Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that may have tragic consequences and cannot be ignored. It is also called "binge and purge syndrome". Basically bulimia is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating and recurrent purge episodes that occur at least twice a week for a period of three months.

Binge eating means uncontrolled consumption of a large amount of food (larger than a healthy person would consider as normal) in a short period of time. These episodes are often followed by depression, low self-esteem and shame. So they try to get rid of the eaten food or to avoid gaining weight after binge eating, using different unhealthy methods (purging). There are two types of patients with bulimia: purging and non-purging.

In the purging type the individual is constantly engaged in self-induced vomiting, or excessive use of purgatives, laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. In non-purging type individuals use other inappropriate compensatory behaviors, such as fasting (not eating anything for more than 24 hours), exigent dieting, or compulsory excessive exercises.

Bulimia can be difficult to discover because many ill individuals usually are binging and purging in secret. So it is important to know the most common bulimia symptoms. The signs and symptoms can be classified in psychological and behavioral signs and physical symptoms. Psychological and behavioral bulimia symptoms may include major depressive disorders
such as social withdrawal, irritability, insomnia, and anxiety.

Bulimic patients can often be hyperactive and impulsive that can manifest by exaggerate shopping or frequent change of sexual partners, which is the opposite to anorexics that usually have a reduced libido. Also, bulimic individuals are excessively interested in diets and different methods of weight loss. A severe self-criticism is characteristic to bulimic people and their self-esteem strongly depends on their body weight.

One of the first bulimia symptoms is a pathologically exaggerated desire to appear thin. Bulimic individuals that often have normal body weight or even are underweighted consider themselves fat and are obsessed about weight loss. The medical bulimia symptoms can have a different range of gravity, depending on frequency and severity of binge and purge episodes. Amenorrhea (the absence of at least three consecutive periods) can occur as a result of disrupted hormonal function.

Frequent self-induced vomiting can cause the formation of calluses and scars on the back of the hands and knuckles and also the stomach acid can provoke the deterioration of tooth enamel and the unusual swelling of the jaws. Malnutrition can result in brittle nails, hair loss, dry or sallow skin, weakness and fatigue, edema (swelling) of the feet or loss of sensation in the hands and feet. Also bradycardia (slow heart rate) can be present.

Bulimia is a relatively frequent eating disorder estimated to have a 10% mortality rate, so it should be considered seriously and be professionally treated.