bulimia nervosa
TRANSCRIPT
- 1.Bulimia Nervosa
By: Kathryn Johnston
2. Background
Bulimia nervosa is more common than anorexia, and it usually begins
early in adolescence. It is characterized by cycles of bingeing and
purging
Bulimia is often triggered when young women attempt restrictive
diets, fail, and react by binge eating.
In response to the binges, patients compensate, usually by purging,
vomiting, or taking laxatives, diet pills, or drugs to reduce
fluids.
Patients then revert both to severe dieting and excessive
exercise.
The cycle then swings back to bingeing and then to purging
again.
3. Risk Factors
Age
Gender
Ethnic Factors
Personality Disorders
4. Causes
There is no single cause for the eating disorder. bulimia. Although
concerns about weight and body shape play a role in all eating
disorders, the actual cause of these disorders appear to result
from many factors, including cultural and family pressures and
emotional and personality disorders. Genetics and biologic factors
may also play a role.
5. Complications
Many medical problems are directly associated with bulimic
behavior, including:
Tooth erosionFluid loss
CavitiesSwallowing problems
Gum problems Esophagus damage
Water retentionIrregular periods
Swelling
Abdominal bloating
6. Symptoms
Possibly the most bewildering symptom of eating disorders is the
distorted body image. People with bulimia were more likely than
those with anorexia to overestimate their size. There were also a
greater disparity between what they wanted to look like and what
they believed they looked like.
7. Regularly going to the bathroom right after meals
Suddenly eating large amounts of food or buying large quantities
that disappear right away
Compulsive exercising
Broken blood vessels in the eyes
Pouch-like appearance to the corners of the mouth due to swollen
salivary glands
Small cuts and calluses across the tops of finger joints due to
self-induced vomiting
Dry Mouth
8. Diagnosing Bulimia
Younger and female doctors are more likely to detect bulimia. A
doctor should make a diagnosis of bulimia if there are at least two
bulimic episodes per week for 3 months. Because people with bulimia
tend to have complications with their teeth and gums, dentists
could play a crucial role in identifying and diagnosing bulimia as
well.
9. Treatment
Some experts recommend a stepped approach for patients with
bulimia, which follow specific stages depending on the severity and
response to initial treatments:
Support groups: This is the least expensive approach and may be
helpful for patients who have mild conditions with no health
consequences.
Cognitive-behavioral therapy: Along with nutritional therapy is the
preferred first treatment for bulimia that does not respond to
support groups.
Drugs: Drugs used for bulimia are typically antidepressants known
as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors
10. Patients with bulimia rarely need hospitalization except under
the following circumstances:
Binge-purge cycles have led to anorexia
Drugs are needed for withdrawal from purging
Major depression is present
11. Therapy
Eating disorders are nearly always treated with some form of
psychiatric or psychological treatment. Depending on the problem,
different psychological approaches may work better than
others.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy
Family Therapy