bulimia : Symptoms, Causes, Treatment & Prevention

What is Bulimia?

Bulimia nervosa, commonly called bulimia, is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder. People with bulimia may secretly binge — eating large amounts of food — and then purge, trying to get rid of the extra calories in an unhealthy way.

Bulimia can be categorized in two ways:

• Purging bulimia. You regularly self-induce vomiting or misuse laxatives, diuretics or enemas after bingeing.
• Nonpurging bulimia. You use other methods to rid yourself of calories and prevent weight gain, such as fasting, strict dieting or excessive exercise.

What are the causes of Bulimia?

The exact cause of bulimia is unknown. There are many factors that could play a role in the development of eating disorders, including biology, emotional health, societal expectations and other issues.  Some of the main causes for bulimia include:

• Stressful transitions or life changes
• History of abuse or trauma
• Negative body image
• Poor self-esteem
• Professions or activities that focus on appearance/performance

What are the symptoms of Bulimia?

Symptoms of bulimia include:

• eating very large amounts of food in a short time, often in an out-of-control way – this is called binge eating
• making yourself vomit, using laxatives, or doing an extreme amount of exercise after a binge to avoid putting on weight – this is called purging
• fear of putting on weight
• being very critical about your weight and body shape
• mood changes – for example, feeling very tense or anxious

What are the tests to diagnose Bulimia?

A dental exam may show cavities or gum infections (such as gingivitis). The enamel of the teeth may be worn away or pitted because of too much exposure to the acid in vomit.

A physical exam may also show:

• Broken blood vessels in the eyes (from the strain of vomiting)
• Dry mouth
• Pouch-like look to the cheeks
• Rashes and pimples
• Small cuts and calluses across the tops of the finger joints from forcing oneself to vomit 

What are the treatments of Bulimia?

Psychotherapy:- Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy or psychological counseling, involves discussing your bulimia and related issues with a mental health provider. Evidence indicates that these types of psychotherapy help improve symptoms of bulimia:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy to help you identify unhealthy, negative beliefs and behaviors and replace them with healthy, positive ones
• Family-based therapy to help parents intervene to stop their teenager's unhealthy eating behaviors, then to help the teen regain control over his or her own eating, and slastly to help the family deal with problems that bulimia can have on the teen's development and the family
• Interpersonal psychotherapy, which addresses difficulties in your close relationships, helping to improve your communication and problem-solving skills

Ask your mental health provider which psychotherapy he or she will use and what evidence exists that shows it's beneficial in treating bulimia.

Medications :-  Antidepressants may help reduce the symptoms of bulimia when used along with psychotherapy. The only antidepressant specifically approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat bulimia is fluoxetine (Prozac), a type of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), which may help even if you're not depressed.