Anorexia nervosa (commonly referred to as anorexia) is a severe mental health disorder. It can seriously affect a person’s physical and mental health. When a person significantly reduces food intake and decreases or eliminates essential nutrients, their bodies’ systems can begin to slow down. As a result, this leads to many possible short-and long-term effects – several of which may be fatal.
Anorexia has one of the highest mortality rates of any mental disorder. It takes the lives of between 5 and 20% of those who suffer from it. Recognizing the signs and effects of anorexia will help a person get treatment early. This can raise the chance of recovery.
What Is Anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes people to shed an unhealthful amount of weight. It is defined by the fear of gaining weight, even among those who are already underweight.
Anorexia is much more common in females. But it can also happen in males. So, it is a serious illness that can be life-threatening if you do not treat it.
Physical effects of anorexia nervosa
Some of the health risks posed by anorexia nervosa are as follows:
1. Headaches
There are tension and medical complications involved with anorexia nervosa. So, headaches and other aches and pain are hardly unexpected. Therefore, dealing with chronic pain is difficult for everyone. But since AN also lowers the immune system, it can be much harder to recover from it. Inadvertently, chronic pain also leads to painkiller misuse and addiction.
2. Heart Damage
Also, a fast-paced heart rate is a classic warning symptom of anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. Therefore, over time, a quick heartbeat causes a great deal of stress to the heart, even at a young age. An interrupted or rapid heartbeat can also lead to poor circulation.
3. Dehydration and electrolyte imbalances
Furthermore, people with AN can drink large amounts of water to compensate for their hunger pain. But, the lack of a healthy diet can discard the body’s hydration and electrolyte balance. It can lead to:
- Excessive thirst
- Headache
- Rapid heartbeat
- Arrhythmia
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Confusion
- Strokes
Moreover, dehydration in the long term can cause serious electrolyte imbalances. As a result, this may affect the health of the heart, kidneys, and brain. Suppose it is left to continue for too long. In that case, electrolyte imbalances may require hospitalization to fix the problem.
4. Deficiencies in vitamins and minerals
The organs, muscles, and tissues of the body require the regular input of a range of vitamins and other nutrients to work effectively. A deficiency of vitamin D, for example, can occur within weeks if you do not consume food such as fish, mushrooms, and peas. So, some patients with anorexia nervosa will reap the benefits of vitamin supplements. The long-term effects are generally the same. These include loss of bone density and a higher risk of fractures due to osteoporosis.
5. Low Blood Pressure
For a long enough time of inadequate nutrition, blood pressure levels begin to drop to dangerous levels. Without the energy the heart requires to work, dehydration can also lead to low blood pressure. So, low blood pressure can lead to:
- Lightheadedness
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Fainting
If blood pressure drops too much, a traumatic shock can happen. This includes an ER visit and intensive medical attention following the event.
6. Hormonal imbalance
Without the input of different nutrients, glands that produce vital hormones cease to function. Hormonal shortages and imbalances can result in emotional changes. It can also cause a wide variety of physical risks. Also, these include stunted development, menstrual changes, thyroid disorders, and more.
7. Lanugo
In extreme malnutrition cases induced by anorexia nervosa, a soft, fine layer of hair called lanugo starts to develop while the body tries to sustain the required temperature. Fetuses in the womb and certain premature babies also have this form of body hair. So, if it happens after 6 months of age, it is a clear symptom of long-term starvation. People with anorexia nervosa are also said to be cold all the time. This is another indication of insufficient fuel to keep the body moving.
8. Deterioration of muscle mass
With less and fewer calories taken in as untreated AN continues, the energy required to sustain or raise muscle mass has become less and less available. Essentially, the body will begin to eat itself. It will convert muscle mass into the energy that food should provide. This muscle wasting can cause people to become exhausted. Many long-term anorexia nervosa sufferers describe being fatigued by climbing a single flight of stairs. Muscle deterioration also has a dramatic effect on the heart.
9. Kidney Damage
Kidney failure is very common in individuals with anorexia nervosa. Infections of the kidneys and eventual failure are serious problems. But, they can be corrected if a person has a vital diet designed by a nutritionist. Care at anorexia treatment centers will also help to reverse this problem before full kidney failure occurs. So, if left untreated, dialysis or even transplantation can become important.
10. Loss of Bone Density
Early-onset osteoporosis is closely linked to the lack of calcium and iron consumption. Osteoporosis and other start bone disorders cause bones to grow brittle, which greatly raises fracture risk.
Psychological Effects
Some of the psychological effects posed by anorexia nervosa are as follows
1. Distorted self-image and body dysmorphia
Virtually every case of anorexia nervosa involves a distorted sense of self-image. This is usually centered on the sense that the individual is overweight. This can manifest an inability to see themselves properly in photos and mirrors. Body dysmorphia, a persistent feeling of being uncomfortable with one’s body, is also very normal. Hence, in combination with a sense of perfectionism, it can lead an individual to take drastic steps. These include self-hunger to correct the “issue.”
2. Emotional Dysregulation
Emotional dysregulation may contribute to eating disorders or may be triggered by one. Nearly everyone with eating disorders is affected by the inability to regulate emotions properly. Stressors such as trauma or failure can lead to wild mood swings. These mood swings can lash out or totally withdraw and a flat affect. Even thinking about a traumatic incident can cause chaos of emotions. These emotional outbursts can become even more difficult to treat due to the nutritional and hormonal imbalances caused by AN.
3. Depression, anxiety
A dual diagnosis is a situation where several mental health disorders are present simultaneously. The rate of both depression and anxiety is much higher in individuals with anorexia nervosa. Negative feelings of hopelessness (depression) or panic (anxiety) can act as causes for disturbed eating behaviors.
4. Guilt, Shame, and Self-Isolation
Many people with anorexia nervosa feel a great deal of shame and guilt over their eating disorders. They may even withdraw from their social circle due to these emotions. Eating disorders often appear to be self-perpetuating. People with AN may spend a lot of time hiding the disorder from people close to them. They can begin to isolate themselves to make life easier. Only their own (distorted) beliefs remain in play without close interactions.
The Bottom Line
Both the emotional and physical health effects of anorexia seem overwhelming. It is difficult to overcome when someone is in the throes of the disease. But getting help is a matter of life and death. Conditions such as osteoporosis stay alive once they develop. Other consequences such as heart disease can lead to death.
Anorexia nervosa doesn’t go away without a fight. But it’s a fight that’s worth it. If you or a loved one struggle with AN, don’t wait – reach out for help now.
