How Bulimia Affects a Teen Girl’s Body

It is a known fact today that easy access to many types of media including television and magazines along with the internet have caused many teenage girls to seek out the perfect body for themselves. This quest has led many of them down the road to eating disorders such as Bulimia.

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and purging or consuming a large amount of food in a short amount of time, followed by an attempt to rid oneself of the food consumed, usually by purging (vomiting) and/or by laxative, diuretics or excessive exercise.

How does this happen? Eating an unusually large amount of food is known as bingeing and this usually occurs when somebody has been on a strict diet or has been starving themselves and they suddenly lose control and eat a huge amount of food. Usually after binge eating, people feel guilty and so bad that they want to get rid of the food that they have eaten and they do this by purging it out of their body. The most common ways of doing this is by vomiting or using laxatives. Most people will choose one method over the other, but some will even combine methods. This can lead to serious health complications with some being so severe that they can be life threatening. The severity is usually determined by the type of purging method that is used by the individual.

Normal bodily functions are disrupted when someone chooses to go on a binge eating and purging spree. The most common area affected is the digestive system, but cardiovascular and dental health can also be compromised. It also has a negative effect on the potassium levels in your body and that can put you in potential danger for possible drug abuse.

It may seem that Bulimia just affects the digestive system, but this is not true as it can also have serious and deadly effects on your cardiovascular health. Some of these include rapid heartbeats, irregular heartbeats, chest pains, breathing problems and even cardiac arrest to name a few. It can also affect your blood pressure causing you to feel dizzy or light headed and sometimes causing fainting spells.

Some of the most common digestion problems that are associated with bulimia are sores and swelling in the throat. The linings in the stomach and esophagus can also become ruptured because of this eating disorder. Another risk is that the person will become dependent on laxative drugs and this will have an adverse effect on their normal bowel functions. This disorder can also cause stomach pain, bloating and peptic ulcers.

Purging has a negative effect on your dental health because of all of the acid from your stomach that is making its way up into your throat and mouth. This acid can eradicate the enamel on your teeth leading to tooth decay and numerous cavities. It will also cause your teeth to be more sensitive to cold and hot foods and may even cause them to crumble and fall out. If you have damaged your teeth due to bulimia, it can prove to be very costly to repair them and get them back in good condition.

There are also other ways that bulimia can affect the body such as mood swings, irregular menstrual periods, kidney and liver damage along with anemia and possible hair loss. It is not just limited to physical effects on the body as it can have emotional effects as well. There are a lot of women who suffer from frequent bouts of depression along with possible suicide tendencies.

If you know anyone who is suffering from bulimia, it is crucial that they seek help as soon as possible so that you can start treatment to cure this eating disorder because the consequences of it far outweigh any benefits that it may provide.

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