Eating Disorders

What are eating disorders? 

Eating disorders include the following conditions: 

Pica 

Pica compels you to eat items other than food, even if they’re dangerous. 

Rumination syndrome 

Rumination syndrome causes you to regularly regurgitate food, which you may chew and swallow or spit out. 

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (ARFID) 

ARFID develops in people who avoid certain foods due to sensory issues. 

Anorexia nervosa 

People with anorexia nervosa believe they’re overweight regardless of their real weight. They compulsively lose weight by severely restricting the amount they eat, purging (vomiting) after eating, taking laxatives, and/or exercising excessively. 

Bulimia nervosa 

Bulimia nervosa is defined by binging (eating an excessive amount of food in a short time), followed by purging to eliminate the calories. 

Binge eating disorder 

If you have this disorder, you regularly engage in binging, but you don’t purge, often resulting in weight gain. 

What health problems develop because of eating disorders? 

Eating disorders frequently occur together with mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. Purging causes dehydration, nutritional deficiencies, and electrolyte imbalances. (Electrolytes are minerals that keep your heart, brain, and muscles working.) 

The severe lack of food consumed by people with anorexia nervosa causes many serious health problems, including:

• Anemia
• Weak immune system
• Thinning bones (osteoporosis)
• Muscle wasting
• Low blood pressure
• Slow breathing
• Drop in body temperature
• Lethargy (feeling tired all the time)
• Irregular heartbeat
  
  

Without treatment, anorexia eventually leads to organ failure. 

How are eating disorders treated? 

At DuPage Psychiatric Care PLLC, patients receive holistic care from a team of caring professionals. As an affiliate of Labcorp, the team can run blood work and get prompt results, giving them essential information about your overall health and nutritional deficiencies. 

As skilled physicians, the team’s psychiatrists quickly identify severe health concerns and refer you or your teen for intensive medical care if needed. 

Your provider creates a customized treatment plan that includes medication management, therapy, and an eating plan you or your teen can tolerate that restores healthy eating habits. 

When treating eating disorders in teens, the team works closely with parents, teaching them how to support their child’s emotional needs and help them journey back to optimal health. 

Call DuPage Psychiatric Care PLLC right away or use the online booking feature to request an appointment and begin crucial treatment for eating disorders.