Charasterisrics of Anorexia
Charasterisrics (or characteristics) of anorexia may differ slightly with everyone but there are many basic symptoms which are common in most anorexic victims. Some of the signs and symptoms of anorexia are a thin appearance which in a lot of cases the victim tries to hide behind baggy or layered clothing, abnormal blood count, osteoporosis, dehydration, low blood pressure, fatigue, dizziness, fainting, brittle nails, irregular heart beat, thinning, breaking, or falling out of hair, soft hair all over the body, constipation, dry skin, cessation of menstruation (in females), decreased testosterone (in males), refusal to eat, excessive exercise, trouble concentrating, lack of emotion, weighing food, weighing themselves often, looking in the mirror often, constantly complaining that they are fat (even though they are not), and more. The signs and symptoms are often hidden by the victim because they are in denial that there is anything wrong with them. They will refuse help until it gets to a point that their body is suffering from serious health issues. In many cases, by this time there is damage to the vital organs of the body. Anorexia can cause damage to all of the vital organs in the body. If the disease has progressed to extreme levels, some of the damage may not be reversed. Anorexia affects the brain, heart, liver, kidneys, lungs, and more. The victim can suffer from anemia, heart problems such as irregular heart beats, mitral valve prolapse, heart failure, bone loss which may result in fractures later on down the road, lung problems similar to emphysema, bloating nausea, electrolyte abnormalities such as low blood potassium, sodium, and chloride, kidney problems, and liver damage.
The treatment for anorexia requires both medications and psychological help. It is a long drawn out process to repair the damage caused by the anorexia. Some people may suffer from damage for the rest of their lives because the damage was too extensive and all of it could not be reversed. Some people wait too long to get help and they die from anorexia. Sometimes the heart is not strong enough to cope with the problem, or the damage to the liver or kidneys is too extensive. The brain is damaged too because at some point the anorexia is controlling you instead of you controlling it. Anorexia is a disease that should not be ignored. Seek help as soon as possible. There are treatment centers across the country with qualified doctors to help the victim recover and repair as much damage as possible. The public needs to become educated on this disease because it is more common today than ever before and it can be deadly if help is not received before the damage has become so severe that it can not be reversed.
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