Anorexia is a pathology associated with a person's craving for food. It is expressed in the lack of desire to eat and the refusal of products. This phenomenon leads to the depletion of the body, a decrease in the quality of life of the individual, the development of dangerous complications. The saddest consequence of anorexia is death. It is known that a person loses craving for food as a result of many factors. These are, for example, pain, various pathologies, the belief that thinness is beautiful.
The causes of the development of an eating disorder and methods of therapy are described in this article.
Factors that provoke anorexia
This condition may occur under the influence of circumstances such as:
- Genetic background.
- Problems in relations with relatives.
- Negativesocial impact (media influence that makes people convinced that thinness is the ideal of beauty).
- Disturbances in the functioning of organs (due to cancer pathologies, surgical interventions).
- Mental diseases.
In case of anorexia, treatment must be timely and qualified. In order to avoid consequences that are life-threatening, in case of signs of illness, you should consult a doctor.
Types of eating disorder
This condition is a pathology that has been known to mankind since ancient times. The disease is associated with the development of disturbances in the functioning of the body, severe exhaustion, and weakness of the immune system. All these factors often lead to the death of an individual. However, today, in the case of anorexia, treatment, comprehensive and competent, allows sixty percent of patients to completely get rid of the disease.
Speaking about the varieties of the disease, experts identify the following options:
- Primary.
- Psychic.
- Drug-induced.
- Nervous.
The first type of pathology occurs due to improper diet. For example, if relatives overfeed children, treat them with a lot of sweets, force them to eat, at a later age this can cause eating behavior deviations. A person refuses products on a reflex level.
Anorexia often occurs against the background of the use of medications that are aimed at treating pathologiesheart, respiratory tract, to eliminate pain. Such drugs reduce the craving for food. Sometimes refusal to eat is observed in people who take drugs. These substances can also cause loss of appetite.
Anorexia of the mental type is associated with mental he alth disorders: suicide attempts, emotional instability, increased anxiety, an ambiguous attitude towards one's body.
In severe cases, refusal to eat and its consequences lead to a decrease in brain mass. This phenomenon has been proven by medical science. Losing weight, this body can not normally carry out its activities. This explains the phenomenon of cerebral anorexia.
Another type of disease is associated with the widespread idea that thinness is a symbol of success. Such propaganda is carried out in many media. Anorexia nervosa, signs, diagnosis, and treatment are covered in the following sections.
Why is there an obsession to lose weight?
Deviations that are associated with attitudes towards food are most common in adolescents, and girls are more prone to this condition than boys. The average age of patients varies from 14 to 20 years. Anorexia nervosa - what is it? Today, there is a lot of information about the symptoms and treatment of the disease. Its manifestations are as follows:
- The desire to lose weight, which is of great importance for a person.
- Actions aimed at losing weight (the patient provokes vomiting after eating, drinks laxatives, diuretics).
- Receptionmedicines to reduce appetite.
- Exhausting workouts.
- Diets, fasting for a long time.
It should be noted that this disease is associated with impaired body functions, but it is caused by personal difficulties. Treatment of anorexia, according to experts, involves not only the elimination of he alth problems and lack of weight, but also the development of the correct attitudes in the patient.
How is the disease progressing?
Specialists distinguish the following stages of anorexia nervosa:
- Initial. This stage is characterized by the fact that the individual has the idea that he is overweight. A person may blame relatives for contributing to this problem by giving excessive amounts of food. The patient feels depressed. From time to time he cuts portions of food and resorts to fasting days. The duration of this phase of the disease is usually at least three years.
- The stage of dealing with an imaginary physical defect. Sometimes, as a result of reproaches from relatives or jokes from acquaintances, an individual is convinced that he is overweight. Such a thought makes the patient take active steps to get rid of the gained kilograms. At the same time, the patient, strictly limiting himself in food, talks a lot about cooking and often cooks for family or friends, persuading them to try new dishes. The mood changes dramatically from depressed to joyful (after the person is convinced of the good results of losing weight). If loved onesask the individual to eat normally, he reacts violently to these words. This phase is characterized by the appearance of various ailments. The balance of essential substances in the body is disturbed.
- Stage of exhaustion. At this stage, pronounced signs of the disease are noticeable. A person has disorders of the heart muscle, gastrointestinal tract, urinary tract and genital area. The patient loses a lot of weight, areas of peeling appear on his skin, the spine is deformed, the skin becomes yellow. The individual is practically unable to eat due to the pathology of the stomach. At this stage, anorexia nervosa is treated only in a psychiatric clinic.
