Anorexia Nervosa Analysis - Essay Example

? Anorexia Nervosa Lecturer al affiliation 19th April Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is also called anorexia; this is a direct translation means loss of appetite for nervous reasons. However in the case of anorexia nervosa, one just does not satisfy their appetit due to the fears mentioned below. It is an eating disorder that makes people drop more weight than is deemed healthy for their age and height, as it affects their BMI. It also makes eating distressing and obsessively anxious to maintain or maintain body weight by rigidly controlling their calorie intake. People suffering from anorexia nervosa have hypersensitivity towards their looks. They feel that their value as a person is directly affected by the shape of their bodies thus has an intense fear of gaining weight. They deliberately lose weight and find that food dominates their lives. They may diet; exercise excessively or use other means to lose weight despite even being underweight to the pint that their condition becomes life threatening (Jade, 2009). This condition is serious and affects all sorts of people of all ages; however, it is more common amongst teenagers and in recent years has become common among boys at 25% (in the 7-24yrs age group). Among all the people suffering from anorexia nervosa, women make 90-95%. Among the women, some are over the age of 30 years and their condition occurs first before they reach the age. This is despite the fact that most cases go unreported thus making it difficult to judge the numbers of people suffering. Also, the some may go undiagnosed as they fall short of the conventional diagnostic models despite having symptoms. Symptoms There are any symptoms associated with this disorder, and they vary from one person to the other due to factors such as individual differences. A common symptom is a body weight that is much less than expected for your age and height (15% or more below the normal weight). Others would have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat despite being underweight, they may also have a body image that is distorted due to their focusing on body weight or shape. Anorexics decline to acknowledge the gravity of their loss of weight. In women, some may fail to have their menstrual periods for three or more cycles, which is a serious symptom. Moreover, in some others, they severely limit their food intake or even make themselves vomit, they exercise excessively at all times, or in worse cases, they use drugs such as diet pills to curb their appetite and laxatives to induce bowel movements. Visible symptoms include blotchy or yellow skin that is dry and covered with fine downy hair, slow or confused thinking accompanied by poor memory and judgment, depression, dry mouth, wasting away of muscles and loss of body fat, constipation, and fatigue. However, these symptoms may also be caused by other conditions or diseases thus there are tests to rule out these possibilities. Causes The causes of anorexia nervosa have not been completely comprehended. However, they are some well known causes such as; pressure from society and media, personality and family environment and genetic factors. Pressure from society and the media contributes as they portray the perfect person as being thin. This is commonly seen as is the case with models and TV actresses being slim, slender or thin in the western countries thus is most common in these countries. Personality and family environment plays a role in the case of having low self esteem. This is where a person thinks lowly of himself and associates it with his/her body weight. Family wise, it could be as a result of emotionally upsetting events like divorce or abusive family relationships. Also on personality traits, it can be caused by obsessive compulsive behavior where one thinks obsessively of doing certain actions. Genetic factors have also been identified to cause anorexia where in a family with identical twins, and one twin has anorexia, then the other has a 1:2 chance of getting it too. Other causes could be having hobbies or jobs where a lean or slim figure is desirable such as athletics, modeling or dancing. Environmental factors could be as in the case where one family observes and copies the behavior of a family member with the disorder (Bupa's Health Information Team, 2010). Effects and Complications Anorexia nervosa has extensive effects on those with the condition. In the worst case scenarios, a significant number of anorexics die from the condition either as a result of the direct effects or through suicide. Anorexia nervosa causes irregular periods although this could be caused by other conditions. This is because hormone levels are affected by poor nutrition. The periods may stop or not even start depending on the age. Some anorexics are infertile due to the condition. It also causes imbalances of chemicals in the body as a result of use of some of drugs such as laxatives and diet pills. These imbalances could cause overall body weakness, irregular heart rhythm, kidney damage, convulsions and others. Osteoporosis or thinning of bones is also as an after effect of anorexia. Moreover, due to lack of essential nutrients such as calcium and vitamin D, ones bones may become fragile and easy to break. Abdominal and bowel problems are not left out in the list of effects. These are caused by use of laxatives which damage nerve endings and bowel muscles. The result of this is permanent constipation and abdominal pains. Depression is brought about by one feeling low. It may develop to clinical depression where one is moody or irritable. If not treated, it may result in suicide. Anorexia nervosa also causes anemia due to a low iron diet resulting in one feeling weak, being dizzy and even fainting. Other complications include; increased facial hair due to hormonal imbalance, low body temperature due to a low rate of metabolism and teeth problems like rotting due to the acid from the stomach through the vomiting wearing down the enamel. Diagnosis and Treatment People with anorexia usually deny the existence of their condition or even try their best to conceal it by wearing baggy clothes. At times, they even refuse to eat around other people. This becomes difficult to diagnose the condition in those with it. However, there are ways of running tests that work effectively and even the use of diagnostic models, and they include; albumin test, electrolyte test, liver function test, bone density check, electrocardiogram and urinalysis. These are meant to rule out all other causes of weight loss in a person such as celiac disease or Addison’s disease (Patient.co.uk. n.d.). As for treatment, most cases are made difficult at the point of making a person realize the seriousness of their condition. Most of the time, the need to seek treatment are realized after the condition has become severe. Aims of treatment are to reduce the risk of harm/ death, encourage weight gain, and reduce other related symptoms and to help the victims gain physical and emotional strength. The first step in treating the disorder is recognition by the patient to have the disorder. There are several types of treatment, which include self-help, medicines, psychological treatments and hospital treatments. Hospital treatment is used to confine one in hospital for full time treatment when someone’s life is in immediate danger, and doctors see no other option. It aims at replacing the lost fluids and nutrients from the body and is usually a last resort. Self help is the use of a diary where one records his/her eating habits, learning about healthy eating habits and how maintain body weight sensibly. It also includes the use of support groups where people who have gone through the same condition share experiences and feelings as well as comfort each other. Use of medicines to cure anorexia is rare although it is used to secondary symptoms of the disorder such as depression and anxiety. Psychological treatment involves counseling where one identifies feelings and reasons why he/she developed anorexia in the first place. They usually aim at correcting any false or fallacious information that they have about their bodies. Also, they are guided on how to identify and deal with various emotional issues this method is time consuming and requires regular sessions. Recovery from anorexia is possible through a time consuming process, and despite the use of these methods, the patient of the condition may relapse during times of extreme stress or anxiety. Prevention The condition can be prevented by encouraging healthy eating habits, as well as a healthy diet. It can also be done through promoting realistic attitudes towards weight issues. Advising on dietary concerns and sharp declines of weight should be done to keep the condition at bay by medical practitioners. Again, restriction of media content that is misleading should be applied at a national level as a preventive measure. References Bupa's Health Information Team. (September 2010). Anorexia nervosa. Retrieved on 19th April 2012 from http://www.bupa.co.uk/individuals/health-information/directory/a/anorexia Patient.co.uk. (n.d.). Anorexia nervosa. Retrieved on 19th April 2012 from http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Anorexia-Nervosa.htm Jade, D. (2009). National Centre for Eating Disorders: All about anorexia. Retrieved on 19th April 2012 from http://www.eating-disorders.org.uk/anorexia-nervosa.html Read More