Anorexia. Causes, diagnosis and effective treatment of the disease

The syndrome, which complete absence appetite in a person, despite the fact that his body needs food, is called anorexia. This condition may be accompanied by disorders of the digestive system, metabolic processes, the nervous system and other organs.

According to statistics, about 20% of patients with anorexia die. Death in anorexia occurs due to changes in the internal organs of a person with severe exhaustion. But more than half of the patients take their own lives. Basically, these are young girls working in the fashion industry.

The disease can be recognized by the following signs:

The weight of a person is less than his norm.
Fear of gaining weight, which sometimes causes a person to behave absurdly during meals. So, patients can even count the number of grains of rice on their plate.
Frequent weighing throughout the day.
Calorie counting and other rituals associated with weight loss take up all your free time. A person constantly restricts himself in food.
Dissatisfaction with their weight with pronounced thinness.
Use of emetics or laxatives.
Frequent training despite weakness.
Refusal of meat and fatty foods, a gradual transition to fruits and vegetables.

In addition to the main symptoms of the disease, a person suffers from such disorders:

sleep disorder;
general weakness;
muscle spasms;
the muscles of the patient become flabby and atrophy;
age spots on the skin;
sunken eyes;
sunken belly;
tooth loss;
dry hair;
pallor;
Bad mood;
low pressure;
violation menstrual cycle among women;
fainting and dizziness;
vomiting, nausea and stomach pain.

The disease develops gradually. First, a person, dissatisfied with his reflection in the mirror, is convinced of the presence excess weight. Then he tries to lose weight by any means, even refusing to eat.

When the first results in weight loss are achieved, a person feels lightness and high spirits, from which the negative consequences of violations, such as brittle nails, dull skin and dry hair, become invisible.

In addition to the fact that the patient restricts food intake, he begins to actively engage in physical activity. From this, the body is quickly exhausted. If the process lasts about a year, then the person already looks haggard. The patient needs urgent medical attention.

Causes of anorexia

The causes of anorexia can be both psychological disorders and the effects of medications.

As for psychological disorders, the following factors can provoke the development of the disease:

One of the main causes of anorexia nervosa is a lack of acceptance of one's body. Girls are more and more inclined towards this adolescence. The second reason is a conflict with parents, strained relationships in the family, resentment and careless statements about the appearance of the child. All this pushes the teenager to drastic measures.

Anorexia can be triggered by taking medications. Such a pathology implies the loss of hunger, and this can happen both intentionally and as a result of the treatment of some disease.

If we are talking about deliberately muffling the feeling of hunger, then this is achieved by taking certain drugs. Anorexia can be triggered by taking antidepressants or other stimulants.

Consequences of the disease

The consequences of this disease can be severe. Up to 20% of people with anorexia eventually die, so among mental illnesses this disease is most often fatal.

First of all, human bones suffer from exhaustion. The fact is that the syndrome often develops in adolescence, when the bones have not yet fully formed. They may not be able to bear the weight of the body in the future if the person gets better.

Most dangerous consequence disease is a disorder of the heart.

Due to starvation, the muscles atrophy, and the heart suffers from this. The blood pressure drops and the pulse slows down. These changes can lead to cardiac arrest.

When there is not enough glucose in the body, energy reserves are depleted. Subsequently, the body has to look for other sources of energy. Inside a person, these are proteins and fats, which the body begins to feed on. This leads to the fact that a lot of ammonia and acetone are formed during the breakdown of protein and fat cells. They poison the human body.

In addition, as a result of fasting, cortisol, the stress hormone, is produced. On the verge of being not only the nervous system, but also the immune forces. The patient's body can no longer fight viruses or bacteria.

Treatment of anorexia

In order to cure anorexia, it is necessary to use complex therapy.

It includes:

taking medications;
nutrition correction;
psychotherapy.

In this case, pharmacology is an additional treatment for anorexia. Medicines are used to correct mental disorders, as well as to increase appetite. Some appointments involve the exclusion of recurrence of the disease.

The early stages of the disease are usually treated on an outpatient basis. As for the advanced stages, such a patient is hospitalized.

First of all, helping the patient is to restore his normal body weight and normalize metabolic processes.

In a hospital setting, patients must comply with the diet, for which they are encouraged to walk and meet with relatives. This technique is quite effective, but it may not lead to a positive result if the case is severe.

