Bulimia is generally characterized by periods of bingeing and purging. Bingeing may be defined as an episode wherein an individual consumes a large amount of food in a short period of time, but bingeing can take on a different definition for everyone. Some may consider 1,000 to 10,000 calories a binge while for others, a single chocolate bar can be considered a binge.
After every binge episode, the affected individual feels so terribly guilty and disgusted over his or her actions that he or she needs to eliminate all the calories that were taken in during the bingeing episode. Hence, the purging starts.
Bulimia disrupts the body’s normal functions. As such it can lead to several health complications which can be serious and even life threatening. The complications which are experienced by an individual are highly dependent on the type of purging used.
Among the most common complications are those of cardiovascular, digestive and dental origins. Bulimia is also known to affect the potassium levels in the body fluids and most commonly lead to medication and drug abuse.
. Bulimia leads to a number of cardiovascular problems. Imbalances in the electrolyte levels in the body or the misuse and abuse of a drug called ipecac syrup can cause heart abnormalities. These are known to cause irregular heartbeats, rapid heart rate, chest pains, breathing problems and cardiac arrest. It may also instigate low blood pressure and fainting or dizzy spells.
A word of advice: Ipecac syrup is very dangerous and should only be used to induce vomiting in cases of accidental poisoning. Using it for other purposes such as for purging is considered a grave misuse of the drug and may lead to various problems.
. Forced and frequent vomiting may harm your digestive system. Repeated vomiting instigates the swelling and appearance of sores in the mouth, throat and salivary glands. It may likewise rupture the linings of the stomach and the esophagus, which may lead to serious bleeding. Continued use of laxatives may likewise lead to the dependence on the drug and disrupt the normal bowel function causing constipation and diarrhea. Peptic ulcers, pancreatitis, stomach pain and bloating can also result from this disorder.
. The acidic nature of the gastric contents in the vomit may destroy the teeth enamel leading to an increase in dental cavities. Teeth may also become chipped, ragged and more sensitive to hot or cold food.
. The electrolyte balance in the body is greatly affected by constant purging. When the potassium level in the body becomes critically low, weakness and irregular heart rhythms may be experienced. At worst, death due to cardiac arrest may result from grave electrolyte imbalance.
. Using over-the-counter drugs such as laxatives, diuretics, appetite suppressants and ipecac syrup may make a person dependent on these medications and create a drug abuse issue. This drug dependency may take a step further and instigate alcohol and substance abuse.
Aside from these, bulimia may also trigger the onset of amenorrhea (loss of menstruation) and irregular menstruation, depression or mood swings, hair loss, kidney and liver damage, swelling of the hands and feet (edema) and anemia.
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