Side Effects of Bulimia

During the early stages of bulimia, the side effects caused by this illness are not always obvious.  In many cases the sufferer of this illness will complain of a stomach ache and nothing else.  However, as time passes and they continue to binge and purge their body of sustenance then the bulimia side effects will become far worse.

In this article we look at some of the physical side effects that those who suffer from this illness can expect to have to deal with in the future.  But it isn’t just the physical bulimia side effects that need to be treated it is the psychological ones as well.

1.  A person who suffers from bulimia is likely to suffer with cardiac arrhythmias, which is where the electrical activity of their heart becomes irregular.  Also the walls of the person’s heart become weakened over time and could end up rupturing leading to them having a heart attack.  If some bulimics use ipecac too much in order to induce vomiting this can lead to the heart muscle becoming diseased or to cardiomyopathy occurring.

2.  People when they suffer from bulimia will binge eat and this can lead to the stomach swelling and causes some considerable pain to the person.  Plus in order to purge what they have their bodies they induce vomiting this can result in their esophagus becoming swollen.  However, if the purging continues for any amount of time then the esophagus may well rupture at some point as it becomes weakened by the stomach acids that attack it.  If a person’s esophagus does rupture through excessive vomiting then they will need to seek medical attention immediately.

3.  Because people with bulimia will vomit frequently this can lead to muscles becoming weakened along with them suffering from proximal muscle atrophy.  Also there is a strong possibility for this person to develop tetany because of potassium irregularities.  The reason the muscles become weakened over time is simply through the purging their body is not being supplied with the nutrients, minerals and vitamins it needs in order to function.

4.  One of the most common problems that people with bulimia suffer from is that their teeth become discolored or decayed.  These problems are caused through the stomach acid coming into contact with the teeth every time a person vomits in order to purge their body of what they have just eaten.

5.  A side effect of bulimia which can affect women is that they may find it difficult to conceive a child.  If they do conceive then the chances of them having a premature baby of suffering a miscarriage are greatly increased.