In the treatment of anorexia, the following drugs can be prescribed:

neuroleptics;
antidepressants;
drugs that improve appetite (Frenolone, Elenium);
soothing;
vitamin complexes, which include calcium, iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin C.

Normalization of weight requires a gradual increase in food intake. Especially for this, nutrition programs have been developed that allow you to cope with the problem without harming the digestive system.

In the early stages of the disease, patients are prescribed psychotherapy. Conversations with a psychologist allow a person to treat themselves as a person and not pay too much attention to their weight. There is a reassessment of life priorities and ideals.

Some patients require the help of a psychotherapist in order to improve relationships in the family. This is one of the types of therapy that allows you to cure anorexia completely in the early stages or speed up the healing process if the disease is running.

Treatment of the disease at home

Treatment of anorexia folk methods involves the use of decoctions of herbs. The main task is to stimulate appetite and calm nervous system sick.

To do this, use the following tools:

nettle decoction;
dandelion roots;
tea with lemon balm or mint;
a decoction of rowan fruits.

At home, the treatment of anorexia involves not only diet food. In addition, the support of loved ones is important for the patient. It consists in daily communication with the patient, helping him to realize the problem and the need for recovery.

It is necessary not only to control the behavior of the patient, but also to find common activities that will help distract from negative thoughts. To recover completely, it is important to eat right for several months. Any fasting days to correct forms or refusal to eat can harm and even exacerbate the disease.

Recovery period

To restore the body after anorexia, bed rest should be observed. The body is greatly weakened by exhaustion, so it needs rest. The recovery period will last as long as the body has weakened, and temporary relief can be deceptive.

Nutrition should not be neglected during recovery. During this period, you need to eat more often, up to 6 times a day, and eat high-calorie foods. If you follow all the doctor's instructions, you can gain up to 3 kilograms within a month.

Many patients are assigned to groups that provide psychological assistance. Such support helps to cope not only with the consequences of the disease, but also with its causes, which is very important for preventing the recurrence of the disease.

During the recovery period the main task It's about learning to take care of your body and nutrition. It is also important to learn to perceive your appearance.

In many ways, the results also depend on the behavior of relatives who surround the patient. Therefore, for a successful recovery, they should also receive a consultation with a psychologist in order to properly behave with the patient in the future.

The nuances of the treatment of anorexia in adolescents

In order to help the child cope with the problem, parents should adhere to the following recommendations:

be a model for the child, adhering to a healthy lifestyle;
maintain a figure with the help of sports;
do not criticize the appearance of the child and your own;
get advice from a psychologist;
do not intimidate the child and do not show anger towards him;
improve his self-esteem.

Noticing the first signs of anorexia in a child, parents should immediately seek medical help. Such manifestations as weight loss, as well as the refusal of the food that the child previously ate with pleasure, should alert. Adolescents may refuse to eat, justifying themselves with a lack of appetite or the fact that they have previously eaten a lot.

If a teenager is very preoccupied with diets and criticizes his body, then this should also alert parents. He may react sharply to statements about food or to criticism.

How to avoid a relapse

To avoid recurrence of the disease, the patient should adhere to the following rules:

take medications in accordance with the doctor's recommendations;
do not follow diets, but adhere to the principles of proper nutrition;
eat small portions, eating often;
do not watch fashion shows and do not compare yourself with models;
pamper yourself not with food, but with other pleasant things;
communicate with loved ones;
avoid stress;
do what you love.

Conclusion

Since doctors still cannot name the exact causes of anorexia, it is considered a complex problem. Declaring a hunger strike, a person does not even suspect what harm he causes to his body.

Depending on how long the fasting lasts, girls may have metabolic disorders, problems with the kidneys, skin, and liver. In the future, it becomes extremely difficult to restore the body.

We bring to your attention a video in which specific example a case of recovery from anorexia is analyzed:

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An important part of the treatment of anorexia is therapeutic nutrition. Nutritional interventions must be considered within the overall psychological context of the patient. The main goal of the treatment of anorexia is to correct the composition of body tissues, but this is possible only if there is proper cellular functioning. This requires correction of biochemical abnormalities until weight gain is achieved. To determine the deficiency of specific proteins, trace elements and fatty acids, you can use a nutritional history taken by a nutritionist, which includes information about fluid intake, caffeine and alcohol use, smoking, vitamin supplementation, and measurements of height and weight. Features and rules of nutrition for anorexia should be explained to the patient by the attending physician.

