The Complications of Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia is a perfectly treatable illness when the sufferer is given the right help, advice, and rehabilitation. However, without treatment, complications can arise, which vary in severity from minor health problems to death in extreme cases.

Long term sufferers are the ones most likely to experience the severe complications anorexia brings. This includes damaged bones, poor circulation, cardiovascular problems, and heart conditions such as coronary heart disease and an irregular heartbeat. If an eating disorder specialist in London is not consulted in the initial stages of this disorder, the illness will not only lead to these physical complications, but mental health may suffer as well; a great deal of stress and pressure on the individual can result in clinical depression and even personality disorders.

What’s most worrying is that anorexia may only be the foundation for further eating disorders to develop. It is fairly common for anorexia nervosa to lead to bulimia nervosa, which involves an individual binge eating and then purging to rid themselves of the food. Bulimia brings a host of more complications, namely damage to vital organs – particularly within the digestive system.

Sufferers of anorexia don’t get the nutrients required to stay healthy, which causes an imbalance of minerals in the blood. A low level of potassium is the most common. This deficiency is responsible for many symptoms anorexics suffer, such as weakness, tiredness, dehydration, kidney damage, and the list just goes on. Calcium deficiency is another common one; the lack of this mineral causes muscles to contract painfully (known as a spasm or cramp). Bone damage and brittle bones are due to a lack of vitamin D, and in severe cases, a lack of sodium can cause seizures.

There are also some more general problems that anorexia can cause: low blood pressure, dental problems, anaemia, and low blood sugar. The damages are endless with the failure of vital organs, loss of muscle strength, and brittle bones being the most serious.

Without the right anorexia nervosa treatment, the complications will only escalate, and no symptoms should ever be ignored. If you know someone who is losing weight and shows any of these symptoms, make sure you offer them your help and support to help them avoid any life-threatening complications.

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Created on Aug 29th 2020 08:41. Viewed 287 times.

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