All information provided on the website is presented as is without any warranty of any kind, and expressly excludes any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Tooth decay The contents of the stomach are very acidic and repeated vomiting over time causes tooth enamel to break down. Swollen salivary glands sialadenosis Other physical side effects of bulimia are noticeable as well.
If frequent vomiting continues, the patient is at high risk of developing this sign again, the next time he or she stops the practice Acid reflux When vomiting, the lower esophageal sphincter, which acts as a doorway between the esophagus and stomach, must open to allow stomach contents to move back up through the esophagus.
Sore throat and hoarse voice Acidic stomach contents are damaging to the throat and the vocal cords, therefore hoarse voice and sore throat become common when someone has been repeatedly vomiting. Dehydration All forms of purging are likely to lead to dehydration. Intestinal problems More physical side effects of bulimia include intestinal problems. Treatment Most of the problems highlighted here require treatment by a medical doctor, or dentist in the case of dental problems.
Medical complications of self-induced vomiting. Eating Disorders. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins UP, Do you have a loved one battling an eating disorder and would like a better understanding of this disease? If your doctor thinks that you may have an eating disorder, he or she will check you for signs of problems caused by your diet and purging, such as malnutrition or electrolyte imbalances.
He or she also may ask questions about your mental well-being. It is common for another mental health problem such as depression, anxiety, or obsessive-compulsive disorder to play a part in an eating disorder. Common examinations and tests for a possible eating disorder include:. A person can have bulimia and be underweight, average weight, or overweight.
Most people with bulimia are in their normal weight range. Many binge in secret and deny that they may have a problem. These factors can make bulimia hard to diagnose.
People with bulimia often seek medical care for related health concerns, such as fatigue or stomach problems caused by repeated vomiting. Early, accurate diagnosis and treatment of bulimia can decrease the chances of long-term health problems and even death in severe cases.
Unfortunately, there is no routine screening for eating disorders. It is common for a person with bulimia to try to hide symptoms, which can make it hard to detect. Most often a loved one thinks that there is a problem and seeks help for bulimia. It is common for a person to have bulimia for a long time and to develop serious health problems before anyone realizes that the person has the disorder.
Treatment for bulimia involves psychological counselling and sometimes medicines such as antidepressants. Treatment does not usually require staying in the hospital, although this is sometimes needed. Both professional counselling and antidepressant medicine can help reduce episodes of binging and purging and help you recover from bulimia. Both are long-term treatments that may require weeks or months before you notice significant results.
You may need treatment with counselling and possibly medicines for more than a year. Bulimia that occurs with another condition may take longer to treat. And you may need more than one type of treatment.
If you have another condition that commonly occurs with bulimia, such as depression or substance use disorder , your doctor may want to treat that condition first. People who seek treatment for bulimia or another eating disorder may have other health problems caused by the disorder. If you have had bulimia for a long time without treatment, or if you have used substances such as laxatives, diuretics, or ipecac syrup to purge, then you may have a health problem such as dehydration that needs treatment first.
In serious cases, these conditions related to bulimia may require you to spend time in the hospital. Initial treatment depends how severe the bulimia is and how long you have had it. If you have no other conditions that need treatment first, then treatment for bulimia usually consists of:. Continuing treatment will depend on the how long you have had bulimia and how severe it is. Continuing treatment usually consists of:.
If you develop other health problems such as dehydration or an esophageal tear because of bulimia, you may need to stay in the hospital or in an eating disorder treatment facility. Sometimes people with bulimia get discouraged because recovery can take a long time and relapse is common.
If you or the person with bulimia feels very discouraged or feels suicidal , call a doctor or other health professional immediately to get help.
Treatment with an antidepressant medicine alone may not be enough. Antidepressants work best when combined with psychological counselling. Eating disorders are hard to treat. Recovery may take months to years. The sooner treatment begins, the better the chance for a full recovery.
Unfortunately, many people don't seek treatment for mental health problems. You may not seek treatment because you think the symptoms are not bad enough or that you can work things out on your own. But getting treatment is important. If you need help deciding whether to see your doctor, read about some reasons why people don't get help and how to overcome them.
There is no known way to prevent bulimia. Early treatment may be the best way to prevent the disorder from progressing. Knowing the signs of bulimia and seeking immediate medical care can help prevent long-term health problems caused by bulimia. There are many ways that adults can help children and teens develop a healthy view of themselves and learn to approach food and exercise with a positive attitude. Doing this may prevent some children and teens from developing this disorder.
