Diabulimia is an eating disorder in people with type 1 diabetes where you intentionally skip insulin doses in order to lose weight. Experts warn that the disorder can lead to extremely dangerous complications of diabetes, including kidney problems, ketoacidosis, diabetic coma and even death. How is diabulimia manifested, what are its possible consequences and how is diabulimia treated?

Diabulimia - what is it?

Diabulimiais a term that was created from the combination of two words: diabetes and bulimia (the name of one of the eating disorders). Diabulimia affects patients with type 1 diabetes and consists of deliberately reducing or skipping insulin doses to maintain the current body shape or weight loss, and also modification of the menu - usually reducing the amount of food or skipping certain meals.

Officially, it is not a disease, but a non-specific eating disorder - according to according to the ICD 10 classification, it is an undefined disorder.

Who gets diabulimia?

Diabulimia usually affects adolescents and teenagers suffering from type 1 diabetes, as well as young women. Cautious estimates indicate that up to 20-30% of the population may be affected by this disorder. young patients with type 1 diabetes. In most cases, the disorder develops before the age of 25.

Causes of diabulimia

The causes of diabulimia are:

  • low self-esteem
  • disturbed self-esteem
  • incorrect body perception
  • not accepting the disease
  • paying too much attention to the external appearance.

Diabetes symptoms depending on its stages

Insulin responds to, inter alia, for carbohydrate metabolism, and the result of its deficiency is malnutrition of the body and a significant deterioration of vital functions. People with diabulimia are not able to properly control diabetes, which gives certain symptoms and results in many complications.

Diabulimia has different symptoms.

The classic symptoms of diabulimia that may be noticed by loved ones include:

  • focus on appearance
  • dissatisfaction with your weight and body shape
  • limiting the caloric value of meals
  • focusing on the amount of food
  • obsessive adherence to a low-calorie diet
  • fear of gaining weight
  • excessive physical activity.

In the course of diabulimia, there are also symptoms closely related to the "stage" of the disorder.

The first stage of diabulimia- the symptom may be:

  • headaches
  • deterioration of concentration
  • sleepiness and weakness
  • strong thirst
  • frequent urination.

All of these symptoms are related to high blood sugar levels.

Second stage of diabulimia:

  • weight loss (and weight loss)
  • gradual loss of muscle mass
  • symptoms of dehydration, including headache, dry mouth, and thirst.

The third stage of diabulimia- in this stage complications arise due to the lack of proper blood sugar control:

  • vision problems
  • kidney problems
  • recurrent viral, bacterial and fungal infections
  • decreased immunity
  • difficult wound healing
  • ketoacidosis
  • diabetic coma.

Untreated diabulimia can lead to death.

How to treat diabulimia?

Treatment of diabulimia is complicated. Since the cause of this disorder lies in the psyche,the basis of diabulimia treatment is psychotherapy , during which the patient has to work with the therapist on the problem - often the closest family members must also undergo therapy.

In some cases it is necessary to use anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications (which may be prescribed by a psychiatrist).

If a person with diabulimia is actually overweight (which is rare in the case of type 1 diabetes), it is necessary to lose weight jointly by a diabetologist and a dietitian.

During treatment, patients with diabulimia sometimes also need to have their insulin doses adjusted. In the treatment of diabulimia, and more specifically - in re-learning diabetes self-control - systems for continuous glycemic monitoring can be helpful, facilitating the "management" of diabetes, giving a sense of security and regaining control over the disease.

In some cases, your doctor may also recommend vitamin and mineral supplementation. If menstrual disorders are the result of underweight due to diabulimia, hormonal treatment may also be necessary.

Category:

Diabetes