Nutrition rules for anorexia

There is a chance that many of the adverse effects of refeeding in anorexia will not occur or will be minimized if treatment is started with a small amount of food, which is gradually increased. If the metabolic load is rapidly increased, then biochemical decompensation can be provoked and hidden deficiencies can be unmasked.

Target body weight should be determined at the start of treatment. At the first stage of treatment, it is planned to treat the destruction that has already been caused by the disease. At the second stage, a psychiatrist will have to work. At all stages of treatment, a dietitian should constantly monitor the menu and diet. Nutrition for anorexia is one of the main components of a successful recovery.

The first rule of nutrition for anorexia is the regular intake of food without rejection by the body. You should start with oatmeal, chicken broth, soft-boiled eggs, oatmeal jelly, butter, vegetable oil, mashed potatoes, carrots and zucchini cooked in milk. All food should not be spicy, soft, it should not irritate the stomach.

Improper and exhausting fasting can cause serious health problems - anorexia. This disease is based on rapid weight loss due to eating disorders for certain reasons. Treatment of anorexia will not bring results without a certain diet, compliance with the rules of eating.

Nutrition rules for anorexia

Basic Rules:

Recovery from anorexia should be gradual. The first 3 days of treatment should be consumed only liquid meals, without salt and spices.
For 5-6 days you can eat semi-liquid cereals, chicken bouillon with vegetables and minced meat, sweet berries, bananas.
After 2 weeks of anorexia treatment, the diet is replenished with steam fish, vegetable and fruit juices (except citrus), diluted with water 1:1.
It is necessary to eat food for the first 2 weeks every 2 hours for 100-150 g. Then the interval increases and the food becomes fractional - 3 times a day for 200-250 g for 1 main meal.
The nutrition of anorexics should be high-calorie (protein), but without fast carbohydrates (sweet, baked). A balanced diet will help you gain weight without pathologies.
Protein must be natural. Artificial products are prohibited.
Drink on an empty stomach in the morning mineral water or sweet with honey.
Food temperature should be at room temperature. Do not eat too hot or cold food.
It is necessary to maintain water balance. In addition to 2 liters of water, you should drink 1 liter of freshly squeezed juices, smoothies, yogurts.
Snacks are required - afternoon tea, lunch and before bedtime.

Allowed and prohibited products

Nutrition for anorexia is different from the diet for other diseases. The diet for weight gain consists of the following products:

Allowed	Forbidden
Meat (turkey, chicken, beef, lean pork)	Meat, fish, canned vegetables, sausages, sausages
Fish (pollock, cod, mackerel)	Fast food, products containing preservatives, dyes
Bread, pastries, muffins, cookies, cakes and cakes with natural creams	Artificial oils (spread, margarine)
Raw vegetables, mashed potatoes, juices (beets, carrots, zucchini, turnips, potatoes)	Sweet carbonated drinks, strong coffee
Fruits and sweet berries (banana, pear, apple, blueberry, raspberry)	Citrus, pomegranate, dogwood, cherry
Nuts, dried fruits, seeds	High fat products
Chocolate, honey, jam, jam
Dairy products (cottage cheese, sour cream, milk, cream, yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk)	artificial sweets
Vegetable oils, natural butter, cheeses	Industrial mayonnaise, sauce
Durum wheat pasta	spicy seasonings
Vegetable, fruit juices, kvass, sweet tea, jelly, decoctions from medicinal herbs

Cereals (oatmeal, rice, semolina, millet, buckwheat)
Greens (cilantro, dill, parsley, green onion)
Soy, beans
Baby formula

