Anorexia nervosa: what it is, symptoms, causes and treatment

Anorexia nervosa is an eating and psychological disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight, in addition to distortion of body image, which leads to some behaviors, such as avoiding eating, practicing excessive physical activity and inducing vomiting, for example.

Most of the time, anorexia is difficult to identify, not only for those who have the disorder, as they can only see their body in the wrong way, but also for family and friends, who only begin to suspect anorexia when the person begins to show physical signs of extreme thinness.

Therefore, knowing what signs to identify in a person with anorexia is an important step towards identifying this disorder in the early stages of development and helping in seeking help, which should normally be initiated by a psychologist.

How to know if it is anorexia

Among the main signs and symptoms of anorexia are:

• Extreme thinness;
• Muscle loss and weakness;
• Fragility of hair and nails;
• Growth of very fine hair on the body;
• Change in the menstrual cycle;
• Constipation;
• Excessive tiredness.

In addition, people with anorexia may have other conditions, such as mild anemia, low body temperature and low blood pressure, as well as having a greater chance of developing fertility problems, bone changes such as osteopenia and osteoporosis, brain damage and heart problems.

People with anorexia also tend to have a more introverted personality, are more anxious and have a tendency to obsessive behavior. Furthermore, they tend to follow a very restricted diet and practice physical activity in a more intense and excessive way, they are afraid of gaining weight, they try to lose weight in an exaggerated way, they are unable to maintain a normal and healthy weight, they have a distorted body image and deny the gravity of your low weight.

Symptom Test

To help identify a case of anorexia nervosa, highlight the existing signs and symptoms:

Possible causes

Anorexia does not yet have a defined cause, however it is more common in women and appears during adolescence, when the demands of the new body shape increase. Some studies have demonstrated a relationship between genetics and changes in brain function in the development of symptoms of this eating disorder.

This disorder mainly affects women, and may be related to factors such as:

• Pressure from family and friends to lose weight;
• Anxiety;
• Depression.

People who have suffered some type of abuse or who are highly pressured by society in relation to their bodies, such as models, are more likely to develop anorexia.

Another common eating disorder is bulimia, which can even end up being confused with anorexia. However, in these cases what happens is that the person, although obsessed with their own weight, eats well, but then causes vomiting after meals. Better understand the differences between anorexia and bulimia.

How the treatment is carried out

Treatment for anorexia nervosa generally includes therapy to improve behavior in relation to eating and acceptance of the body, and it may be necessary to take medications against anxiety and depression, recommended by the psychiatrist.

Furthermore, it is important to seek guidance from a nutritionist so that it is possible to recommend the use of dietary supplements that help to make up for the lack of nutrients in the body and indicate adequate nutrition, preventing complications.

During treatment, it is very important that the family is present to support the person and understand the problems they face with anorexia. The treatment of this disease can be long, lasting months or years, and it is common to have relapses in which extreme concern about weight returns. See more details on the treatment for anorexia.

Consequences of anorexia

Normally, the health consequences of anorexia are a direct result of weight loss and poor nutrition, situations that end up affecting the body in general, causing the following problems:

• cardiovascular, such as bradycardia, hypotension, mitral valve prolapse and arrhythmia;
• Dermatological, such as dry skin, alopecia, growth of fine body hair and itching;
• gastrointestinal, such as constipation, hepatitis, dysphagia, delayed gastric emptying and pancreatitis;
• Endocrine and metabolic, such as amenorrhea, infertility, osteoporosis, hypoglycemia and diabetes insipidus;
• neurological, such as brain atrophy.

Psychotherapeutic support is important, since suicide is the most serious consequence that can be related to anorexia. Therefore, evaluation by other doctors is important to avoid problems in other organs.