Week 12 : Health Concerns with ED's

This week is a little hectic.  My partners and I have to start and finish a 5 minute presentation on what we've done this entire time we've done these blogs.  So my partners and I figured out that we're going to make a video instead of presenting a slideshow in-front of the class.

The only difficult thing about this video is that I will be talking about my own ED.  That's going to be a little tough for me.

So anyways on with this weeks topic.  As you can tell by the title, this  week is about Health Concerns.  All mental or physical illnesses come with health risks and concerns. The following ones  will be very broad risks.

For something such as Anorexia Nervosa some health risks (but not limited to) are : 

• Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which mean that the heart muscle is changing.  The risk for heart failure rises as the heart rate and blood pressure levels sink lower and lower.
• Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle bones.
• Muscle loss and weakness.
• Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.

• Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.
• Dry hair and skin; hair loss is common.

For Bulimia some risks can be :

• Electrolyte imbalances that can lead to irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure and death.  Electrolyte imbalance is caused by dehydration and loss of potassium, sodium and chloride from the body as a result of purging behaviors.
• Potential for gastric rupture during periods of bingeing.
• Inflammation and possible rupture of the esophagus from frequent vomiting.
• Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids released during frequent vomiting.
• Chronic irregular bowel movements and constipation as a result of laxative abuse.

For Binge Eating some risks can be :

• High blood pressure.
• High cholesterol levels.
• Heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels.
• Type II diabetes mellitus.
• Gallbladder disease.

Some of these may not be presented with their  disorder.  Each person is different and show different symptoms.  Just because someone doesn't "look skinny" or "large" enough doesn't mean they can't have an ED.  These are very serious illnesses and shouldn't be taken lightly.

For example : if a guy shows signs of having BED(Binge Eating Disorder) but is in a normal weight range. That doesn't mean that they don't have a serious case.

If a girl shows signs of having AN (Anorexia Nervosa) but is a heavier weight, doesn't mean they couldn't have AN.

So please, don't take these things lightly, they are a very serious issue to deal with.

For now that is all,

-Alexa

(Picture Found On Tumblr)