NaturalMedications

Home Medications and Treatments for Anorexia and Bulimia

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa is a common eating disorder that often starts with normal dieting to lose weight, but turns into a form of intentional starvation, causing a person to become dangerously underweight.  Anorexia usually starts in the mid-teens, although it can start at a younger or older age. An anorexic individual is obsessed with an irrational fear of gaining weight.  He or she utilizes extreme measures such as starvation, excessive exercise, diet pills, diuretics or vomiting to maintain thinness. The behavior of a bulimic individual is characterized by binging and purging.  A bulimic individual consumes excessive quantities of food, feels extremely guilty after-wards and relieves the guilt by taking purgative measures to vomit the previously consumed food. Women are more likely than men to have anorexia and bulimia - about 90 per cent of those affected are female. Young females often feel that thinness is necessary to obtain happiness and this is usually a direct result of society and the medias view of thinness and the ideal women.  People in professions where there is a particular social pressure to be thin (such as models and dancers) are more likely to develop anorexia during the course of their career.  It's estimated that about three or four people in every 100 have anorexia. Most deny they have a problem and many have depression. It can run in families.


Jump to - Symptoms, Causes , Treatment

Symptoms of Anorexia

Persons suffering from anorexia may refuse to eat and suffer from insomnia. In course of time, emaciation becomes severe.

Behavioral symptoms:

• Extreme exercising
• Social withdrawal
• Self-harm including substance abuse
• Refusal to eat in public
• Secretive behavior, especially when it comes to eating habits
• Hyper-sensitive, particularly when references are made to body weight
• Moodiness
• Obsessive behavior
• Extreme self-critiquing, including being too harsh on self, negative self-evaluation and low self esteem

Causes of Anorexia

People suffer from anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa when they habitually take a faulty diet and hardly do any physical work. It may also result from stress and strain such as domestic worry, emotional disturbances, difficult working conditions, and nervous disorders. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa can be caused by a combination of several social, psychological and biological elements.General body disorders and diseases also lead to this condition. 

Treatment Of Anorexia

Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are best treated with psychological and behavioral therapies because of the underlying psychological factors. 

TREATING ANOREXIA involves three main components:

• restoring the person to a healthy weight;
• treating the psychological issues related to the eating disorder:
• reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that lead to disordered eating, and preventing relapse.

Some home remedies that a caregiver can use to treat an anorexic or bulimic patient with are:

Anorexia Treatment using Oranges

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Oranges are an extremely useful remedy for anorexia. They stimulate the flow of digestive juices, thereby improving digestion and increasing appetite. One or two oranges a day are advised.

Anorexia Treatment using Lime:

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Lime is also a valuable remedy for restoring a lost appetite. A preparation made from this fruit and ginger has been found very effective in overcoming this condition. About one teaspoon of the juice of lime should be mixed with an equal quantity of the juice of ginger. One gram of rock salt should be added to this mixture. It should then be placed in sunlight For three days. A teaspoon taken after each meal will tone up the digestive system and improve the appetite.

Anorexia Treatment using Apples:

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Apples are another variety of fruit useful in anorexia. They help digestion by stimulating the flow of pepsin, a protein-digesting enzyme, in the stomach.

Anorexia Treatment using Garlic:

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Garlic possesses a special property to stimulate the digestive tone of the system and improve appetite. A soup prepared from this vegetable can be of immense help to a patient suffering from anorexia. Three or four cloves of raw garlic should be boiled in a cup of water. This soup can be reinforced with the juice of half a lemon and taken twice daily,

Anorexia Treatment using Ginger:

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The use of ginger is valuable in the loss of appetite. About five grams of this vegetable should be ground and licked with a little salt once a day for the treatment of this condition.

Anorexia Treatment using Sour Grapes

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Sour grapes are another effective remedy for anorexia.

Diet:

Eat small meals frequently throughout the day. A primary goal for treating anorexia is weight gain. A nutritionist is helpful, and can advise you on proper diet and eating regimens. Normal food intake for women and teens is 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day. Most patients regain 1 to 3 pounds per week. Most complications associated with anorexia are reversible as you gain weight.

The basic principles of a healthy diet are:

1. Eat a variety of foods.
2. Use unrefined foods.
3. Avoid chemicals and additives.
4. Eat foods low in sugar, fats, and salt and HIGH in complex carbohydrates, protein, and fiber.
5. Avoid drugs and stimulants, such as alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco. 

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