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.

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.

Hypokalemia

Low potassium level in the blood is referred to as hypokalemia. Potassium is an electrolyte that is essential to ensure the proper functioning of muscle and nerve cells, in particular the heart muscle cells. Potassium is a vital mineral in the body as it helps the muscles contract when required. Almost 98% of the potassium found in our body is present within the cells. The small levels present outside have a major influence in the functioning of the heart, muscles and nerves.

Normal potassium level in the blood is 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter. Anything less than 2.5 millimoles per liter could indicate low level potassium in the blood. The condition may arise from reduced intake of potassium or from increased loss of potassium from the body.

Blood tests can confirm this condition in a person. Oral supplements or in severe cases, intravenous medication helps. In many cases oral supplements would do the needful; however this could lower the thyroid hormone levels and raise the potassium levels thus leading to paralysis of the body. A few patients may also experience irregular heartbeat which may turn fatal. The condition is more common in men and in women and occurs more often in elderly people.

Consuming a potassium rich diet by including food items like banana, carrots, bran, avocados, oranges, milk, spinach, wheat germ, peas and beans may help prevent the condition. Common causes include:

• Chronic kidney failure, as kidney plays a vital role in removing excess potassium into the urine and maintaining proper balance of this mineral in the body.
  
• Eating disorders like bulimia
  
• Magnesium deficiency
  
• Sweating excessively
  
• Diarrhea
  
• Excessive use of laxatives
  
• Vomiting
  
• Alcoholism
  
• Use of insulin

Hypokalemia symptoms include nausea, abdominal pain, cramps, dehydration, frequent urination, palpitations and confusion.