Weekly Topic #3: Anorexia nervosa

I chose this topic because I think every person knows what anorexia is, but not everyone knows exactly where it comes from, or that it is not only about eating, it is about how you feel and think.

Questions

1. Which are the phsicological/mental reasons why people suffer from anorexia nervosa? 

2. What are the external causes of anorexia?

3. Which are the main symptoms?

- Signs and Symptoms

- Causes

- Diagnosis

- Treatment

Signs and Symptoms

The first sign, is obviously, self-starvation; that's around 600 - 800 calories per day, sometimes even less. After that, comes anemia and/or hypokalaemia, a significant drop of potassium in the blood, the can cause fatigue, constipation, muscle damage and paralysis.

Amenorrhea, maybe purging, hypotension, halitosis and hair loss are some of the physical signs. However, there are physicological signs as well, like: depression and rapid mood swings. Patients with anorexia nervosa have also exhibit OCD.

Causes

There are 3 causes: biological, that can be genetic or obstetric causes, serotonin dysregulation, cerebral blood flow, etc. Sociological, such as cultural factors and promotion of thinness. And a relationship to autism.

Diagnosis

There are medical and psychological ways to diagnose anorexia. The medical way is through many kinds of genetic, blood or urine tests. On the other side, the physicological way, that consist on treating the patient with sessions and teaching them the habit of good nutrition.