Visible manifestations of the disorder
How to recognize a violation at an early stage of development? There are several signs of pathology:
- Weight loss due to food restrictions. A person consumes a very small amount of food. To reduce food cravings, the patient uses chewing gum or lozenges.
- The individual refuses to eat in a cafe or in the circle of relatives.
- Eating excessive amounts of food at night followed by gagging or laxatives.
- The patient hides food from himself.
Speaking about anorexia nervosa, causes and treatment of pathology, experts emphasize that timely detection of signs and initiation of therapy can avoid sad consequences.
Terrible complications
Eating disorders cause serious he alth problems. The most common of them can be listed:
- Reduce heart rate.
- Frequent fainting, constant feeling of cold.
- Dry skin, excessive hair growth on the face and body in women, brittle nails.
- Deterioration of the teeth and inflammation of the gums.
- Frequent infections.
- Hormone imbalance.
- Cessation of the critical day, inability to conceive.
- Sexual function disorder in males.
- Bone fragility.
- Lack of glucose and potassium.
- Motor dysfunction.
- Pain in the area of the heart muscle, back.
- Severe disorders of the urinary tract and gastrointestinal tract.
- Severe swelling of the limbs and face, inflammation of the joints.
- Persistent fatigue, decreased memory and attention, bad mood and inability to do work.
- Aggressive reactions.
- Excessive isolation, complete isolation from society, suicide attempts.
Many institutions today are engaged in the study and treatment of anorexia. In Moscow, the RAMS Institute is one of them.
Eating disorders and pregnancy
Since the pathology is accompanied by severe impairment of body functions, it may seem that the probability of conception in such a patient is zero. However, sometimes there are situations when the patient finds out that she will soon become a mother. She is unlikely to experience positive emotions about this news, because she will be afraid to gain weight during gestation. As a rule, in such cases, women terminate the pregnancy, but some still refuse to have an abortion and decide to keep the child.
Sometimes, as a result of therapy, the symptoms of the pathology become less pronounced, but after delivery, the girl falls ill again, because she is trying to control body weight. If the patient finds out about conception, she needs to inform the doctor about it. With anorexia, treatment and monitoring should be constant, and only a specialist deals with this issue. After all, this disorder during pregnancy threatens both the mother and the child. In such cases, premature delivery often occurs, various he alth problems in the baby. Women with anorexia during pregnancy often suffer from a depressive disorder.
Eating disorders in men
Oddly enough, men are also susceptible to this disease, although to a lesser extent than girls. As a rule, pathology is caused by reasons such as:
- Mental disorders.
- Being overweight in childhood.
- Features of the professional sphere (models, athletes, artists).
- Passion for spiritual practices and beliefs, raw food diet, refusal to eat meat or any other products.
The disease occurs both in young men and in people of mature age. With the development of this disorder, the man believes that he is overweight. Howeversuch a belief is inherently wrong. Individuals who are interested in various religious teachings, as the main motive for food restrictions, say that food is an obstacle to spiritual development or that certain foods are forbidden to be consumed. Representatives of the stronger sex, like girls, use various ways to get rid of an imaginary defect in appearance (diet, fasting days). Men who are worried about their problem are not inclined to share negative emotions with relatives and friends. Therefore, relatives often turn to specialists for help only when the he alth and life of the patient is already in danger. Deviations in eating behavior negatively affect the patient's appearance: he looks emaciated, pale, feels weak.
The character of a man also changes: isolation appears, symptoms of a schizophrenic disorder. With anorexia nervosa, the treatment of the stronger sex, as a rule, is carried out only in a psychiatric clinic. Pathology is caused by certain personal difficulties, so a specialist works with the patient to help cope with mental problems.
Features of the course of the disease in childhood
In medical practice, there are many cases of development of eating disorders in minors.
Often such patients suffer from misunderstanding in the circle of relatives, coldness and alienation from loved ones. A typical situation that develops inthe family of such a child looks like this: an imperious, controlling mother and a detached father, who almost does not take part in upbringing. Sometimes minor patients with anorexia suffer from disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. At the beginning of the course of the disease, some of them have increased food cravings.
