Anorexia Affects The Heart
February 2, 2009 by jody
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Anorexia affects the whole body, when the body is deprived of the nutrients that it requires it will start using muscles for energy. Due to the fact that the heart is a muscle, it will over time lose its ability to do normal functions.
When a person becomes anorexic their heart starts to beat at a slower rate causing a multitude of problems. As a result of the problems they can go into shock and low blood pressure will also occur.
When depriving the body of the food that it needs, iron deficiency develops. The lack of iron will lead to anemia, which will make delivering oxygen throughout the body more difficult. The result of the anemia will be exhaustion, shortness of breath as well as heart infections and palpitations.
A poorly-functioning cardiovascular system also may be vulnerable to orthostatic hypotension, a sudden drop in blood pressure upon sitting up or standing. If you’ve ever donated blood and left the chair too quickly, you may have experienced similar symptoms. These include dizziness, passing out, blurred vision, headaches, and a pounding heart.
For more information on this growing problem click here Anorexia.
