People who binge eat large amounts of high calorie food at one sitting, but don’t purge afterward. Most are overweight.
Most of us overeat once in a while. But someone who binges tends to feel out of control and unable to stop eating, even to the point of pain. The person binges in secret, eating foods that seem “forbidden”: chocolate, cake, cookies, ice cream. A binge can last an hour or two and can add up to as many as 20,000 calories.
Amenorrhea: absence of a menstrual period for at least three months in a row.
Anemia: disorder in which blood has trouble bringing oxygen to your tissues and taking away carbon dioxide.
Anorexia nervosa: weight loss caused by eating too few calories, fasting, and exercising intensely.
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Doctor
Treatment programs for anorexia
Your most vital goal if you have anorexia is to regain lost weight. If weight loss is severe (if you weigh less than 75 percent of what’s normal for your age and height), the doctor will put you in the hospital. Otherwise, you can enroll in an outpatient program and go home at night.
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If you have anorexia or bulimia, you can stop it in its tracks by enrolling in a treatment program and eating and exercising in healthy ways. You can also learn to reduce stress and improve your relationship skills and self-esteem. These same steps may prevent an eating disorder from coming back.
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Anorexia and Bulimia
Anorexia And Bulimia
People with Alzheimer’s usually need part- or full-time care. Even in the early stages, their forgetfulness (which can cause them to leave things unattended on the stove, for instance) can pose a danger to themselves and others. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s can be a lonely, stressful, and depressing task for family members. In fact, caregivers are often called the second victims of the disease. If you are a caregiver, there are several steps you can take to make your job easier:
Help people with Alzheimer’s remain active and in touch with friends and family. Consider contacting an Alzheimer’s support group, which can help both of you.
Brain
Lots of problems can be mistaken for Alzheimer’s. Some of these can be prevented, treated, or even cured.
Stroke
A stroke occurs when blood flow to part of the brain is cut off, usually because of a blocked artery. When this happens, cells in the affected area of the brain may begin to die, causing problems with the abilities controlled by that area, such as walking, speech, and sometimes memory. These problems can come on suddenly, and problems such as paralysis may be limited to one side of the body. Memory loss is often not a major sign of stroke. The declines in Alzheimer’s, on the other hand, occur slowly and the major symptom at first is memory loss. The risk of a stroke can be lowered with lifestyle changes such as exercise, and with drugs to prevent blood clots or to lower blood pressure. If you’ve had a stroke, drugs and physical therapy can help.
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Acetylcholine: chemical thought to be involved in learning and memory. People with Alzheimer’s have very low levels of acetylcholine.
Agnosia: being unable to identify objects even though vision is normal.
Aphasia: being unable to use or understand words.
Apraxia: being unable to move or having trouble with movements, even though there is no damage to muscles or nerves.
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Since 1993, the FDA has approved three drugs to help people with Alzheimer’s: Cognex (tacrine), Aricept (donepezil), and Exelon (rivastigmine). All three drugs work by boosting the brain’s supply of the crucial chemical messenger acetylcholine. These medications won’t cure Alzheimer’s disease or stop its progression, but they can sharpen a person’s memory and make daily tasks easier to perform. The drugs work best for people with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s and may not help patients in the advanced stages of the disease.
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