Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that is increasingly being noticed, especially among teenagers and women who are intent on becoming very thin. This leads them on a self-destructive process of starvation. A person suffering from anorexia tends to maintain body weight that is not normal for height and age.

Dieters are more likely to develop compulsive dieting attitudes. Anorexia is not merely a physical condition, it has emotional and low self esteem fallouts too. The anorexia eating disorder typically affects teenage girls though it can affect older women and men too. This eating disorder involves excessive obsession with losing weight. The anorexia eating disorder is known as 'slimmer's disease'. Yet another eating disorder is anorexia bulimia.

Some of the methods adopted by those suffering from anorexia include severely restricting the food they eat or alternating between binge eating and purging. An anorexic is also likely to deny hunger or be preoccupied with food. It may be accompanied by difficulty in concentration and depression. A person suffering from anorexia tends to keep weighing himself/herself and complain about being fat.

The fallout of anorexia includes fatigue, dizzy spells, dry skin, low blood pressure, osteoporosis and dehydration. It can lead to arrhythmia or electrolyte imbalance. In severe cases, it can lead to life-threatening conditions such as heart failure and kidney problems. Women might notice absence of menstruation.

Treating anorexia nervosa involves therapy and probable hospitalization, in acute cases. The patient must be advised on the benefits of following a healthy diet pattern. The person suffering anorexia eating disorder must be counseled on nutritional needs. This must lead to a change in eating habits. Any underlying psychological causes must be addressed. Many a time, eating disorders are accompanied by depression, substance abuse and anxiety disorders. They have to be tackled during the treatment for the anorexia eating disorder.

Anorexia Bulimia

Anorexia bulimia is another eating disorder that involves binge eating. Persons suffering from anorexia bulimia tend to swing between anorexia nervosa and bulimia. They always perceive themselves to be fatter than that they really are. People with anorexia bulimia go through bouts of binge eating, often accompanied by uncontrolled and chaotic eating behavior. This is usually followed by self-induced vomiting or excessive use of laxatives and diuretics in the quest to keep a perfect body shape. People with bulimia usually weigh within the normal range for their age and height. However, like anorexics, they are intensely dissatisfied with their bodies.

Repeated behavior to compensate for the bingeing and prevent weight gain, such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, or other medications (purging), fasting, or excessive exercise. This body abuse can lead to severe life threatening problems such as depression, heart damage, kidney damage and damage to other parts of the digestive system. The extremes of overeating and the subsequent purging of the food from the body can lead to mental trauma.

Oligomenorrhea

Oligomenorrhea refers to infrequent or short menstrual periods where frequency exceeds 35 days in between menstrual cycles resulting in about 4 - 9 menstrual periods in a year. This condition is common in women approaching menopause or adolescents.

Causes of Oligomenorrhea

• Hormonal changes in perimenopause
  
• Stress and illness
  
• Eating disorders such as Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia
  
• PCOS
  
• Women athletes on anabolic steroids
  

Diagnosis of Oligomenorrhea

After a physical examination and blood test to check thyroid functioning, a woman might have to undergo pelvic ultrasound. Pelvic MRI is done in case of tumors. Blood tests to check levels of reproductive hormones is done.