Swollen Glands and Your Bulimia
One of the biggest worries for a bulimia sufferer is the chubby appearance of their face. It is often more worrying than the constant hoarseness of their voice or a sore throat, which is typically inflicted upon people with bulimia nervosa. If you are suffering from swollen glands in your face and feel the need to jump straight into a diet or food restriction in an attempt to bring the size back down..then you need to think twice!
Swollen glands in your face such as the Lymph nodes, Salivary glands and Parotid glands, are one of the tell tale signs and common side effects of bulimia. Often this is brought about by frequent bingeing and purging, which aggravates areas of your face and neck. By now you may have noticed the direct correlation of your chaotic binging and vomiting, and the prominent gland enlargement.
Unlike the swollen glands that occur in a healthy person indicating invasive infection, in a bulimia sufferer the enlargement of your face and glands are due to your natural body’s defense mechanism, to counter the damage caused by constant attack from the stomach acids like Hydrochloric acid. This onslaught or irritation is what gives that permanent look of a round face that most sufferers despise as it makes them feel “fat”. The fact that the rest of your body feels normal or proportionate may go unnoticed or fail to give you any comfort. Instead your bulimia pre-occupation or obsession fuels you to enter into a compensatory behavior such as dieting, food restriction, over exercising laxative or diuretic abuse.
Unfortunately, your body can only go about reducing and normalizing the shape and size of your glands, if the behavior of bingeing and purging dramatically reduces or stops all together. The rate of swollen gland recovery time will depend very much on your own body’s ability to reverse the damage done in the area of your throat, jaw, mouth and upper gut (Oesophagus). Swelling, bleeding, or ulcers including losing your voice and being more prone to sore throat and infection in this region are all good indicators that bulimia behavior is costing you your slim facial appearance that you want so much.
If the size and shape of your face concerns you enough to take action’ you will need to be fully receptive and committed towards your bulimia treatment and bulimia recovery. There are no halfway compromises about stopping your face swelling and keeping your eating disorder alive. Decision to sacrifice the benefits of bulimia is necessary, as even on the rare occasion of bingeing and purging the round and fuller face will come back in matter of minutes!
The good news is that you can decide to get help for your bulimia and gradually stop this very damaging behavior all together, whilst gaining self confidence, great body image and a beautiful face that you can be happy seeing in the mirror.
To learn more about support for eating disorders and how to stop binging & purging, go and read about the different bulimia treatments.
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I want to thank you for this article. It has really motivated me to try to recover from my bulimia once and for all.
I have been bulimic since I was 11 years old. I am 22 years old now, so it has literally been a part of my life for half my life. It’s hard to give up, and my swollen face is a major factor to recover from this illness. It’s funny how no other risks have motivated me to give up…or perhaps they have and the swollen face factor was the last straw.
I have been to rehab when I was 16 and was rushed to hospital from near cardiac arrest when I was 18. Nothing helped for me. I guess I needed to decide to get well on my own terms, when I was ready, as opposed to having family and friends breathing down my neck for many years telling me that I had to recover.
I am very motivated now, and haven’t thrown up in 2 days so far. This is already a great accomplishment because from the age of 11 to 21 I didn’t keep down a single meal, not even fruit. I don’t know how I managed to stay alive, but here I am. Since I was 21, I have been keeping down a whole grain roll with raw mushrooms, tuna and raw onions on. I haven’t kept down anything else until two days ago. I’m afraid that I gain weight and relapse. I am starting slowly and eating small, non-fat meals like salad and healthy food. I am dreading the weight gain and hope that I won’t put on too much, but I have faith. I believe it’s time to get healthy now. My teeth are rotten and I don’t want any further damage to be done to my body, after all, I can’t get another body if I ruin my own.
I want to thank you, again for the advice and guidance. I look forward to the day that I don’t have to be afraid that I might die one day soon. I don’t want to think today may be my last day. I want to be healthy and happy.
Dear Jen,
Weldone ! What a marvellous start you have made! You have managed to nail in those two days..and perhaps even more more by the time you read this response!
Now you have proved it your self, given the right motivation YOU CAN change!! Congratulations!
The key is to appreciate and celebrate even the smallest of our victories..TWO whole day break, given the bulimic life style you have been dealing with, IS truly something you can acknowledge and be proud of Jen.
You are right, it may be this swollen glands that gave you that ultimate push..or build of many combinations of things like you said..whatever it is, the point is something finally made that SHIFT in you to want to give up your bulimia and set your self on a path of recovery. That is the most important thing! So credit to you!!
Jen you are also right, often out of our mobid fear of gaining weight, or it being our possible last day can paralise us from taking the necessary ACTION..there lies your biggest block to success..this vicious cycle.
My advice to you, is take each day and do your best to hang on to the resolve you have now..and keep reminding your self of all the wonderful things you stand to gain, experiences and enjoy in life that under your bulimic mindset , you wouldn’t have a chance of .
Don’t be afriad to seek outside support from your friends and family or even from a professional therapist that specialises in Bulimia recovery.
It is this 1st decidion that is hard, then you just have to continually work on your self, body confidence, boundaries, healthy eating plan, planning to events that has trigger written all over it and so on..A qualified specialist will be able to guide you through these shifts and changes you need to adopt to make your two day success in to a life long success that you can truly look forward to..
