Eating Disorders Effects
Possible Eating Disorders Effects are listed below. All should be taken very seriously. Click on each complication for more information.
- Amenorrhea
- Not having periods when you used to have periods is known as secondary amenorrhea. When it lasts six months or longer, it is also known as Hypothalamic amenorrhea (HA)…
- Anemia
- An estimated one-third of anorexic patients have mild anemia (low red blood cell count). Anemia makes the oxygen transporting units within the blood useless and can lead to fatigue…
- Arrhythmia
- As the body is starved, the muscles are starved. The heart is a muscle, and consequently can begin to deteriorate, and heart failure becomes a very real risk…
- Atrophy
- Atrophy is a wasting away of muscle and decrease in muscle mass due to the body feeding off of itself. Muscle atrophy results when the muscles waste away because there are a lack of adequate nutrients…
- Low White Blood Cell Count
- Eating disorders can affect a patient’s blood. Leukopenia (low white blood cell count) occurs in up to 50 percent of anorexic patients…
- Cardiovascular Risk
- Heart disease is the most common medical cause of death in people with severe anorexia. In long-term, severe anorexia, heart disease is very likely to occur…
- Cathartic Colon
- A possible complication of bulimia is cathartic colon. In fact, severe constipation or a cathartic colon is one of the clues physicians may have in diagnosing bulimia…
- Digestion Health
- Eating disorders affect digestion health in a number of ways. A deficiency in digestive enzymes will lead to the bodies inability to properly digest food…
- Head Dizziness
- A common side effect of eating disorders is head dizziness. Head dizziness can be described as faintness or lightheadedness…
- Edema
- One of the side effects of eating disorders can be edema. Swelling of the soft tissues as a result of excess water accumulation in the spaces between the cells…
- Electrolyte imbalance
- Electrolyte are essential to the production of the body’s “natural electricity” that ensures healthy teeth, joints and bones, nerve and muscle impulses…
- Emaciation
- Anorexia nervosa is a psychological eating disorder marked by profound food aversion and fear of becoming overweight that leads to emaciation, or becoming very thin, and frail…
- Esophagitis
- Esophagitis is an inflammation of the lining of the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach…
- Estrogen Levels
- Low body weight in females causes the body to stop producing estrogen, resulting in a condition known as amenorrhea, or absent menstrual periods…
- Tooth Enamel Erosion
- The presence of gastric acid in your mouth from regular vomiting may cause damage to your teeth and gums, most commonly teeth enamel erosion…
- Forgetfulness
- Besides having impaired memory, people struggling with eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia are more likely to have other mental and emotional issues…
- Glandular Problems
- People with eating disorders frequently have glandular problems. A gland is an organ in an animal’s body that synthesizes a substance for release such as hormones…
- Heart Attack
- Eating disorders commonly raise the risk for having a heart attack. Anorexia and bulimia both create huge imbalances in the electrolytic balance…
- Hypoglycemia
- In people with eating disorders, hypoglycemia is common. Hypoglycemia is a condition characterized by an abnormally low level of blood sugar…
- Hypometabolic State
- Anorexia nervosa often results in a starvation induced hypometabolic state where the body shifts to conserve resources…
- Hypothermia
- Hypothermia results when the fat cells, which are the body’s natural insulation, become non-existent and the victim starts feeling cold all the time…
- Impulse Control Disorder
- People who have eating disorders may also have an impulse control disorder. An Impulse Control Disorder is defined by many psychologists as the failure…
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
- Irritable bowel syndrome is characterized by a group of symptoms in which abdominal pain or discomfort is associated with a change in bowel pattern…
- Judgment
- Eating disorders can frequently impact one’s judgment. Electrolyte imbalances can cause the neurotransmitters of the brain to be altered…
- Musculoskeletal Problems
- Musculoskeletal problems are very common in individuals with an eating disorder. As a general rule, individuals with severe anorexia nervosa have poor muscle strength…
- Osteoporosis
- Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become less dense and more likely to fracture. About half of young female patients with anorexia nervosa have osteoporosis…
- Osteomalacia
- Bones need calcium and phosphorus to remain healthy and strong, but the body also needs vitamin D to be able to absorb these two minerals…
- Parotid Gland Enlargement
- The salivary glands make saliva and release it into the mouth. There are three pairs of relatively large, major salivary glands, including the parotid glands…
- Pituitary Gland Problems
- Eating disorders can negatively impact all systems of the body. Pituitary Gland problems are frequently associated with eating disorders…
- Low Potassium
- Potassium is an electrolyte that is critical to the function of nerve and muscles cells, including those in your heart. Low potassium (hypokalemia) has many causes. ..
- Renal Problems
- Renal problems, or kidney damage, is a potentially serious, even life-threatening concern for people with eating disorders…
- Salivary Glands
- In people with bulimia, repeated vomiting may sometimes causes the salivary glands to swell…
- Seizures
- The increased risk of seizures in people with anorexia and bulimia may be caused by dehydration…
- Thyroid Problems
- Thyroid problems are common in people with eating disorders – especially in those with anorexia nervosa…
- Vision Imparement
- Occasionally, night vision will be impaired, because of poor nutrition and decreased amounts of vitamin A in the body…
- Vitamin Deficiencies
- Vitamins are a group of organic substances occurring naturally in animals and plants in small quantities an which are essential to the normal growth and functioning of the body…
- Life Expectancy
- Studies show that certain eating disorders can shorten life expectancy between 5 (bulimia) and 25 years (anorexia).
Eating Disorder Self Test. Take the EAT-26 self test to see if you might have eating disorder symptoms that might require professional evaluation. All answers are confidential.