Meal time
	Cottage cheese casserole with sour cream, raisins - 200 g, berry juice - 200 ml	Rice milk porridge - 200 g, sandwich with butter and cheese - 110 g, jelly - 200 ml	Omelet with tomatoes - 180 g, pancakes - 120 g, tea - 150 ml
	Walnuts - 100 g, banana	Dried fruits - 100 g, yogurt - 150 ml	Berry puree - 150 g, juice - 200 ml
	Chicken soup with dumplings - 150 g, carrot and beetroot salad - 100 g, cutlet - 120 g, jelly - 150 ml	Borscht on the bone - 150 g, pork steak - 150 g, mashed potatoes - 120 g, cabbage salad - 70 g, juice - 150 ml	Solyanka - 150 g, baked cod - 120 g, homemade noodles - 80 g, vegetable salad– 70 g, tea – 150 ml
	Cake - 1 piece, milkshake - 200 ml	Fruit salad - 150 g, yogurt - 100 ml	Bun - 1 pc., compote - 200 ml
	Fish cutlet - 150 g, millet porridge with butter - 120 g, salad - 70 g, fruit drink - 150 ml	Beef patties in sour cream sauce- 150 g, rice - 100 g, baked beets - 80 g, tea - 150 ml	Vegetable stew- 120 g, stewed rabbit - 150 g, buckwheat - 80 g, carrot salad - 70 g, bread - 20 g, compote - 150 ml
1 hour before bed	Oatmeal cookies - 2 pcs., Ryazhenka - 200 ml	Crackers - 3 pcs, yogurt - 150 ml	Apple - 1 piece, kefir - 200 ml

Anorexia- psychosomatic eating disorder caused by fear of gaining weight. Minimize the adverse effects of the disease and take the first step towards healthy life a therapeutic diet will help you.

Diet for anorexia nervosa

Special nutrition is the main component of the complex treatment of anorexia. The diet for this disease is a dense, rich diet that includes all the vitamins, minerals and nutrients necessary for the body (complete proteins, fast and slow carbohydrates, fats of vegetable and animal origin).

Diet for anorexia involves regular and fractional meals in small portions (3 main meals and 2-3 snacks). At the initial stage, the consumption of any high-calorie and complex food is prohibited. To exclude vomiting and other recurrences of the disease, it is better to give preference to simple liquid dishes at a comfortable temperature or light, excluding heavy meat and fish products.

Menu energy valueshould be increased gradually over the first two months. The recommended rate of weight gain should not exceed 0.5-1 kg per week. This is achieved by an individually selected menu with a calorie content in the range of 2300-3000 kcal / day.

The general advice of most nutritionists is that before a diet, it is necessary to undergo a special study (bioimpedansometry), which will allow you to assess the degree of dehydration of the body and the percentage of deviation of muscle (adipose) tissue from the norm. The data obtained make it possible to develop a correct, sparing diet, which will subsequently provide an optimal and accelerate the recovery process.

Diet for anorexia, menu

(options for different stages treatment)

Breakfast:

oatmeal (linen) jelly (200 g), green tea;
boiled eggs / scrambled eggs olive oil(100 g), coffee with cream;
hot sandwich (bran bread, butter, tomato, herbs, slice of cheese / ham), cocoa in milk;
milk buckwheat/rice porridge (200 g), oat cookies(50 g), sweet tea;
cottage cheese casserole with nuts / dried fruits (200 g), berry compote.

Lunch and dinner:

chicken broth (250 ml), vegetable puree (150 g);
vegetable soup with pieces of meat (200 g), green salad with vegetable oil (150 g);
low-roast pork steak / oven-baked unleavened chicken / turkey meat (250 g), buckwheat porridge(150 g);
boiled/baked fish up to 200 g (salmon, pollock, blue whiting, hake, mackerel, bream), mashed potatoes with butter and milk (200 g);
steam meat / fish cutlets (200 g), any vegetable side dish, a slice of bread.

Intermediate meals (lunch, afternoon tea, before bedtime):

diluted mineral water vegetable juices;
freshly prepared fruit (berry) purees;
butter bun, cake, any shortbread or biscuit cookies;
a handful of walnuts (raw sunflower seeds, dried fruits);
any low-fat fermented milk drink (yogurt, kefir, fermented baked milk);
cottage cheese cocktail with fresh fruits (berries);
decoctions from medicinal plants and their mixtures that stimulate appetite (mountain ash, rose hips, anise seeds, oregano, mint, nettle, marsh calamus, wormwood, etc.)

During the treatment of anorexia, it is important to observe a sufficient drinking regime - at least 1.5-2 liters of ordinary non-carbonated water per day.

Since, you can get rid of it only with the help of professionals (nutritionists, psychologists and other specialists). Most often, this will require inpatient treatment conditions, admission medications(antidepressants), individual or group psychotherapy.

is the speed of diagnosis. The sooner it is delivered, the greater the chances of restoring body functions and recovery. What is the treatment of this disease, and what are the forecasts of specialists?

How and where is anorexia treated - is it possible to treat anorexia at home?

