Eating Disorders Critical Analysis - Research Paper Example

Inserts His/her Inserts Inserts Grade Inserts Here (Day, Month, Year) Topic Eating disorders are very common nowadays in adults and children. They mostly occur due to bad eating habits. The most common disorders are bulimia, anorexia nervosa and binge eating. Eating disorders may also prove to be fatal if proper steps aren’t taken at the right time. All three of them are caused due to bad eating habits which are nowadays common and they affect the patient in the same way initially but the consequences deteriorate and differ as the disorder progresses. Eating disorders most commonly affect the person’s mind and body both with the psychological effect being greater but here we are to discuss the physical effects. Bulimia is an eating disorder caused by compulsive eating. When a person eats more than he needs he is said to be suffering from compulsive eating. This leads to bulimia in which a person becomes overweighed because of the overeating. Bulimia can cause electrolyte imbalances in the patient which can then lead to dehydration and fluid losses. Electrolyte imbalance is when the amount of any charge carrying fluid fluctuates in your body. Electrolyte turmoil, most often in the form of harshly low potassium levels, can cause a broad variety of muscle weakness (bulimic patients may notice that they feel weak and tired). As the amount of fluids fall below the correct level, this may cause further problems. Bulimia may also lead to heart problems like irregular heartbeats and cardiac arrest. This is because a patient of bulimia or compulsive eating takes in a lot of food he may also face the problem of cholesterol which further deteriorates to heart attacks. Bulimia may also lead to severe stomach perforation which may be fatal if not taken care of. Apart from these fatal effects bulimia causes many other effects which include ulcers and pancreatic. Ulcers are wounds on internal organs like liver. They are very painful and may lead to full life prevention from spicy food. Ulcers also cause acidity and heartburn. In addition to that another effect of bulimia is frequent vomiting as the patient is faced with many digestive problems the food is not digested properly. Frequent vomiting in turn cause rupture of esophagus and may also lead to malnutrition. A person going through bulimia may face sleeping difficulties because of the indigestion. The food he has eaten becomes stagnant in his stomach and does not let him sleep as this cause uneasiness and distress. Lack of menstruation or amenorrhea is another common effect of bulimia which is ordinary among girls. Amenorrhea leads to lack of menstruation in girls due to loss of weight. Sometimes the salivary glands, situated underneath the ear and beside the lower jawbone, may turn out to be clearly puffed-up, leading to the "chipmunk" cheeks of the bulimic. Continual vomiting among bulimics and eradication anorexics will unavoidably lead to grave dental problems. An increase in cavities or severe sensitivity of the teeth to heat and cold are over and over again the first dental problems. The teeth may become fragmented and tattered looking (especially if a spoon is used to induce vomiting) and the front teeth can lose their normal polish as the enamel, beaten-up by repeated exposure to gastric acid, diminishes. The lingual or back side of the front teeth, which faces the tongue, and the flat top of molars, also lose their enamel and begin to take on a yellowish tinge. Chronic, self-induced vomiting leads to a number of troubles that are the outcome from the responsive tissues of the throat coming in contact with strong stomach acid. Swallowing may become sore or hard. Croakiness and a chronic sore throat are common. Chronic, self-induced vomiting leads to a number of problems that result from the sensitive tissues of the throat coming in contact with harsh stomach acid. Swallowing may become painful or difficult. Hoarseness and a chronic sore throat are common. Vomiting, and the bigger pressure on the eyes that it causes, is the likely source of disintegrated blood vessels in the eyes of bulimics and removal anorexics. Known as conjunctive hemorrhages, this reddening of the eye is usually temporary; and although scary-looking, it is not hazardous. Bulimics who vomit by hand invigorating the gag reflex may build up hard skin or scars on the backs of the fingers and diagonally their knuckles from recurring contact with the teeth. Bulimics who constantly misuse laxatives may become reliant on them to arouse bowel actions. As the colon elongates and loses its muscle tone, sufferers may experience chronic and severe constipation and a painful sense of fullness. Abolition can lead to damaged kidney function down to chronic dehydration and low potassium levels associated with purging or the abuse of diuretics. As we noted, chronic abuse of diuretics has caused some patients to require dialysis. