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Eating disorders are something that many people struggle with. While some people have eating disorders for a short period of time, others may suffer from them for most of their lives. Anorexia nervosa is one type of eating disorder that can be especially difficult to deal with. This article explores the symptoms and causes of anorexia nervosa along with treatment and prevention options.

Definition

Anorexia nervosa, most commonly referred to as anorexia, is a type of eating disorder where a person loses an unhealthy amount of weight. People with anorexia have an obsession with their body weight that often leads them to destructive behaviors, such as starving themselves or exercising excessively. In most cases, these individuals end up losing weight to the point where they reach a weight that is unhealthy for their age and height due to this distorted body image.

Because people with anorexia are often obsessive about eating limited food and dieting, it comes as a surprise to some people that anorexia really has little to do with food. In reality, the people with this disorder are often trying to cope with emotional stress, anger or anxiety. The way they fixate on their food intake and weight is a way for them to try to feel more in control of their life.

Symptoms

Anorexia is marked by the following physical signs and symptoms:
Extreme weight loss
Fatigue
Dizziness or fainting
Dehydration
Constipation
Insomnia
Brittle nails
Thinning hair
Dry skin
Bluish discoloration on the fingers
Swelling of the arms or legs
Absence of menstruation
Low blood pressure
Irregular heart rhythms
Abnormal blood counts
Osteoporosis

The following emotional and behavioral symptoms are also associated with anorexia:
Refusing to eat
Preoccupation with food (i.e. weighing food, counting calories)
Trying to hide a lack of eating (i.e. moving the food around the plate, not eating in public)
Eating only a few foods in very small amounts
Denial of hunger
Weighing themselves frequently
Looking in the mirror often
Irritability
Depression
Social withdrawal
Lack of emotion
Reduced sex drive

It’s worth noting that people with anorexia may use different methods to control their weight, including starving themselves or severely limiting their food intake, exercising excessively or by misusing laxatives, enemas or diuretics. Some may even exhibit a pattern of vomiting after eating, which is often associated with another eating disorder called bulimia. Whatever method is used for weight loss, however, the physical, behavioral and emotional signs listed above are typically the same for most individuals with the disorder.

Causes And Risk Factors

There is no one specific cause that leads a person to develop anorexia nervosa. In most cases, it is a combination of the following factors that play a role in the development of this eating disorder:
Biology: Chemical and hormonal changes in the body can play a role in the development of anorexia.
Psychological: Some people with anorexia develop the disorder as a result of their personal low self-esteem. Also, those who tend to have perfectionist or obsessive-compulsive tendencies may be more likely to develop the disorder.
Cultural: Modern society often associates – whether intentionally or inadvertently –success, worth, beauty and happiness with having an ideal body. Additionally, some people experience peer pressure that leads them to fixate on their weight.
Life changes: Undergoing a traumatic or stressful event can lead people to become anorexic. Examples include rape, the death of a loved one, starting a new job or experiencing a bad breakup.
Genetics: People with an immediate family member suffering from anorexia are more likely to develop the disorder. This suggests that genetics could be a cause factor, and researchers are currently investigating a particular chromosome area which seems to be linked to the disorder.

Based on research of those with the disorder, some people are more likely to develop anorexia. Those risk factors include:
Age: Young people, especially teenagers, are more likely to become anorexic.
Gender: Females develop anorexia more often than males.
Weight: People who lose or gain weight will sometimes develop anorexia in response to the positive or negative feedback they get on their results.
Profession/hobbies: People who are athletes, actors, celebrities, models or dancers are more likely to develop anorexia due to the pressure to look or perform better.

Prevention

There isn’t a guaranteed method for preventing anorexia nervosa. Instead, people can look for the signs and symptoms of the disorder in themselves or in others. It’s also helpful to talk to your doctor if you think that you may be at risk for the developing the disorder. If you are a parent or authority figure, it can also help to talk to younger people about the higher risk of developing the disorder at a young age, how to detect it and ways to develop a positive body image.

Treatment

There are several types of treatment that are used for people with anorexia, including:
Medical care: People with anorexia need to be monitored to ensure their vital signs are healthy. Some people with the disorder require tube feeding in order to get adequate nutrition.
Medication: In some cases, drugs to treat mental conditions like depression or anxiety can help someone recover from anorexia. There are no medications available for treating anorexia specifically.
Therapy: Individual, group and family-based therapy may be used to help the individual acknowledge and recover from the disorder.
Hospitalization: In more serious cases, an individual may require hospitalization due to the toll that anorexia takes on their body. While some are hospitalized for medical reasons, others may be hospitalized for psychiatric concerns.

People who recover from anorexia may be tempted by the eating disorder later in life, so sometimes ongoing therapy or medication may help to prevent them from succumbing to anorexia again in the future.

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Clinical Definition

Schizophrenia is a chronic and disabling mental illness. Those affected may report hearing voices that others do not hear, believe people are reading their minds or controlling their thoughts, and may feel as if strangers are trying to harm them. The first delusions or breaks with reality typically occur in adolescence or young adulthood.

