Anorexia is an eating disorder that affects so many people from all walks of life. It is an eating disorder that may have been influenced by fashion magazines, demanding careers,  and music videos. It is quite saddening that people really aim to be thin at the expense of their overall well-being. So many anorexics die because of starvation and multiple-organ failure because of the body’s weak immune system.
You should be very aware of the dangers of anorexia. It is not a small thing to have such an eating disorder. Many medical problems arise because of anorexia. Here are some of the health dangers of anorexia that you should keep in mind:
1. Heart problems
Anorexia nervosa involves self-starvation, binge-eating, and relentless purging. These all cause an imbalance in electrolytes. One of the very important electrolytes that are significantly lowered because of anorexia is potassium. Potassium is important in regulating heartbeat. Cardiac problems is one of the dangers of anorexia. Tachycardia is when your heartbeat is too fast. Bradycardia is when your heartbeat is too slow. The size of your heart could also decrease in size because of the fat and muscle deterioration brought about by the lack in nutrients.
2. GI problems
One of the common problems of anorexic individuals is the very delayed emptying of their gastrointestinal tract. This is because metabolism is much slower already. This could cause slow poisoning of your system because the toxins are not eliminated efficiently. Usually, a feeling of being too bloated or “stuffed†all the time, especially after just a few bites of their meal. Dangers of anorexia also involve bleeding internally, ulcerations, and inflammation of your stomach lining. There could also be hiatial hernias, enlargement of the salivary glands, and swelling of the esophagus. Intestinal motility is often affected, too. Constipation happens because of lack of fiber and overuse of laxatives. The small intestines also become unable to absorb the nutrients anymore.
3. Amenorrhea
In women, not being able to menstruate is one of the dangers of anorexia. Menstruation enables women to release eggs and regulate hormones. If this stops, there may be health complications that may follow.
4. Ketosis
This is one of the dangers of anorexia. When your cells break down the fats for energy because of nothing else to digest, ketones are produced. Ketones are very toxic and if fat stores keep on getting used up, ketones will be present in your blood and urine already.
5. Other dangers
Other dangers of anorexia are anemia, decrease in testicular function, discolored teeth, dizziness, brittle nails, dry hair, weak immune system, fainting spells, hypoglycemia, edema, high cholesterol, lanugo, kidney failure, insomnia, osteoporosis, liver damage, alopecia, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, low body temperature, sensitivity to sound, sensitivity to light, pancreatitis, and yellow skin. The decrease in testicular function is caused by inadequate nutrients that should very well make the male reproductive system function well. Dizziness and fainting spells are caused by less oxygenation in the brain. Brittle nails and dry hair are caused by severe dehydration and malnourishment. This could be followed by hair loss or alopecia. Weak immune system may cause so many illnesses that may cause the simultaneous shutdown of all of your organ systems. Hypoglycemia is low blood sugar that results from not taking in proper amounts of food everyday. Blood sugar can also be erratic most of the time and this may be caused by pancreatitis. Edema is caused by the inability of your kidneys to eliminate excess fluids. This could result to erratic blood pressure readings and heart problems. There can also be low blood pressure most of the time because of severe dehydration. Muscle weakness is caused by  the lessened oxygenation brought about by anemia. Slow deterioration of the muscles also take place because your cells are already using them up for energy. There is low body temperature because the fat deposits are already being used up for energy. All anorexics feel cold all the time. Because of this, lanugo grows on your body again as your body’s attempt to warm up. Insomnia is experienced because of constantly thinking about food and fighting hunger pangs. Yellow skin is the sign that your liver is getting damaged as well. One of the main uses of your liver is to breakdown fats. If there are no more fats to breakdown, it can get damaged.
Avoiding the dangers of anorexia requires the help of your doctor. You should always be supervised to make sure that you veer away towards this eating disorder and regain your normal state of health. Losing weight is great of you do it the right way.