Eating disorders are serious life-threatening illnesses which can affect all body organs. If the problem is not addressed on time than there can be lifelong consequences.
Different eating disorders have different consequences but some of them correlate.
Of course, the seriousness of consequences depends on the duration of the illness but that does not mean that anyone’s illness is unimportant. The earlier a person addresses the problem the easier it will be to avoid all the consequences.
Anorexia
Physical consequences:
Muscles and joints
Osteopenia (loss of bone calcium)
Osteoporosis (reduction of bone density)
Makes the bones fragile and more likely to break.
Muscle loss (including heart muscle)
Muscle weakness
Hormones
Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation)
When a woman’s body fat falls dramatically, she is no longer able to produces estrogen, a hormone which is necessary for ovulation (part of the menstrual cycle).
Risk of miscarriage
Risk of low birth weight of a baby
If a woman gives birth while having anorexia.
Inability of the body to regulate its temperature.
Heart
Arrhythmia (fast, slow or irregular heartbeat)
Usually it’s bradycardia (slow heartbeat)
Heart failure
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Anemia (deficiency of healthy red blood cells in blood)
The heart can’t pump and circulate blood effectively.
Hair and skin
Lanugo
Thin, soft, downy hair which grows as a physiological response to the body’s inability to maintain it’s body temperature.
Hair loss
Dry, yellow colored skin
Brittle nails
Intestines
Bloating
Constipation (bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass)
Diarrhea
Abdominal pain
Kidney
Dehydration
Kidney stones
Kidney failure
Mental consequences:
Depression
Anxiety
Suicidal thoughts
Mood swings
Reduced sex drive
Social withdrawal
Low self-esteem
Bulimia
Physical consequences:
Muscles and joints
Osteopenia (loss of bone calcium)
Osteoporosis (reduction of bone density)
Makes the bones fragile and more likely to break.
Muscle loss (including heart muscle)
Muscle weakness
Face and mouth
Tooth decay
Strong stomach acids may beak down the gums and tooth enamel over time, which could lead to tooth sensitivity and cavitites.
Puffy cheeks
Puffy cheeks may be a sign of swollen salivary glands, called sialadenosis.
Red eyes
Forceful vomiting can burst blood vessels in the eyes.
Raspy voice
The stomach acid in vomit may damage the vocal cords.
Cough
Ongoing acid irritation to the throat can cause coughing.
Digestive tract
Acid reflux (stomach acid flows back into the food pipe)
Causes symptoms such as a burning chest discomfort, known as heartburn
Stomach pain
Diarrhea
Bloating
Constipation (bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass)
Blood in vomit
If continued retching and vomiting result in a tear through the esophagus (a muscular tube connecting the throat with the stomach).
Hemorrhoids (swollen veins in your anus and lower rectum)
Kidney
Dehydration
Kidney stones
Kidney failure
Heart
Arrhythmia (fast, slow or irregular heartbeat)
Heart muscle weakened.
When your body doesn't have enough calories to burn, it starts consuming muscle to survive. The heart is the most important muscle in the body, and long-term malnutrition can weaken your heart.
Heart failure
Hypotension (low blood pressure)
Cardiomyopathy (weakened heart walls)
Cardiac arrest
Endocrine system
Pancreatitis (long-term progressive inflammatory disease of the pancreas that leads to permanent breakdown of the structure and function of the pancreas.)
The pancreas is a gland organ that is located in the abdomen, behind the stomach and below the ribcage. It specializes in producing important enzymes and hormones that help break down and digest foods.
Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation)
When a woman’s body fat falls dramatically, she is no longer able to produce estrogen, a hormone which is necessary for ovulation (part of the menstrual cycle).
Hair and skin
Thinning of hair on the head
Cuts and/or calluses across the tops of finger joints from induced vomiting
Abrasion of knuckles
Dry skin
Mental consequences:
Mood swings
Low sex drive
Self-isolation
Depression
Anxiety
Low self-esteem
Binge eating
Physical consequences:
Weight gain
Sleep apnea (breathing that stops many times during the night)
Gastrointestinal Effects
Abdominal discomfort
Bloating
Nausea
Acid reflux (stomach acid flows back into the food pipe)
Causes symptoms such as a burning chest discomfort, known as heartburn.
Cramping
Diarrhea
Constipation (bowel movements that are infrequent or hard to pass)
Lethargy (a state of tiredness, weariness, fatigue, or lack of energy)
Binge eating overloads the body with a flood of micro- and macro-nutrients that need to be digested. This results in the expenditure of a large amount of energy, which can cause lethargy and fatigue.
Heart
Hypertension (high blood pressure)
Hypercholesterolemia (high cholesterol levels)
Hypertriglyceridemia (high level of triglycerides)
Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood. Very high levels of triglyceride, for a prolonged period, may lead to coronary heart disease.
Circulatory system
Type 2 diabetes
Biliary system
Cholecystitis (A condition characterized by the inflammation of gallbladder, a small, pear-shaped organ on the right side of the abdomen, below the liver.)
Kidney
Chronic kidney problems
Kidney failure
Reproductive System
Disruption of hormones associated with menses and fertility.
These hormonal fluctuations can cause issues with reproductive capacity and problems during pregnancy.
Mental consequences:
Low self-esteem
Self-isolation
Depression
Anxiety
Comentarios