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves an incapability to continue at the minimum body weight deemed healthy for the person's age and height. The patient thinks that he is overweighed and thus he starts dieting even when he is normal. Severe calorie control has terrible bodily effects. When your body doesn’t get the fuel it needs to function usually, it goes into malnourishment mode and slows down to preserve energy. Fundamentally, your body begins to consume itself. If self-starvation continues and more body fat is lost, medical complications heap up and your body and mind pay the price. When looking at anorexia and effect of the disorder, it’s important to understand the seriousness of the condition.  The body requires a minimum amount of calories just to support simple body functions.  For most people, this is about 1200 calories a day.  People with anorexia eat far fewer calories than this, and so their bodies are unable to function normally. The earliest effects of anorexia contain effects like weakness, vertigo, fainting, exhaustion, constipation, bloating, and stomach pains.  These things are sore but normally do not cause any grave physical damage.  They will get poorer, though, the longer the disease persists. Along with that the patient experiences difficulty in sleep and the body does not get the rest it requires for healthy working. As the disease grows, more severe problems result, such as low blood pressure (hypotension), slow heartbeat (brachycardia), irregular heart rhythm (arrhythmia), electrolyte imbalances, skin disorders, and stomach ulcers.  These circumstances are usually reversible with medical healing, but they can be hazardous if treatment is not given. Anorexia nervosa sometimes also causes poor circulation of blood which leads to a person feeling cold as blood does not reach the organs. Anemia is another widespread consequence of anorexia and starvation. In one study, 38 per cent of anorexic participants had anemia. A particularly severe blood problem is destructive anemia, which can be caused by severely low levels of vitamin B12. Even more serious problems result if there is still no treatment.  Things like osteoporosis (bone loss), liver disease, kidney disease, a weakened heart muscle, and infertility may result.  These things are not reversible.  They can be treated but will never go away. Once this point is reached, the risk of heart failure is very high.  The condition can now be fatal. At this point continuous medical treatment is required to control the effects but they cannot be stopped. Anorexia may be fatal if proper care is not taken and if the patient does not prevent himself from the things causing anorexia. Another common eating disorder is binge eating, as the previous two it is also caused by compulsive overeating without being able to control it. The main difference between binge eating and bulimia is that the patient does not attempt to cover it by throwing up or vomiting. As it is out of control it causes a lot of physical and psychological effects. The preliminary effects of binge eating disorder are common ones like electrolyte imbalances that can lead to unbalanced heartbeats and maybe heart failure and death. Electrolyte disparity is caused by dehydration and loss of potassium and sodium from the body as a result of eradication behaviors, potential for gastric burst throughout periods of bingeing, inflammation and possible burst of the esophagus from repeated vomiting, tooth decay and discoloration from stomach acids released during frequent vomiting, chronic uneven bowel actions and constipation as a result of laxative abuse, peptic ulcers and pancreatitis. When proper care is not given to the patient the problems start to worsen. A continuous delay in medical treatment may cause high blood pressure (HBP) or hypertension means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. The patient may also face high cholesterol levels as a consequence of not being able to stop compulsive overeating. High cholesterol levels cause many other diseases as cardiac arrests and heart attacks. The patient of binge eating may also get into type 2 diabetes which is another serious disease in which the patient’s sugar level rises. This type of diabetes is lifelong and stays with the patient. In addition to that binge eating also causes gall bladder disease and certain types of cancer. All eating disorders are dangerous especially if medical attention is not given to the patient. We saw that the preliminary effects and causes of all the eating disorders were same. Although there was very little difference in all the eating disorders we discussed but their consequences when they are ignored were different and they affected the patient in different ways. If a person is to protect himself from eating disorders then he has to prevent himself from bad eating habits. Even if a person is affected by any eating disorder he must not think of it lightly and must get medical assistance to stop the worse effects. The healthy working of a body and mind is depended upon a good diet and if a good diet is not taken then the working is affected negatively. “References” “Physical effects of Anorexia Nervosa”, Eating Disorders, Eating Disorders online,2009. Web 2011. http://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/eating-disorders/types-of-eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa/physical-effects-of-anorexia-nervosa.html Read More