Can Bulimia Cause Cancer?

Bulimia is an eating disorder that mostly affects women, but this does not rule out the possibility of it affecting males as well. People suffering from bulimia overeat and then start to regret having eaten so much food in such a short amount of time, and they will begin to look forward to reducing weight as a result.

Individuals suffering from bulimia are very worried about their weight gain and the appearance of their bodies. It is identified by binge eating followed by purging.

In order to understand Bulimia, you must first understand what binge eating and purging are.

When a person consumes enormous amounts of food in a short period of time, it is usually a sign of binge eating and purging is the process of removing food from your body that you consumed during binge eating.

People with low self-esteem and a strong need to maintain control over key aspects of their life, such as their weight, are more likely than others to develop bulimia in adolescence.

They are often preoccupied with eating, which includes the quantity of food they consume as well as the number of calories and fat in it.

Bulimia is characterized by a cyclical pattern in which someone sets unrealistic expectations for oneself (such as achieving a perfect score on every test they take), and when they fail to meet those objectives, they binge and then purge in an attempt to "cure" the overeating.

Individuals suffering from bulimia will also try to control their weight in other ways, such as by taking stimulants, participating in excessive physical activity, and embarking on extreme diets such as "water fasts," in which they consume only water.

That was a brief introduction to bulimia; now let's look at its symptoms, causes, and whether or not it may lead to cancer.

 

Symptoms

These symptoms of binging and purging associated with bulimia nervosa can be confused with those associated with another eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, in which they may also binge and purge.

However, the primary distinction between these two eating disorders does not have anything to do with the act of bingeing and purging, but rather with the weight of the individual experiencing the disorder.

Those suffering from bulimia are often of normal or overweight weight, while people suffering from anorexia are of underweight weight.

Consequently, individuals may more readily conceal the fact that they suffer from bulimia, and it is also possible that someone will begin with bulimia and then progress to anorexia over time.

These are the symptoms of Bulimia

·       Becoming self-conscious about your physical appearance and body weight.

 

·       Being unable to move because of the fear of gaining weight

 

·       Consistently consuming abnormally large amounts of food in a single sitting

 

·       When binging, you may have a sense of helplessness, such as being unable to stop eating or being unable to regulate what you consume.

 

·       Forcing oneself to vomit or overexerting oneself in an attempt to prevent gaining weight after binging are both poor decisions to make.

 

·       When laxatives, diuretics, or enemas are used after a meal, they should not be used unless absolutely essential.

 

·       In between binges, you may want to experiment with fasting, calorie restriction, or skipping certain foods.

 

·       Excessive use of dietary supplements or herbal products for the aim of weight loss.

Causes

It is not known what causes bulimia in particular.

It is possible that a variety of variables have a role in the development of eating disorders. These factors include genetics, emotional well being, social expectations, and a variety of other factors.

In terms of the underlying reasons of bulimia, research into twin and adoption studies has shown that it has a hereditary component.

However, there is also evidence that there is a significant social component to the phenomenon.

Bulimia is most often diagnosed in adolescence or early adulthood, which coincides with the period during which people begin to pay attention to the media. Individuals and cultures with greater media exposure have higher rates of bulimia than those with lower media exposure.

The development of bulimia may be caused by heredity, or it may be caused by a traumatic incident or a bad life experience that leads to the individual turning to the activity as a coping mechanism.

 

We have now arrived at the most anticipated part of this article:

Can Bulimia Cause Cancer

In order to purge after overindulging in food and drinks, the overwhelming majority of those who suffer from bulimia force themselves to vomit.

Vowing to the frequent exposure to stomach acid, vomiting causes the oesophagus to become increasingly exposed to greater concentrations of stomach acid over time as a result of repeated exposure.

When acid comes into touch with the lining of the oesophagus, it may cause acute esophageal irritation and inflammation to develop.

Barrett's oesophagus is a disease that develops as a result of a chronic inflammation of the oesophagus.

Esophageal cancer is increased in those who have Barrett's oesophagus, which is regarded to be a precancerous disease.

Barrett's oesophagus is a condition that does not always result in any symptoms being experienced. It's also possible that your symptoms are the same as those linked with a separate condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

A major cause of the illness, Barrett's oesophagus, increases your chance of getting esophageal cancer because of abnormalities in the lining of your stomach that are caused by exposure to stomach acid, which is also a common cause of the disease.

It seems that bulimia may be a risk factor for esophageal adenocarcinoma even in very young individuals, as shown in this case.

In this video, Robb Wolf brilliantly explains why stopping junk food is difficult.

 

Treatment

The treatment of bulimia nervosa is a combination of medical and psychological interventions 

·       Psychotherapy

·       Food and dietary advice

·       The involvement of the patient in a therapeutic environment

The first goal is always medical and psychological stabilization, and then, after a person has been rested and replenished, and their brain is back online, the second priority is to begin the healing process.

In order to benefit from evidence-based psychotherapy models, behavioural therapy groups, and curriculum, people may begin to join in a therapeutic community and engage in a range of food experientials, such as going on a restaurant trip, shopping, or learning how to cook once again.

Because many bulimics are of normal weight, it is not always apparent that they are suffering from bulimia nervosa; their bodies seem to be in good condition.

This section contains answers to some frequently asked questions regarding bulimia and its relationship to cancer, as well as basic information about bulimia.

 

Q. Does bulimia cause cancer?

A. According to some studies published in Cancer Epidemiology, having been hospitalised for an eating problem such as bulimia increases your risk of getting esophageal cancer.

Q. Can bulimia cause esophageal cancer?

A. Yes, bulimia have the potential to cause esoophageal cancer like Barrett’s esophagus

Q. Can bulimia cause stomach cancer?

A. It is possible that bulimia may cause lasting damage to your stomach and intestines, resulting in additional issues such as constipation, diarrhoea, and irritable bowel syndrome, but there is currently no evidence that it will cause stomach cancer.

Q. Can bulimia cause Barrett's esophagus?

A. A common complication of bulimia is Barrett's Esophagus. This condition is characterised by abnormal cell development and malignant tumours on and around the oesophagus as a result of recurrent vomiting, which may create symptoms comparable to chronic acid reflux.

Q. Does bulimia shorten your life?

A. Eating disorders often shorten a person's life expectancy. Individuals suffering from an eating problem such as anorexia or bulimia have a substantially increased chance of dying prematurely when compared to the general population.

Q. Do bulimics lose weight?

Bulimics may have normal body weights despite their eating disorder. Anorexia results in a significant calorie deficit, which results in significant weight loss. People who suffer from bulimia may have periods of anorexia, but they tend to eat more calories overall as a result of their bingeng and purging behaviours.

Q. What are the warning signs of bulimia?

A. Binge eating episodes that occur on a regular basis. Vomiting that is brought on by oneself. Laxatives and diuretics are being misused. Complaining about one's physical appearance, Expressing feelings of remorse or shame over one's eating habits, Depression and Irritability.

Q. Is bulimia bad for your heart?

A. Purging on a regular basis may result in dehydration. This results in weakened muscles and severe exhaustion. It may also cause your electrolytes to get out of balance, putting additional pressure on your heart. This may result in an irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia) and, in more severe instances, a weakened heart muscle and heart failure, among other complications.