I wish you every succcess and happiness Jen..AND others like you, embarking on bulimia recovery! Good luck!
with warm wishes
Vathani
Bulimia Specialist
I have been recovery for just over a year now, October the 1st marked 1 year for me. Like Jen the swollen face and glands was a major contributing factor to my recovery, that and the shire tiredness of it all. I’m so glad i did thought, there were times when i thought ‘i’m never going to be normal again’.
Now i pretty much eat what i like, though i try and stay healthy, I dont have chocolate but thats about the only thing i dont have.
I was bulimic for about 6 years and anorexic for about 6 months, when i stopped my glands became alot worse, but thats what happens in recovery, a test i believe. I guess I did alot of damage to my glands because they still cause me trouble, it really gets me down, some days they are worse than others. But I have faith that they will get better.
My swollen glands aren’t too upsetting, since I’ve whittled down to just below the published BMI chart in the USA (5′10″ @ 120 lbs). They are not noticed by others. I congratulate others in recovery – who have broken the vicious habit. Going two days without BN is rare and very worthy!
Would that I had my druthers I’d opt for more AN than BN – tho I know neither is best. Happy holidays,
Frederic
Apalachicola, FL USA
Hi!
I also want to thank you,both for this article and for the whole project.
I’m italian,(I hope you understand my english…) 27 years old and bulimic since I was 19.
I have many reason to stop that, I had period in which I won this, but recently I went again inside of it. I don’t let me down,I know that I will succeed and I know that I need time. But my swollen glands are still large…even in the period I stopped, and I am very afraid that they will remain like this for all my life!…I want back my real face!and also I am very afraid about the gland cancer..There is something I can do for accelerate the process of recovery of my glands?
Do you think there is a possibility that they will never go back to the normality?
Furthermore,I have another question:I am graduated in medicine,and of course I wanted to know more about this problem, but even I looked so much for the mechanism of this glands enlargement, I didn’t find anything but only some words about”defense from the acid of the stomach”.But I need more detail!!
Can you suggest me some book or some site in which I can find some more detail? I would like to know the exact, molecular mechanism of this hyperplasia(or is hypertrophy?)
I will wait your answer, and most of all, I do congratulation to you for your work, really deeply from my heart.
Violet
Dear David and Frederic,
Thank you for writing in…Weldone on your ongoing recovery ..Keep up the good work folks!
Hi Violet,
Weldone also to you for proving to your own self that recovery is well within your capacity..You have already demonstrated it before in your life ..You just have to perserve with it each and every day..that’s what gets you result!
As for getting hold of resources on glands…I am puzzled as to why you are not able to get some information on the subject, given you will have wealth of information at your fingertips..being a medical graduate..
Do look for Physiology books written by Guyton with title “Human Physiology and Mechanisms of disease” or any research material written by Fairburn..Two very good source.
Hyperplasia (where the cell increase) often caused by a hormonal reaction..This acid reflux is more of a hypertrophic reaction (swelling ) directly due to acid attack and your body’s own response to reduce it.
Violet, as for accelerating your reovery process, you above all people know..there’s only ONE way to allow for your body to recover and that is to allow “time” needed for it to mend it’s own self in the abscene of further bingeing and purging ..Depending on your own recovery and immunology, time will be a short one or a slow healing process. That rests in your hands alone …
So don’t wait another moment wondering , just take ACTION to recover now! Get help to support you achieving this if you have to..it all will be worth it in the end!
Wishing you healing & recovery,
Vathani
hi…i thank you also for this article. I have been bulimic for about 4 years now. It began when i was 14 and i am now 18. it has just gotten worse over time. but i have taken a step to finally be free from it. i have a food diary and keep it with me at all times. it helps a lot. i told my mom and just letting her know and not have to hide it has helped so much. i want to get a book somehow but am not sure what kind of book would be good. do u have any suggestions??
Thank you for this article
I’m 16, relatively healthy, yet think i have been semi bulimic for 2 years; i dont purge all the time, but do so when im stressed, or bored, or when i have eaten something i fear will make me put on weight, as i have suffered weight problems since childhood. I have recently started to notice my jaw line looking less defined, and swollen, and from this article i can tell it is from the bulimia. I also suffer mild jaw discomfort possibly caused by bulimia, with the constant act of purging and induced vomiting; sometimes i find opening my jaw wide painful and difficult, and i fear it has aggravated teeth grinding during my sleep, causing my teeth to wear down and have very straight edges.
I don’t feel this is a dangerous problem for me now, as the effects aren’t too irreversible, yet i want to try to stop this. I am fully aware of the consequences of bulimia, and i try to bypass the effects, i.e purging after 30 mins, so digestion has not begun and stomach acid isnt brought up, or attempting to regularly brush and floss teeth to keep them healthy. Yet i have pathetically poor will power…..This is definitely a mental issue…..
suggestions please?
ive already gained 10 lbs in 1 week of not purging. i dont know if it’s fluid or fat, but i am noticeably larger (people have commented). i eat minimal calories and exercise compulsively for hours a day. i dont know how i’m gaining this fast but it’s scaring me horribly because last time i attempted recovery i gained a huge amount super rapidly and i cant deal with that happening again because i never lost it when i spiraled back into starving and purging. my jaw and neck suddenly hurt and i dont get why thats happening now that i’ve stopped purging.