In Our Own Words

Schizophrenia, a severe and disabling mental illness, is more complex than simply hearing voices. At times, people with schizophrenia may have difficulty telling the difference between reality and what they are imagining “in their heads.” Some think others are plotting against them (paranoid schizophrenia), and become terrified and agitated. Some may sit for hours without moving or talking (catatonic). Some have problems with thought processes, shifting from one thought to the next and so, are unable to process facts logically. Patients who are affected often have trouble holding a job or tending to their own needs.

The cause of schizophrenia is thought to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Schizophrenics are at high risk for suicide, so any discussions about self-harming should be taken seriously and professional help should be sought immediately.

Relevant Conditions
Substance abuse, drug addiction
Depression
Insomnia

Common Types
Paranoid
Catatonic
Disorganized

Side Effects
Hallucinations
Delusions and fear
Inability to find pleasure in everyday life
Problems with attention

What Is It?

When a person is overweight and if their Body Mass Index (BMI) measures over 30, the person is considered obese. The Body Mass Index is a scale that calculates obesity by measuring a ratio between height and weight. A BMI of 25 to 29 is considered overweight, and a BMI above 30 is considered obese.

It is important to understand that BMI is only a rough guideline for measuring obesity. A person may have a high BMI for reasons other than obesity including muscle mass and bone density. A doctor considers additional factors including your diet and lifestyle when determining whether you are obese. It is important to understand that there are varying levels of obesity and that a heavy person is not necessarily obese.

Obesity is common and is a risk factor for multiple conditions and health complications hypertension, type II diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer.

A person can become obese as a result of a variety of causes. Your weight may be related to your diet and exercise, or it may relate to other factors including injuries and underlying medical conditions.

Types
Simple obesity (alimentary obesity) makes up about 95% of obesity cases and results when a person consumes more calories than the amount of calories that the body can burn.
Secondary obesity results from underlying conditions such as Cushing’s syndrome, polycystic ovary syndrome, and insulin tumors. Other conditions can also cause secondary obesity.
Childhood obesity occurs when children and adolescents are above the normal body weight for their age and height. Obese children are at risk for long-term problems such as diabetes, hypertension, thyroid problems, and high cholesterol. Even though these health complications are more common among older adults, they can still affect children. Obesity can cause problems for a child’s healthy growth and development.

Symptoms & Warning Signs

Symptoms of obesity include weight gain and an excess of fatty tissue all over the body. People may experience pain in the joints and arthritis flare ups due to the amount of pressure put on the joints by the excess weight, backaches, sleep apnea, heartburn and indigestion. Obesity can also result in high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, high blood sugar, irregular menstruation, shortness of breath, and other potential complications.

Causes & Risk Factors

While poor eating habits and overeating are main causes of most obesity, hereditary also plays a vital part in becoming obese. You may become obese as a result of an underlying medical condition or injury. Some medications like steroids can also cause obesity as a side effect.

Prevention & Treatment

For people with secondary obesity, the underlying condition must be treated.

For people with primary obesity, a healthy eating plan combined with exercise is generally the first course of treatment. A healthy diet plan helps the person to burn more calories than they consume, so that the weight comes off slowly over a period time, giving them the best chance of not regaining the weight later. Sometimes, doctors will also prescribe appetite suppressant medication.

Weight Loss Surgery

Bariatric surgery is a term used to describe all weight loss surgical procedures. Two bariatric surgical procedures have gained popularity for treating obesity. They are gastric bypass surgery and the laparoscopic adjustable gastric band (Lap-Band):
The Lap-Band is inflatable and made out of silicone. Through laparoscopic surgery, the doctor places the band around the top portion of the stomach. The band helps to create a space at the top of the stomach that limits how much food patients can eat at any given time. The band helps people feel full and eat less at each meal. Over time, the lap band patient will lose weight. Doctors recommend the Lap-Band for patients who have a BMI above 40. Unlike other weight loss surgeries, the Lap-Band does not permanently alter the digestive tract. Doctors can deflate and remove the band in order to reverse the surgery.
Gastric bypass is a permanent surgical option. The surgeon will divide the stomach into two parts and then reconnect the intestine. There are several techniques used to reconnect the intestine, and many gastric bypass surgeries have different names. Gastric bypass surgery causes permanent changes to the stomach and digestive tract, and effects usually cannot be reversed. More and more doctors are performing gastric bypass procedures through a technique called laparoscopy, where the doctor creates small incisions and inserts a video camera. The doctor can perform the surgery using a video camera.

Tests & Diagnosis

Diagnosis of obesity is made based on the visual appearance, weight, and BMI rating. Calipers are tools that measure the amount of body fat in a given area. However, most cases of obesity are quite obvious with a visual examination.

A doctor can also examine the type of weight gain in order to determine whether you have an underlying condition and whether you are at risk for complications down the road. Normally, if the fat is concentrated around the stomach and middle area, then the person is more at risk for certain conditions like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. When fat is concentrated in the hips and thighs, then the person is at less risk of developing those above conditions.

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Many people have problems sleeping from time to time, but a lot of people are uncertain of if they have a serious problem or when they should see a sleep specialist. Here we’ll provide all the essential information that people need to understand insomnia.

