But for many, realising the damage the eating disorder could cause to their ability to have children (fertility) made them want to get better. When people were ill they could see their periods stopping as “a good sign” that they were losing a lot of weight. Some women had tested low levels of the female hormone oestrogen and others had irregular periods or their periods stopped for years. Malnutrition could cause hormonal changes. Laura said she didn’t feel as strong as she had before. People had been “ill all the time” and more prone to “coughs and colds” and other infections. Some people didn’t realise that their physical symptoms were the result of their eating disorder and had tests for other illnesses instead.īeing starved of nutrients weakens the immune system, which is what protects the body from illness. It was important for people to tell others about the "less glamorous" side of eating disorders as they felt that people weren’t aware of some of the effects. They also suffered from constipation which could leave them in “agony” Rob couldn’t walk properly because of severe constipation. They experienced a number of symptoms including' stomach aches, cramps and spasms, diarrhoea, indigestion, heartburn and feeling bloated. People bruise easily without enough platelets. Platelets are the tiny little blood cells that stop us bleeding. Without enough of these people can’t fight off infections – often people don’t even realise they have infections. White cells are a crucial part of the immune system. It could cause sores, chilblains and make people bruise more easily. Anaemia commonly affected the people we spoke to. Without enough red cells people are anaemic. Red cells are the ones which carry oxygen around the body in the form of haemoglobin. ![]() Poor circulation caused other problems too: it was very difficult for doctors and nurses to get a blood sample when the blood vessels had shrunk (constricted).Ī starved body can’t make as many red cells, white cells or platelets as a healthy body. Because of the loss of sensation, they could easily burn themselves in the bath because they didn’t sense the water was too hot. This meant they had to make changes to their life to adapt' Annabelle wore a thick duffle coat for the whole summer and Elene kept having repeated baths to keep herself warm. ![]() People were often permanently “freezing”. This can cause loss of sensation in the fingers, numb arms and legs and some people said their fingers and lips turned blue. As a result blood pressure drops and circulation of blood to extremities is poor. ![]() For instance, the heart beats more slowly and weakly, to protect its weakened muscle. When the body is starved it slows everything down to conserve the limited energy that is available. People suffered from low blood pressure and either a fast or a very slow heart rate (pulse). People with eating disorders can suffer from poor circulation of blood around the body as a result of lowered blood pressure.
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