INTRODUCTION
Everyone wants to look slim and attractive. This strategy works well to attract people. To achieve this result, people use diets, which is good for some people, but what if people just don’t eat even when they are at zero figure? You will see these kinds of people around you who don’t eat for the sake of being thin. They are afraid of being fat, even when they are underweight. These scenarios are indications of anorexia nervosa. Yes, this is not normal. This is a mental disorder that can’t help people with their diet. A person with anorexia nervosa will consciously limit their food intake. Even if they have a dangerously low body weight, a person with anorexia nervosa frequently has a strong dread of gaining weight. Dietary restrictions can result in nutritional deficiencies, which can have a serious impact on general health and cause consequences that could be fatal. It might be difficult for a person to overcome the emotional and psychological difficulties associated with anorexia nervosa.
SIGNS AND SYMTPOMS
There are some standard signs and symptoms that are alarming enough to let you know about anexoria nervousa.The disorder of anorexia nervosa is complicated. Significant weight loss or low body weight is the primary indicator Even after experiencing significant weight loss, a person with atypical anorexia nervosa may still be of average weight.
Other physical symptoms and indicators associated with nutritional deficiency include:
- Significant muscular mass loss
- Listlessness, tiredness, or fatigue
- Reduced blood pressure
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Body temperature that is low with freezing hands and feet, or perhaps hypothermia
- Dry skin bloating, or disturbed stomach
- Enlarged hands and feet
- Hair fall
- Lack of menstruation or fewer periods on a regular basis
- Irreconcilable insomnia
- Bone density reduction raises the possibility of fractures
- Broken nails
- Constipation
- Aberrant or erratic heartbeats
- Lanugo, that’s okay Body hair that is falling out, more face hair, and unpleasant breath
Risk factors
Everyone came across some risk factors that promised to give them diseases.
- Biological factors:
- Feminine gender
- Family history
- History of prolonged dieting
- Psychological factors:
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and rigid behavior
- perfectionism
- a body image of unhappiness, worry, and/or depression.
- to please people while attracting others by skipping meals
- Environmental or cultural factors: Involvement in modeling, ballet, wrestling, gymnastics, or other activities that promote thinness; taunting and bullying; a small social circle; immersion in a culture that celebrates thinness.
Psychiatric comorbidities:
Our eating habits have a huge impact on our cognitive function. What we eat determines how our brain will react because there is a strong connection between the stomach and the brain. Have you ever felt cranky when you didn’t get food? Overeating also became an obstacle to thinking. These are the examples that show that if you are not eating well, this will impact your overall mental health. Depression, compulsive tendencies, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and phobias such the fear of swallowing or gaining weight are common mental health problems among Aneroxia nervosa . In addition to personality abnormalities and self-harming behaviours, AN is frequently accompanied by other mental diseases.11 OCD can also be a presenting symptom in certain patients with limiting type AN. Patients with binge-eating or purging type AN may also struggle with alcohol use disorder and other drug addictions.
Complications
Anorexia nervosa affects every organ as a whole.
Endocrine abnormalities: This will delay the period of puberty, cause amenorrhea, and permanently affect your fertility. There will be fluctuations in the hormones. The cortisol level increases, which causes depression and overthinking.
Gastrointestinal system:This affects every organ well because it gets weaker with the passage of time, so the abnormality in pulmonary functions is seen. As far as the gut is concerned, the mobility of food was impacted a lot, which caused another complication, which is constipation.
Hemolytic complications: Bone marrow alterations could lead to hematologic problems such as anemia, leukopenia, and thrombocytopenia.
Other complications:
- Dry and scaly skin, and telogen effluvium, or hair loss
- Yellowing of the skin, or carotenoderma
- Acne
- Hyperpigmentation
- Erythema and oily scales are features of seborrheic dermatitis.
- Chilly, bluish, and occasionally sweaty hands and feet are symptoms of acrocyanosis.
- Perniosis, also known as severe or itchy erythema
- Petechiae
- Circular patches of reddish or cyanotic color define the condition livedo reticularis.
- Paronychia, often known as skin around the nail inflammation or infection,
- pruritus
- Hypopigmented patches as its hallmarks.
Treatment
In this situation, medical professionals are best since anorexia nervosa causes emotional illness in patients. Numerous therapies are required to treat this unstable personality. If BMI is below the usual range, a hospital visit is advised. It will entail assembling a group of experts who can assist the person in overcoming the physical, emotional, social, and psychological difficulties they encounter.
Strategies consist of:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which can assist the individual in discovering new patterns of thought, behaviour, and stress management,
- counselling for the family and individuals, as necessary
- Information on how to use food to improve and maintain health is provided by nutritional therapy.
- medicine for anxiety and depression
- supplements to address dietary deficiencies
- hospital care, occasionally
CONLCUSION
We all have an emotional connection to food, which demonstrates the importance of eating on time if you are not feeling well. You must pay attention to everything in this. Teenagers are most frequently affected by anorexia nervosa because they are self-conscious about their physical appearance. They stop eating or exercising because of this.
