Some people associate anorexia with women, and while 90-95% of cases are female, the condition has been known to affect men. Also called anorexia nervosa, this is a serious illness which poses a danger to the overall health of the body. It’s important to have as much knowledge as possible about it in order to seek appropriate treatments. Know that anorexia is unfortunately common, but if left untreated it can lead to weakness, trouble sleeping and fatality.
Anorexia?
Anorexia is a potentially life-threating eating disorder characterized by self-starvation to the point of excessive weight loss. It is an emotional and physical condition wherein the patient suffers and an extreme and abnormal fear of getting fat, causing them to have poor eating habits and treacherous rates of weight loss.
A key sign of an anorexic person is that they are tremendously underweight. While this doesn’t mean that everybody who is underweight has anorexia, it does mean that those who do have it are often dangerously skinny.
Anorexia can affect your health dramatically. Although extreme cases will need medical and possibly psychiatric assistance, there are a few home remedies you can try.
Symptoms of Anorexia
The symptoms of anorexia include:
- An overpowering importance of general appearance and physical perfection
- Frequent disorders in behavior, personality and mood
- Lack of self-perception
- Having obsessive thoughts about food
- Having problems interacting with some people
- Decreased concentrating and and inability to focus
- Disrupted sleep
- Depression and social withdrawal
- An unfounded and irrational fear of obesity
Normally, medical treatments for anorexia combine both outpatient care and hospitalization. There are times that severe cases of the condition may lead to the organ dysfunction and require immediate hospitalization. The main purpose of regular treatment is to prevent malnutrition, and it may require intravenous feeding.
Some of the most common regular treatments are:
- Family therapy
- Individual therapy
- Cognitive behavior therapy
- Group therapy
Home Remedies and Treatments for Anorexia
Here are some of the most effective treatments for anorexia:
Pineapple. Eating pineapple in the morning may spark cravings.
Massage. Massages relax the body and mind.
Mint. 2 spoonfuls of mint in the morning will act as a natural appetizer and increase your hunger.
Warm water. Warm water may help cleanse your digestive system and spark hunger.
Sour grapes. Aside boosting the appetite, these also help promote digestive health.
Garlic. Garlic helps cleanse the system and increase feelings of hunger.
Lemon. Lemon is one of the best cleansing agents, helping get the body back to optimum health.
Ginger. The ginger is a hunger enhancer. Furthermore, it is also beneficial in treating an upset stomach and stimulating the appetite.
Apple. An apple a day helps stimulating the surge of enzymes that digest protein, also known as pepsin. This is beneficial for digestion.
Final Thoughts
Anorexia is not simple. It is a mental disorder which warps the sufferer’s sense of self. It’s important to look of for signs of manifestation before it gets too severe.
