Anorexia Nervosa Essay

Anorexia Nervosa

Axia College of University of Phoenix
HCA/240

July 20, 2011

Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that can be physical, behavioral or psychological usually ending in death if not treated properly by a physician. Anorexia nervosa can take over every organ in the body. An individual (male or female) has a fear of being overweight, even if they are underweight. It is hard to realize when he or she is suffering from anorexia nervosa if you do not know the signs or symptoms of this eating disorder. It can take over an individual’s life unless they find a confidant to talk about what is going on with their eating problems. An individual (male or female) suffering from anorexia nervosa may lose weight from restricting the amount of food they intake or exercise excessively. Some even begin purging which is similar to bulimia or start taking laxatives. People with anorexia nervosa start cutting food into small pieces or moving them around the plate instead of eating (Anorexia Nervosa, 2011). They start eating alone or making meals for others instead of themselves. An individual (male or female) may have low body mass index (BMI), emaciation, abdominal pain, dehydration, dry skin or hair, muscle weakness, and dental erosion (Anorexia Nervosa, 2011). He or she becomes socially withdrawal, depressed, irritability, insomnia, impaired concentration, and suicide attempts. Anorexia nervosa is especially common among young women in industrialized countries where cultural expectations encourage women to be thin. Anorexia nervosa is mainly common in girls and women. Unfortunately, boys and men have been developing the eating disorder most likely from social pressures. It common among teens but people of any age can develop anorexia nervosa. Teenagers are susceptible because of the changes in their bodies and lose their self-esteem. Many people suffering from anorexia nervosa don’t want treatment but there are some who want help recovering from the eating disorder. The eating disorder is diagnosed by their physician. When the physician suspects the patient is suffering from anorexia nervosa they run tests and exams to help diagnosis the problem. In some cases the patient may be suffering from another type of illness. They perform a physical exam that includes measuring height and weight, check vital signs, check skin and hair for dryness, and examine the abdomen. They order for laboratory tests to be performed such as complete blood count (CBC), blood test to check the electrolytes, blood works is performed on the function of the liver, kidney, and thyroid. The physician might also have a urinalysis performed to help diagnose the problem. They might have x-rays and electrocardiograms performed to check for heart irregularities. A test might be order to check the patient’s bone marrow. Anemia, leucopenia, and thrombocytopenia are frequent complications of anorexia nervosa (Interpreting the Complete Blood Count, 2010). The complete blood count provides useful information to diagnose and characterize these findings (Interpreting the Complete Blood Count, 2010). Anemia tends to be normocytic and normochromic (Interpreting the Complete Blood Count, 2010). Leukopenia manifests as a deficiency of lymphocytes or neutrophils (Interpreting the Complete Blood Count, 2010). Cell line deficiencies often lead to anorexia nervosa and are often resolved with nutritional rehabilitation (Interpreting the Complete Blood Count, 2010). The cytopenias of anorexia nervosa are thought to be secondary to bone failure, and indeed, those cytopenias frequently have either hypoplasis or partial or complete gelantinous of their bone marrow on bone marrow biopsy (Interpreting the Complete Blood Count, 2010) The physician is likely to ask the patient a number of questions on how long have you been bothered

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