In very rare cases, anorexia is treated at home. Because a patient with this diagnosis usually needs urgent medical and, most importantly, psychological help. How is the treatment of the disease, and what are the features of this process?

Treatment at home is possible. But only on condition constant close cooperation with doctors , compliance with all recommendations and exhaustion at the initial level. Read:
The main component of the treatment is psychotherapy (group or individual), which is a very long and difficult work. And even after weight stabilization psychological problems many patients remain unchanged.
As for drug therapy, those drugs are usually used, the effectiveness of which has been proven by many years of experience - metabolic agents, lithium carbonate, antidepressants etc.
It is almost impossible to cure anorexia on your own. – without the help of specialists in close connection with the family, it is impossible to do.
Treatment is complex and in without fail includes psychological correction. Especially for "severe" patients who, even at the risk of death, do not want to realize that they are sick.
In severe cases of the disease, treatment involves probe feeding , in which, in addition to food, certain additives (minerals, vitamins) are introduced.
Given that the basis of the disease is an inferiority complex, the best the prevention of anorexia is the education in children and in oneself of the correct adequate self-esteem and set priorities.

Features and rules of nutrition for anorexia; what to do to cure anorexia?

The key principles in the treatment of anorexia are psychotherapy, food regulation and education. And of course, constant medical monitoring and monitoring of the patient's weight. If the approach to treatment is timely and correct, then in most cases it is quite possible to fully restore the body.

What is the treatment for anorexia?

Constant surveillance nutritionist, psychotherapist and other specialists.
Strict adherence to all recommendations.
Intravenous administration of those nutrients , without which it is impossible to restore the functions of organs and systems.
In severe individual situations, it is indicated treatment in a psychiatric clinic until the patient has an adequate perception of his body.
Mandatory bed rest at the initial stage of treatment (physical activity causes a rapid loss of strength).
After assessing the "fatness" (nutrition status) is assigned comprehensive somatic examination, ECG monitoring and specialist consultations when significant deviations are found.
The amount of food shown to the patient is initially limited, and his increase gradually .
Recommended weight gain 0.5 to 1 kg weekly for inpatients, for outpatients no more than 0.5 kg .
The special diet of an anorexic patient is frequent and high-calorie meals for quick recovery of lost pounds. It is based on a combination of those dishes that will not become an excessive burden on the body. The dosage of food and caloric content increase accordingly the stages of treatment.
The first stage provides regularity of food with the exception of its rejection - only soft foods that will not become irritants to the stomach. Nutrition - extremely sparing and careful, in order to avoid relapse.
Nutrition expands after 1-2 weeks of treatment . In case of recurrence, treatment begins again - with the exclusion (again) of all products, except for soft and safe ones.
It is important to learn how to relax. With the help of the technique that is most suitable for the patient - yoga, meditation, etc.

Is it possible to fully recover from anorexia - the opinions and recommendations of doctors

Not every patient with anorexia is able to assess the severity of the disease and the mortal risk in the absence of competent treatment. Important - in a timely manner to understand that it is almost impossible to recover from the disease on your own. Books and the Internet give only theory, but in practice, patients are only rarely able to correct their actions and find a solution suitable for their situation.

What do experts say about the possibility of recovery from anorexia and the chances of a full recovery?

The process of treating anorexia is purely individual.. There are many factors on which it depends - the age of the patient, the duration and severity of the disease, etc. Regardless of these factors, the minimum treatment period is from six months to 3 years.
The danger of anorexia is the irreversible disruption of the natural functions of the body and death (suicide, complete exhaustion, rupture of internal organs, etc.).
Even with a serious duration of the disease, there is still hope for a full recovery. Success will depend on a competent approach to treatment, the main tasks of which are to eliminate the psychological prerequisites for habitual eating behavior and the treatment of the physiological tendency to such behavior.
One of the main tasks of psychotherapy is to eliminate the fear of losing weight control.. In fact, in the process of restoring the body, the brain itself fixes the lack of weight and allows you to gain exactly as many kg as the body needs for the natural functioning of all organs and systems. The task of the psychotherapist is to help the patient realize this and control his body in terms of intelligence.
Full recovery is a very long process. This needs to be understood by both the patient and his relatives. But you can’t stop and give up even with relapses - you need to be patient and go to success.

In the absence of serious pathologies, treatment in the hospital can be replaced by home treatment, but - doctor's supervision is still necessary!