Symptoms - Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa (often called bulimia) is an eating disorder and mental health difficulty.

Anyone can be affected by bulimia. But it's most common in young women and can start from the late teens.

Signs of bulimia

The main signs of bulimia are eating a large amount of food over a very short time and feeling a loss of control over eating.

You then rid your body of the extra food (purging) by 1 or more of the following:

• making yourself vomit
• taking laxatives
• excessive exercising
• fasting

Other signs of bulimia include:

• having a fear of putting on weight
• being very critical about your weight and body shape
• feeling very tense or anxious
• thinking about food a lot
• feeling guilty or ashamed, and behaving secretively
• avoiding social activities that involve food
• feeling like you have no control over your eating

You may also notice that you:

• feel tired
• have dramatic changes in weight
• have a sore throat from being sick
• have bloating or tummy pain
• have a puffy face

If you have bulimia you are also more likely to self-harm.

Binge-purge cycle

Bulimia is often a cycle of binge eating and purging. It's triggered by things such as hunger, sadness or stress.

Purging is when you remove the food from your body as quickly as possible, for example by making yourself vomit or taking laxatives.

You may set very strict rules for yourself about dieting, eating or exercising. Failing to keep to these leads to periods of over eating and loss of control.

You then feel guilty or ashamed and purge to get rid of the calories. This leaves you feeling hungry again and the cycle continues.

Complications caused by bulimia

Bulimia can lead to physical difficulties from not getting the right nutrients.

These can include:

• feeling tired and weak
• damage to teeth (caused by stomach acid after getting sick)
• irregular or absent periods
• dry skin and hair
• brittle fingernails
• swollen facial glands on your cheeks (caused by stomach acid after getting sick very often)
• fits and muscle spasms
• heart and kidney problems
• problems pooing - including always being constipated
• weak bones

When to get help

Help and support is available if you'r worried about bulimia.

If you're worried about someone else

Signs of bulimia in someone else can include:

• eating lots of food over a short period of time
• hiding food or eating in secret
• going to the bathroom a lot after eating
• excessively or obsessively exercising

If you're worried about someone else, encourage them to talk to their GP.

Causes of bulimia

The causes of bulimia and other eating disorders are not known.

But you may be more likely to get an eating disorder if you:

• or a member of your family has a history of eating disorders, depression, or alcohol or drug use
• have felt pressure from others about your eating habits, body shape or weight
• are overly concerned with being slim
• have anxiety, low self-esteem, an obsessive personality, or are a perfectionist
• have experienced trauma or abuse, especially in childhood