Signs of Anorexia
There are many signs and symptoms of Anorexia but sometimes we do not notice them until the person has suffered from some serious health problems. Many times the person who is anorexic will try to hide their actions so no one will suspect anything. Some of the physical and emotional signs or symptoms of a person who is anorexic are, weight loss, abnormal blood count, fatigue, osteoporosis, dehydration, low blood pressure, irregular heart beat, dry skin, constipation, dizziness, fainting, brittle nails, thinning hair or hair breaks or falls out, soft hair covering the body, absence of menstruation (in females), decreased testosterone (in males), person refuses to eat or cuts their food in tiny pieces before they eat it, or spit it out after they chew it up, say they are not hungry, excessive exercise, lack of emotion, or trouble concentrating. Red flags go up if the person is skipping meals, makes excuses not to eat, eat only low fat or low calorie foods, weighing themselves often, wearing baggy clothes or layers to hide their weight loss, complain about being fat, or check in the mirror often to look for flaws.
People may become anorexic because of peer pressure. Some may lose weight by dieting and they are complimented on their weight loss so they continue and may diet excessively and become anorexic. Some may lose some weight unintentionally after an illness or accident and others compliment them so they wind up dieting to extreme to stay this and overdo it until they find themselves anorexic. Sometimes a person is overweight and gets criticized or ridiculed so they go to excess and lose too much weight and soon find themselves with health problems because of the anorexia. Peer pressure is a bad thing but it is a real problem. Many people feel that they should look like the skinny models they see on television or in magazines. If they gain a few pounds they are ridiculed about their weight so they go to extremes to fit in.
Some of the life threatening health issues that can arise from anorexia are anemia, heart problems such as mitral valve prolapse, irregular heart beat, and heart failure. Others include bone loss which increases the risk of bone fractures later in life, lung problems much like emphysema, absence of periods in females, decreased testosterone in males, gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, bloating, and nausea, electrolyte problems such as low blood potassium, sodium, and chloride, and kidney problems. Severe malnutrition can cause every organ in the body to become damaged. The brain, heart, and kidneys can sustain damage that is not reversible with help.
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