Binge

Bulimia is the harder of the two eating disorders to detect, because people suffering from this disease are usually a normal body weight. Instead of starving, they go through a series of binging and then purging. These eating binges may occur as often as several times a day for many months. They cause a sense of self-disgust, which leads to purging.

Purging is done by self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, and abuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas to prevent weight gain. A person suffering from bulimia is at constant war with themselves and will continually weigh themselves to strive to perfection. It is not uncommon that both anorexia and bulimia can develop in one individual.

While most of the symptoms are present in both disorders, like electrolyte imbalance and dehydration. Bulimia causes erosion in the esophagus and tooth enamel, as well as damage to the salivary glands by repeated vomiting. Chronic gastric reflux after eating, electrolyte imbalance, which can lead to cardiac arrhythmia and cardiac arrest, gastroparesis or delayed emptying, constipation, enlarged glands in the neck, under the jaw line, and peptic ulcers are common in people suffering from bulimia.