Osteopenia occurs when there is a thinning of bone mass. Osteopenia is also considered to be the precursor of osteoporosis which is sometimes referred to as the brittle bone disease. Osteoporosis is caused by a loss of bone mass caused by a deficiency in Calcium, Vitamin D, Magnesium as well as other vitamins and minerals.
Bones break more easily and often do not heal appropriately in women who are also struggling with anorexia. The development of either osteopenia or osteoporosis in the younger anorexic is of. It is important to be honest with yourself and your support system, if you think you may be suffering from anorexia and have lost your period, talk with your family about what is going on and ask for help.
Seek help from professionals including mental health therapists, psychiatrists and medical doctors. Physicians will need to determine if any underlying medical conditions exist and which will help your future treatment team get you started. Mental health therapists that specialize in eating disorders can help you and your family understands your diagnosis and process with you ways to get better. Finally, remain hopeful. Women can and do get better. At times it may seem like it is taking forever, but know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
If you or someone you love is struggling with anorexia speak with your primary care physician or a treatment facility, such as The Renfrew Center, which specializes in this type of care. Jenifer T. Prior to joining Renfrew, Ms. Harcourt held various administrative roles at both psychiatric hospitals and outpatient treatment settings. She is specialized in working with clients with severe anxiety disorders as well as addictive diseases.
The opinions and views of our guest contributors are shared to provide a broad perspective of eating disorders. These are not necessarily the views of Eating Disorder Hope, but an effort to offer discussion of various issues by different concerned individuals.
The information contained on or provided through this service is intended for general consumer understanding and education and not as a substitute for medical or psychological advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All information provided on the website is presented as is without any warranty of any kind, and expressly excludes any warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by 4 essential features: Extreme restriction of food intake Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat Distorted body image Self- imposed starvation What Is Amenorrhea?
List of Partners vendors. Hypothalamic Amenorrhea is a commonly occurring medical condition in women of childbearing age with eating disorders. The body enters survival mode, periods stop, and women will not be able to reproduce. Learn more about what causes it, the consequences, and how it is treated. When an eating disorder is present, the most common cause of missing a period is hypothalamic amenorrhea HA. The hypothalamus is an area of the brain that plays a central role in maintaining the balance of body systems.
It receives input from throughout the body in the form of hormones and chemicals; it responds by secreting hormones that affect other organs including those involved in reproduction.
When the hypothalamus receives a signal that something in the body is off-kilter and needs addressing, it rebalances the body by releasing hormones into the bloodstream. An energy deficit occurs when a person eats too little compared with the energy they expend. A chronic energy deficit causes body mechanisms to conserve fuel for critical body processes. Less vital body functions are put on hold.
This includes reproduction, which can actually be hazardous to survival—when energy is insufficient, energy and metabolic functions suppress the release of ovarian hormones by the hypothalamus. A diagnosis of HA is only made after other causes of amenorrhea are ruled out. However, in the case of an eating disorder, HA is a likely cause, even when weight is not extremely low. The contributing factors to hypothalamic amenorrhea include energy imbalance, food restriction, weight loss, exercise, stress , and genetics.
Each person expresses these factors differently, and each factor contributes in varying degrees to the development of HA. Restricting the range of food eaten can contribute to the development of HA. Low-fat diets are a common culprit — our bodies need fat to function optimally.
Low weight and body fat percentage, as well as a history of prior weight loss, can be contributing factors. It is important to point out that some women lose their period at higher weights than others. Having lost a significant amount of weight 10 pounds or more —even years in the past—increases the risk for HA. This has been shown to be untrue: in a study of women with HA, the body mass index BMI at which they lost their period ranged from 15 to 25, with a median of Exercise contributes to HA by burning energy and leaving less available for body functions and also by increasing stress hormones including cortisol.
Chronic stress can lead to increased production of cortisol. High levels of cortisol also appear to stop the hypothalamus from releasing reproductive hormones. There is genetic variability in the various factors that determine the sensitivity of our reproductive systems to energy deficits and stress.
This explains why some people can continue to menstruate at relatively low weights, while others will lose their period at a much higher weight. It is estimated that HA affects approximately 1. The presence of secondary amenorrhea defined as the cessation of regular menses for three months or the cessation of irregular menses for six months used to be a diagnostic criterion for anorexia nervosa but was removed in the latest update of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM While the prevalence of amenorrhea is high among adolescent and premenopausal women with anorexia, it has been removed as a criterion for multiple reasons.
First, the predisposition to hormone dysregulation is variable—some women with very low weights continue to menstruate. Second, this criterion is simply not useful across the broader spectrum of those susceptible to anorexia, including men and females who are premenarchal, post-menopausal, or taking birth control pills.
HA results in estrogen deficiency and the cessation of the menstrual cycle in young premenopausal women. These effects can mimic menopause and all the physical and psychological changes that it works on the body. Short term consequences of amenorrhea include low estrogen and the accompanying hair thinning or loss, brittle nails, skin problems, low libido, and vagina dryness. One difficulty is that many women with HA, due to lack of bothersome symptoms, often feel quite well.
Thus, they may be reticent to seek treatment. Longer-term consequences include higher cardiovascular disease risk and threatened bone health. Low estrogen suppresses bone production, which can lead to bone loss, osteopenia loss of bone calcium , and increased risk of fractures. Amenorrhea can cause bone loss in as little as six months. Ovarian Function in Anorexia Nervosa.
Fazeli PK. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. Disclosure: Misra reports a financial relationship with Genentech. Read next. March 03, Receive an email when new articles are posted on.
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