Definition

Insomnia is a disorder that makes it hard for people to fall asleep or stay asleep or both. People with insomnia can have problems functioning in everyday life, because insomnia can cause slowness in cognitive functions.

The amount of sleep that a person needs can vary from person to person. Most experts agree that adults need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep per night. While many people can suffer from insomnia from time to time, some have chronic insomnia which requires medical intervention.

Those who are most at risk for developing long term insomnia are women, over the age of 60, travel frequently, have a mental health disorder, under a lot of stress and work rotating or night shifts.

Causes And Risk Factors

There are a number of causes of insomnia and most of them are very common. They include;
Stress- Everyday stress can cause insomnia. Work issues, family concerns, and even a traumatic event like a death in the family can cause insomnia.
Anxiety- Just like stress, anxiety over a variety of issues can lead to insomnia. Those with anxiety disorders frequently have insomnia as well.
Depression- One of the symptoms of depression is insomnia. The chemical imbalance in the brain that causes depression can also cause problems with sleep. Insomnia can also be a symptom of other mental health problems as well.
Caffeine, Nicotine and Alcohol- Caffeine, nicotine and alcohol can all cause insomnia. Caffeine and nicotine are both stimulants which are known to cause insomnia. Alcohol may initially help someone sleep, but it prevents someone from reaching the deeper stages of sleep and could cause them to wake prematurely.
Medication side affects- Many medications used to treat depression, high blood pressure, asthma, ADHD, and allergies can cause insomnia because they have a stimulant affect. Many over-the-counter medications can cause insomnia as well. Antihistamines and over-the-counter sleeping pills can initially cause drowsiness, but can cause increased urination thereby waking people up in the middle of the night and then people can have difficulties getting back to sleep.
Other medical conditions- Many medical conditions can cause sleeping problems. Those with breathing problems, digestive problems, heart problems, urinary problems, cancer, and those with arthritis or other painful musculoskeletal conditions can have problems sleeping. These people can often find relief from their insomnia by treating the medical problem.
Poor sleep habits- Those with poor sleep habits can have problems sleeping. For example those that watch television late or fall asleep with the television on, children who play video games late in the evening, or those who work on the computer late in the evening can have problems falling asleep because these activities stimulate the brain and can keep the brain from shutting down for sleep.
Change in schedule or environment- those who travel for work or do shift work can suffer from insomnia as well. Trying to sleep in an unfamiliar environment, or when the environment is telling the body that it’s time to be awake can make sleeping difficult.
Eating late- a small snack before bed is fine, but those who eat large meals before bed may experience problems sleeping because when eating a large meal, the body has to digest that big meal and that can cause someone to be uncomfortable when they lie down and cause heartburn.
Aging- people seem to experience more insomnia as they age. There could be a number of reasons for this including increased use of medications, health problems and changes in daily activity.

Those with insomnia are at risk for developing a number of problems including;
Decreased performance at work and school
Higher risk of accidents due to slower reaction time
Psychiatric problems
Obesity
Poor overall health

Symptoms

The basic symptoms of insomnia include difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and waking in the morning not feeling rested. However there are other symptoms including;
Fatigue
Difficulty focusing
Headaches
Gastrointestinal problems
Ongoing sleep concerns

If someone experiences any of these symptoms they should talk to their doctor. Their doctor may order a sleep study to determine the nature of the problem and prescribe treatment.

Treatment

Treatment for insomnia includes behavior modification and prescription medications. Behavior modifications can include a number of things including changing daily habits to be more conducive to sleep at night, light therapy and even a type of therapy that uses controlled sleep deprivation designed to get the body’s sleep pattern back on track.

There are a number of prescription and over-the-counter sleep medications designed to treat insomnia. Most prescription sleep medications are not designed to be used for more than two weeks. There are some that are designed to be used indefinitely, but they do have the potential to be habit forming.

As discussed earlier, over-the-counter sleep aids may be helpful initially or when used occasionally, but they can actually make insomnia worse over time.

Insomnia can be very draining, but it doesn’t have to be. By understanding the root cause, people can take control of their sleep and get back to normal in no time.

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Clinical Definition

Depression is characterized by a dejected mood and a cluster of other symptoms that persist throughout the majority of each day, in a time span of 2 weeks or more. These symptoms include five or more of the following tendencies: sleep changes, eating and appetite changes, low energy, poor concentration, agitation, slowness, thoughts of worthlessness or guilt and recurrent thoughts of suicide or death.

In Our Own Words

Depression has different meanings; the most relevant definition depends upon context. Some people use depression to refer to “having the blues,” a feeling that is fairly common and may not be part of a larger picture of major depression, a clinical diagnosis.

Major depression is a serious mental health condition, and it may be diagnosed if the depressed, sad mood persists for 2 weeks or longer. The potential symptoms of eating and appetite changes, sleep changes, low energy, poor concentration, agitation/slowness and thoughts of worthlessness or guilt tend to intensify gradually and interfere with normal daily activities.

Depression may be mild, chronic or diagnosed as a major depressive disorder. Serious depression is sometimes also called clinical depression. Treatment options include psychotherapy or talk therapy, antidepressant medication or a combination
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