EATING DISORDERS & HOMOEOPATHY

“EATING DISORDERS & HOMOEOPATHY”

Eating disorders are actually serious and often fatal illnesses that cause severe disturbances to a person's eating behaviors. Obsessions with food, body weight, and shape may also signal an eating disorder.

Eating disorder is sub divided into

ü  Anorexia nervosa

ü  Bulimia nervosa

ü  Binge

“ANOREXIA NERVOSA”

-          A condition in which there is a marked weight loss as a result of self-starvation.

-          Typically develops during adolescents, predominantly affecting girls.

v  Aetiology:

•     Unknown aetiology with a number of theories which are speculative.

•     Current social pressures to maintain a slim figure are thought to have been a predisposing factor to recently increased incidences.

•     History of obesity & extreme course of dieting after being teased by their friends.

•     Emaciation may be disguised by wearing loosely fitting clothes & hiding heavy objects when the weight is checked.

•     These subjects are physically overactive.

•     Associative features of Hypotension, bradycardia & peripheral cyanosis can be seen. 

v  Diagnostic criteria:

•     Weight loss of at least 25% of total body Weight.

•     Avoidance of High calorie food.

•     Amenorrhea for at least 3 months.

•     Distortion of body image, so that patients regard themselves as fat even when grossly underweight. 

v  MANAGEMENT:

•     Restore normal body Weight either as an in-patient or out patient.

•     A series of target Weight should be set with a final target within the normal range for patients Weight& Height

•     Psychotherapy

v  PROGNOSIS:

•     Short term prognosis is good, but long term outlook is less favorable.

•     Approximately 20% of individuals make full recovery, 20% remain chronically ill & 60% have recurring episodes.

•     Death occurs either from suicide or physical complications. 

v  Homoeopathic Management:

o   Mind - ANOREXIA nervosa

ARS.calc. Carc. caust. CHIN. hyos. Ign. lach.levo. merc. Nat-m.perh. phos. puls. rhus-t. Staph.SULPH.tarent. verat.

o   Mind - ANOREXIA nervosa - refuses, to eat

ars. bell. caust. cocc. croc. grat. HYOS.Ign. KALI-CHL. kali-p.op. PH-AC. Phyt. plat. puls. sep.TARENT. VERAT.VIOL-O.

“BULLIMIA NERVOSA”

v  A condition alternating with self-starving, eating large amounts of food & self-induced vomiting.

v  Weight is normal & exclusively confined to women.

v  Diagnostic criteria:

Ø  Recurrent episodes of eating.

Ø  Lack of self-control on overeating.

Ø  Self-induced vomiting

Ø  Weight almost maintained with in normal limits. 

v  MANAGEMENT:

ü     Psychotherapy 

v  Homoeopathic Management:

o   Mind - BULIMIA

arg-n. Carc.ign. iod. med. nat-m. Phos.puls. staph.

                                         Binge-eating disorder

People with binge-eating disorder lose control over his or her eating. Unlike bulimia nervosa, periods of binge-eating are not followed by purging, excessive exercise, or fasting. As a result, people with binge-eating disorder often are overweight or obese. Binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S.

Symptoms include:

• Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time
• Eating even when you're full or not hungry
• Eating fast during binge episodes
• Eating until you're uncomfortably full
• Eating alone or in secret to avoid embarrassment
• Feeling distressed, ashamed, or guilty about your eating
• Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss

                                              “PICA”

v  The persistent eating of non-nutritive substances like paint, plaster, hair, cloth, sand, leaves, soil is called pica. It is frequently associated with mental retardation or vitamin/mineral deficiencies. Complications are usually medical, like lead poisoning, hair-ball tumors, intestinal perforation, etc. It usually remits on its own. Other forms of treatment are aversion therapy, over-correction and supplementation of vitamin deficiencies.

v  Homoeopathic Management:

o   Food - PICA, desires to eat sand, slate, earth, etc.

ALUM.Alumn.CALC. calc-p.chel. cic. con. ferr. hep. hyos. ign. nat-m. NIT-AC. Nux-v.oci. psor. sil. sulph. Tarent.