 |
Bulimia dehydration linkDehydration results from and causes bulimia nervosa?Maybe. Bulimia and dehydration may be related in that dehydration causes bulimia nervosa or worsens the consequences of bulimia. Also presented are correctives for dehydration that may also help reduce or eliminate bulimia.
Bulimia nervosa is a serious and life-threatening eating disorder primarily affecting young women. Sufferers go through cycles of binging (the eating of abnormally large amounts of food in a short time span) and purging (expelling of food by unusual means). Facts about bulimia *Bulimia is on the rise especially in developed countries *Approximately 20% of college women may be bulimic *The overwhelming number(95%) are female *Upper and middle class women constitute 99% of the sufferers *Most sufferers are under 40 years of age *Most sufferers are white. Blacks and Asians rarely suffer from disorder.
*There has been an increase of celebrity sufferers of bulimia. The most famous bulimic was probably Princess Diana. There are many theories on why a large number of celebrities are afflicted with bulimia. These range from simply fitting the typical profile to bulimia serving as a "in" thing to suffer from.
Causes of bulimia nervosaCauses of bulimia are not well known. Some possible causes are:*Poor body image: thinness is linked with attractiveness and people try to attain that ideal *Psychological: anxiety, depression, attainment of perfectionism, substance abuse, obsessiveness, problems with impulses and anger *Traumatic or stressful events *Biological: Genetics may play a role in causing bulimia nervosa *Dieting: the stresses of dieting may trigger bulimia *Dehydration: The relationship between bulimia and dehydration is discussed below. Bulimia signs and symptoms
*Secrecy around eating and the time period right after eating. *Constant trips to the bathroom after meals. *Signs and/or smells of vomiting, possession of laxatives. *Strange eating behaviors, avoiding eating with others, unpredictable likes and dislikes, skipping of meals and drinking a lot of water or diet soda. *Eating a lot food, with no weight gain. *Excessive exercise *Odd schedules and rituals to allow for binge-and-purge sessions. *Poor body image, over concern with body weight, weight loss and dieting. *Discolored and decalcified teeth, sensitive, swollen, and bleeding cheeks and gums caused by vitamin deficiencies and by the gastric acids that comes up with vomit. *Stomach pains and intestinal complications such as constipation and diarrhea. *Irregular or nonexistent menstrual periods (in females). Consequences of bulimia1)An important complication of bulimia is electrolyte (salt and minerals) imbalance. This complication can be life-threatening.2)Signs of trauma from repeated purging behaviors. 3)Erosion of tooth enamel, more dental cavities and sensitivity of teeth to hot or cold food. 4)Cheeks, neck and chin may show swelling and soreness. 5)Irritation and tears in the throat and stomach. 6)Heart damage from the loss of sodium and potassium leading to irregular heartbeats or even heart attack. 7)Overuse of laxatives can cause chronic, irregular bowel movements and severe constipation. For convenient chart on the consequences of bulimia, click here. Treatments for bulimia
a)Psychotherapy: Distorted body image and low self-esteem would be addressed.b)Individual psychotherapy may be particularly helpful for bulimics who require a psychologically safe setting. c)Family therapy involves the whole family as an ally in the treatment of bulimia. d)Marital therapy, or couples therapy also uses spouses to assist in treatment. e)Group therapy is especially helpful if the cause or consequence of bulimia is social isolation. Led by a mental health professional. f)Support groups are also useful for socially isolated sufferers. Usually led by fellow or former sufferers. g)Nutritional counseling involves a dietician to help develop a healthy diet with needed support. h)Medications are not very effective alone. However, they may help reduce the binging and purging of bulimia. In particular, antidepressant drugs can help treat the depression and anxiety that may lead to bulimia. i)Inpatient treatment may be necessary if the effects of bulimia become life-threatening. This may be in a hospital or in an eating disorders treatment center. After urgent care in a residential facility, treatment continues on an outpatient basis. j)Drinking water: For more on the relationship between bulimia dehydration, see below. Relationship between bulimia and dehydrationIn his excellent series of books detailing the effects of dehydration on health, Dr. Batmanghelidj links many disorders to not drinking water.In general, the doctor asserts that emotional health is caused by dehydration and imbalance of electrolytes and minerals in the body.
In particular, bulimics vomit food that they do not possess enough water to digest. So the body rejects the food and this rejection becomes unconscious and ingrained. In fact, there is evidence that dehydration and electrolyte and mineral imbalances could lead to emotional instability. In particular, salt is important for maintaining emotional health, relieving stress and depression. It increases levels of serotonin and melatonin, stabilizes mood. Note that Lithium, used to treat manic-depression, is basically a salt. The intense hunger that precedes bingeing may be a sign of intense thirst. The thirst is misperceived as hunger. Why is not clear. Our recommendations are to drink water before meals. Drink 2 glasses, one half hour before meals and a glass or more 2 hours after meals. Add a quarter teaspoon of salt to each quart of water. It may also be helpful to take a magnesium, calcium and potassium supplement. At worse, if bulimia dehydration are not causal in a particular case, no harm is done by being well hydrated.
How much and when to drink water Illnesses caused by dehydration, click here Click to go from bilimia dehydration 2 Home
|