As for personality traits, such children are prone to stubbornness and excessive conscientiousness. They tend to do well in school and struggle to please others.
Eating disorders are more common in girls who experience changes in their body during puberty, do not want to become adults.
Unfortunately, with anorexia in children, treatment is often started quite late, when the signs of the disease become noticeable to others. Therefore, parents should be attentive to any changes in the eating behavior of their daughter or son.
Diagnostic measures
Only a specialist can clearly establish the presence of this deviation in a person. When a patient seeks medical help, the doctor conducts an examination, talks with him, paying attention to the following criteria:
- Pathological weight loss (the patient's body weight is below the norm by fifteen percent).
- Weight loss as a result of diets, diuretics and laxatives, gag reflex.
- A person's confidence that he is overweight.
- Cessation of growth and development (in children and persons of transitional age).
In modern clinics for the treatment of anorexia, the patient undergoes a series of examinations. These include a CT scan of the brain, laboratory biomaterial tests and examination by specialists (gynecologist, gastroenterologist, general practitioner).
Therapy
To get rid of this dangerous disease, a person needs to use medicines prescribed by a doctor. As a rule, a whole complex of drugs is prescribed. It includes:
- Means that restore the balance of essential substances in the body (for example, "Polyamine").
- Drugs to combat depressive disorder ("Fevarin", "Zoloft").
- Drugs that help normalize the functions of the gastrointestinal tract ("Mezim", "Pancreatin").
- Vitamin supplements ("Carnitine", cobalamin).
For eating disorders (bulimia, anorexia), treatment includes psychotherapy. A specialist during a conversation with a patient must first of all convince him that gaining weight is necessary for life. The doctor explains to the patient some important aspects regarding a he althy diet and normal body weight. A psychotherapist helps a person understand what difficulties need to be overcome in order to successfully communicate and work in the future. In addition, experts use the technique of hypnosis.
Relationships with relatives play a big role in the patient's recovery. It is important to correct problems within the family. This is especially true for the treatment of anorexia in adolescents, since at this age people are especially sensitive. Doctors advise parents of patients not toblame your children, but build trust with them.
Naturally, the fight against eating disorders includes the use of medications. However, psychotherapeutic techniques are present in modern clinics, and this is justified. Treatment of anorexia in the hospital, which, unfortunately, is rarely avoided, is associated with a depressed state of the patient, anxiety.
It is important to create a comfortable environment for a person.
Diet
Nutrition in this pathology helps to establish the functions of organs and systems. Weight gain comes a little later. At first, the diet should contain a small amount of calories. Anorexia is usually treated and fed in a hospital. If the patient's condition is serious, he is prescribed bed rest, glucose and drugs to suppress the gag reflex are administered. When the state of he alth stabilizes, a person is given juices, then liquid products (mashed fruits and berries, decoctions). In order not to overload the gastrointestinal tract, food should be taken 6 times a day in small doses, drink enough water. Then they move on to the vegetarian menu. Low-fat dairy products are allowed. This mode is maintained for 10 days. Then they introduce small portions of low-fat boiled fish, poultry, caviar and meat, as well as greens, vegetables and steamed omelettes, jelly from fruits and berries. With anorexia, the treatment consists in taking vitamin complexes that help speed up the patient's recovery.
Is it possible to cope with the disease at home?
Sometimes people with this pathology do notundergoing treatment in a hospital. This is possible only when a person has a mild form of deviation. Treatment of anorexia at home in adults involves the patient's awareness of his problem. Unfortunately, this happens quite rarely. Most individuals deny that they have any disorders. To cope with pathology on your own, you need to have a strong will. Even if a person is not in a hospital, it is better for him to undergo therapy under the supervision of a doctor anyway. It is also advisable to attend group or individual psychotherapy sessions. You should also be regularly examined and take all the medicines prescribed by your doctor.
Anorexia is associated with anxiety. Therefore, for a patient who is being treated at home, sedatives based on medicinal plants are recommended.
The diet must be agreed with specialists (therapist and nutritionist). Patients with eating disorders are afraid to gain weight during therapy. Therefore, consultations with a doctor about the correct choice of products are necessary. Physical activity helps increase appetite. However, you should not get too carried away with training. Before playing sports, you need to consult a doctor. An important role in anorexia, treatment at home is played by the support of relatives. It is necessary to try to distract the patient from heavy thoughts, choose joint hobbies, ways of rest.
