Location: Home » Disorders » Bulimia » Signs and Symptoms
Physical symptoms of bulimia can include:
- Abnormal bowel functioning
- Damaged teeth and gums
- Swollen salivary glands in the cheeks
- Sores in the throat and mouth
- Bloating
- Dehydration
- Fatigue
- Dry skin
- Irregular heartbeat
- Sores, scars or calluses on the knuckles or hands
- Menstrual irregularities or loss of menstruation (amenorrhea)
Emotional and behavioral symptoms associated with bulimia may include:
- Constant dieting
- Feeling that eating behavior can’t be controlled
- Eating until the point of discomfort or pain
- Eating much more food in a binge episode than in a normal meal or snack
- Exercising for hours on end
- Misuse of laxatives, diuretics or enemas
- Preoccupation with body shape and weight
- Having a distorted, excessively negative body image
- The need to keep examining, measuring, weighing, or checking one’s physical appearance. (This is not due to vanity but due to a need to check to make sure that a person’s body is not becoming “bigger” or “uglier” )
- Going to the bathroom after eating or during meals
- Hoarding food
- Is secretive about eating, hides food, or will not eat around other people.
- Increased time spent alone or isolation
- Increased symptoms of irritability, anger or hostility