vomiting and sessions of erratic eating, a bulimic person may have to face serious physical problems.
Discolored Teeth and Bad Breath
It’s indeed surprising to note that frequent vomiting leads to contact of enamel with stomach acid that can slowly cause dental erosion. Eventually, the bulimic person develops gray to yellow teeth. Besides that, there can be issues of bacteria in the mouth and tongues leading to bad breath. Brushing the teeth properly after vomiting is important to keep these problems at bay.
Swollen Cheek and Skin
The urge to vomit is such that a person may vomit just after eating a meal. This leads to puffiness on face as tiny blood vessels burst due to frequent vomiting. A bulimic person must try to control the number of times she vomits in a day.
Lack of Vitamins
If the consumed food is not being absorbed by the body, there occurs a deficiency of vitamins in the body. This leads to hair loss problems, under eye circles and weakness. The body will eat its own muscles to get the required energy which may weaken the muscles.
Heartburn
Forcing yourself to throw up frequently increases the stress on heart muscles and valve. The burning sensation rises in the chest and because it happens near the heart, it is called as heartburn. Some other side effects include:
- Esophageal problems
- Stomach ulcers
- Osteoporosis
- Digestive problems
- Irregular heartbeat
- Menstrual dysfunction
- Insomnia
- Dry skin
- Decreased bone density
- Enlarged salivary glands
Psychological Effects
Bulimia causes mental stress and leads to self-esteem issues. Here are some of its psychological side effects.
Frequent Mood Swings
A bulimic person may often feel anxiety and stress especially minutes before she is about to vomit. She may start getting restless to avoid the urge to vomit. This leads to abrupt behavior, very often.
Thinking About Food Always
The urge to eat a lot and then to vomit is extremely high in a bulimic person and even when the individual is not hungry, she may be willing to look around for something to eat.
Avoidance of Social Circles
A bulimic person struggles with self-esteem issues. She becomes conscious about her behavior and so prefers solitude. Besides that, some other side effects may include, out of control feelings, depression, poor body image and inability to eat with others.
Bulimina nervosa is certainly a difficult eating disorder to treat. Nevertheless, by following various tips, a bulimic person can control this complication to an appreciable extent. Consulting a proper therapist and support of family and friends is very necessary for treating it. If a person is not getting proper love and care during the treatment, she may go deep into depression that can cause negative implications on her health. Its side effects can be cured by following proper steps of medication.