Home treatment is very important for people who have bulimia. You will set individual goals along with your doctor, nutritionist, and professional counsellor. Some of these goals may include:.
Family members will also need to support the person's goals for healing. Learning about the disorder will be helpful for the entire family. Also, show support of a loved one who has bulimia. Offer support if the person gets discouraged about how long treatment is taking.
Listen to his or her feelings. Medicines such as antidepressants may reduce the frequency of the binge-purge episodes of bulimia.
They may also be used to treat other mental health problems, such as depression, that often occur along with bulimia. And you may need antacids to decrease stomach acid or bulk laxatives such as Citrucel to replace the overuse of more harsh laxatives. Antidepressants are used to reduce the frequency of binge-purge cycles and treat any related depression or anxiety.
Sometimes several antidepressant medicines are tried before finding the one that works best. Treatment with medicines is more effective when combined with psychological counselling , which includes nutritional counselling. There is no surgical treatment for bulimia. In addition to cognitive-behavioural therapy CBT and interpersonal psychotherapy IPT , several types of counselling may be useful in treating eating disorders.
Other therapies that may be helpful include:. Organized programs that provide self-help materials, such as manuals or computer-based activities, may be useful in treating eating disorders. But most people who have an eating disorder also need counselling and possibly medicine. Although it isn't part of the treatment of bulimia, relieving stress can help during recovery.
Techniques for managing stress include:. Author: Healthwise Staff. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information.
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Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. Top of the page. Topic Overview What is bulimia nervosa? What causes bulimia? You may be more likely to have bulimia if: Other people in your family are obese or have an eating disorder.
You have a job or do a sport that stresses body size, such as ballet, modelling, or gymnastics. You are often on a diet or you exercise too much in order to lose weight or change your body shape.
Have a poor body image, or feel that your body should be slim like many people in the media. You are the type of person who tries to be perfect all the time, never feels good enough, or worries a lot. You are dealing with stressful life events, such as divorce, moving to a new town or school, or losing a loved one.
Bulimia is most common in: Teens. Like other eating disorders, bulimia usually starts in the teen years. But it can start even earlier or in adulthood. But boys and men have it too. What are the symptoms? People with bulimia: Binge eat on a regular basis. They eat larger amounts of food than most people would in a similar situation, in a short period of time 2 hours or less.
During a binge, they feel out of control and feel unable to stop eating. Purge to get rid of the food and avoid weight gain. They may make themselves vomit, exercise very hard or for a long time, or misuse laxatives, enemas , water pills diuretics , or other medicines.
Seeking treatment for Bulimia as early as possible is very important, both in terms of reducing your risk of long term, enduring physical side-effects and because it is recognised with Bulimia and other eating disorders, early treatment is linked to better outcomes. This is because the longer eating disorders persist, the more entrenched and difficult to treat they become.
Schoen Clinic Newbridge, Birmingham Schoen Clinic Newbridge offers highly specialised inpatient treatment for children and young people years suffering from eating disorders and their associated problems. Welcoming NHS, privately insured and self-funding patients. Contact Schoen Clinic Newbridge Today. Contact Schoen Clinic York Today. Schoen Clinic Chelsea, London Schoen Clinc Chelsea is a highly specialised outpatient clinic in the heart of Chelsea, London offering one-to-one Consultant treatments and Intensive Day Treatment programmes for eating disorders which can be an alternative to inpatient admission or used as a 'step down' from an inpatient stay in hospital.
Welcoming privately insured and self-funding patients. Contact Schoen Clinic Chelsea Today. This involves working through a self-help book, and often includes keeping a diary and making a plan for your meals. You'll be supported by a therapist during this process. You may also be offered cognitive behavioural therapy CBT. Read more about treatments for bulimia. Bulimia can eventually lead to physical problems associated with not getting the right nutrients, vomiting a lot, or overusing laxatives.
Bulimia is often a vicious cycle of binging and purging, triggered by things such as hunger, sadness or stress.
Failing to keep to these then leads to periods of excessive eating and loss of control binge eating , after which you feel guilty or ashamed. You then purge to get rid of the calories, leaving you feeling hungry again, and the cycle continues.
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