An eating disorder is a mental disorder that comes with so many physical symptoms. If left untreated there's a tremendous possibility of it becoming fatal. Here's five of the common physical effects that come along with an eating disorder that many people do not know about, more specifically Bulimia but some can occur with Anorexia as well. I'm no professional I'm only speaking from what I've gone through and what I'm currently experiencing.
Tooth Decay
When a person has Bulimia they will eat large amounts of food in a short amount of time and then they will purge it. This usually means intentionally throwing the food up. After a person does this for a certain amount of time their teeth will soon begin to decay. The constant acid that comes up will cause the tooth enamel to break down. If it's bad enough a person can actually lose their teeth. This can be very very expensive to get fixed and let's be honest, it doesn't always look nice.
Dehydration/Electrolyte Imbalance
This is very common with this disorder. Dehydration is caused from water loss in the body and purging will cause this to happen. Excessive exercising is another form of purging and this can also cause dehydration because of the large loss of sweat. Another thing that people will do is abuse laxatives, laxative abuse will definitely lead to dehydration. This isn't fun, not at all. I've been to the Emergency Room multiple times because I've been so dehydrated, it gets very very dangerous.
Loss of period
This can occur in both eating disorders but more commonly in Anorexia. When people here this they think that they wouldn't mind losing their period, but you should. If this happens to you, you should be extremely worried, this can lead to so so many problems that are not good for you. If you notice that you've gone 2-3 months without a period see your doctor as soon as possible.
Stomach problems
This has happened with me and many other people that I've spoken with who have bulimia. When you binge/purge your body somewhat becomes dependent on it. It never becomes used to having food inside of it so it expects you to purge. Once you try to stop these behaviors there's a large chance of you still getting sick. For me, I can't eat without throwing up anymore, it isn't even intentional at this point and it's so annoying. I hate it more than anything.
Esophagus
When someone purges for long enough their esophagus has the ability to become extremely irritated and in some cases it can rupture or tear. That should scare you. When your esophagus ruptures it allows food and liquids to leak into your chest which can cause lung problems. You don't want this. You may read this and think that they aren't that serious but I can guarantee you that they are. Eating disorders are so so dangerous and once you're in deep it may seem nearly impossible to get out of it but that's not true. There's so much help around you, you've just got to reach out. Start by seeing your primary care doctor and they can refer you out from there. NEDA Helpline is available Monday-Thursday from 9AM to 9PM ET, and Friday from 9AM to 5PM ET. Contact the Helpline for support, resources and treatment options for yourself or a loved one. (800) 931-2237. For crisis situations, text "NEDA" to 741741
