November 1, 2010

Symptoms and Complications of Anorexia and Bulimia

THIS IS NOT A COMPLETE LIST!!! The symptoms/complications are in alphabetical order with both phyisical and behavioral symptoms mixed.
Symptoms and complications listed are for anorexia, bulimia, and EDNOS. Not listed are: binge eating disorder, anorexia athletica, over-exercise, night eating, overeating, orthorexia. I will get more information on those and add them later. For now there are just three types listed. Symptoms and complications specific to bulimia will have this symbol  in front of it Symptoms and complications specific to anorexia will have this symbol ♣ in front of it. Though a symptom may be specified to one eating disorder or the other, it can still exist in someone without that specific disorder.


Abnormal blood counts


Abnormal eating rituals (cuts food up small, moves food on plate but doesn't eat it)


Absence of menstruation or becoming shorter and lighter


♦Acid reflux or ulcers


♦Alternating between overeating and fasting


Anemias----{ a condition in which the blood is deficient in red blood cells, in hemoglobin, or in total volume}


Angry when confronted about food or weight


Anxiety when eating in front of other people


Avoidance of social situations where food may be present


Avoids or skips meals regularly


Bathroom visits after meals


Becoming withdrawn


Believing too fat even when thin


♦ Binge eating


Bloating


Blood flow is reduced.


Bluish discoloration of the fingers


Bone loss


♣Breast atrophy--------{a wasting away of an organ or part, or a failure to grow to normal size as the result of disease, faulty nutrition, etc. any degeneration or diminution, esp through lack of use}


Brittle nails


♦Broken blood vessels in the eyes


Cardiac arrest and death


Chest pain


♦ Chronic sore throat, hoarseness


♣ Cold hands and feet


Complaining of being "too fat", even when thin


Compulsive exercising


Concern about being overweight


Constipation


Controlling behavior


♣Cooks for others but does not eat herself


♦Decayed teeth 


Decreased metabolic rate


Dehydration


Denial of hunger


♣Denial of low body weight


Denial that they are ill


Depression


Desire to lose weight


Difficulty concentrating


Distortion of body image


♦Diuretic use (increases amount of urination)


Dizziness


Dry skin


♦Eating until they become sick


Edema (water retention)


♣Electrolyte imbalances


Emaciation


♦Esophagus inflammation - from purging or vomiting


Exercise more than 1 hour a day 3 to 4 days a week to control weight


Excessive thirst


Excessive preoccupation with food


Excessive urination


♣Excessive weight loss


Excuses for not eating meals (ie. ate earlier, not feeling well)


Exhibits an obvious reduction in eating


Exhibits fear or anxiety before eating, and guilt after eating.


♣Fainting


Fatigue


Fear of gaining weight


♦Fear that once they start eating they won't be able to stop


Feeling out of control


Feeling that happiness is undeserved


Frequently looking in the mirror


♣Find it difficult to consume a full normal portion of food (if it is due to fear of consuming it then it is behavioral however sometimes, especially in anorexia, the body gets used to eating small portions and can not take in a normal amount of food making it physical)


Guilt or shame about eating


♦Going to the kitchen after everyone else has gone to bed. Going out alone on unexpected food runs. Wanting to eat in privacy.


Hair that thins, breaks or falls out


♦Hand injuries from inducing vomiting 


Headaches


heart muscles starve, losing size.


Heart palpitations


♦hides food


Hollow-looking eyes 


Hyperactivity


Ignoring feelings of hunger


Inability to remember things


♦Inability to stop eating. Eating until the point of physical discomfort and pain.


Inability to tell whether or not they are full or hungry. The body's natural mechanisms for indicating hunger or satiety are disturbed.


♣individual ribs and hip bones visible


Inflicting self-harm


Insecurities about capabilities regardless of actual performance


Insomnia


♣Intentional starvation


Intense body dissatisfaction


Interpersonal conflicts


♣Intolerance of cold


Irregular heart rhythms


Irritability


Infertility


Kidney and liver damage


Labeling food as either 'good' or 'bad' with generally an increased urge to binge on 'bad' foods.


Lack of energy


Lack of sexual interest


Light-headedness


Loss of body fat


Low blood pressure


♣Low body temperature


♣Low body weight.


Low potassium (most common cause of nocturnal cardiac arrest)


Low self-esteem


Low thyroid function


Malnutrition


Mood swing


♣Muscle atrophy (wasting away of muscle mainly due to lack of use and/or lack of nutrition)


No known physical illness that would explain weight loss


Not feeling pain as you normally would.


Need for approval


Not wanting or refusing to eat in public


Noticeable discomfort around food


Obsession with weight


Obsessive-compulsive behavior


Obsessiveness about calorie intake


Osteoporosis


Pale complexion (almost a pasty look)


Perfectionist attitude


Playing with food


Preoccupation with tidiness


Preoccupation with food and calorie intake


Problems getting along with family members/long-time friends


Purplish skin color on the arms and legs from poor blood circulation.


♦Puffy “chipmunk” cheeks


Refusing to eat


♦Regular episodes of out-of-control binge eating


Repeatedly checking weight


♦Repeatedly eating large amounts of food in a short period of time 


Resistance to treatment


Restricting food choices to only diet foods


Rigid eating schedule 


♦Ruptured stomach or esophagus


Secretive about eating patterns


Self-worth is determined by food intake


Self-worth determined by weight


Severe self-criticism


Shortness of breath


Skin problems


Slow emptying of the stomach.


Slow heartbeat (fewer than 60 beats a minute).


♣Soft, downy hair covering the body


Stomach pains


suicidal tendencies


Swelling of arms or legs


Swollen joints


Tiredness 


Thin appearance


Throws out food to avoid eating it


Under-eating 


Vulnerable to infections


Weakness


Wearing baggy clothes to hide weight loss


Wearing layered clothing - used to hide weight loss


Weighing foods


Withdrawal from friends, family and social situations


Won't eat in front of others


Yellow-orange skin, especially on the palms of the hands.