What is ‘Bulimia Face’?

Reviewed by Clinical Director, Jillian Walsh, RD, RP

Please note: At Change Creates Change we do not use the terms such as ‘bulimia face’ or ‘bulimia cheeks’. However, we will for the purpose of this blog post.

Bulimia Nervosa is recognized as an eating disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Like all eating disorders, bulimia does not discriminate. It can affect folks of all ages, shapes, and sizes. Bulimia is characterized by periods of binging and purging.

Bingeing

A binge episode is when folks eat more than most individuals would eat in a similar time frame and situation. During a binge episode, folks will feel a lack of control over overeating. They may feel a lack of control over the amount of food they consume, or they may feel as though they can’t stop eating during a binge episode.

Purging

Purging behaviours (or compensatory behaviours) are used by folks living with bulimia to try and compensate for a binge episode and prevent weight gain. Examples of purging behaviours include self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics or other medications, fasting and excessive exercise. 

The two main characteristics are episodes of binging and purging. At Change Creates Change we recommend that folks who are living with bulimia use Binge-Purge Delay.

Emotional Symptoms of Bulimia Include: 

  • Disappearance of large quantities of food in a short period of time. This could indicate that your child is engaging in binge episodes.
  • Frequent trips to the bathroom, empty packages of laxatives or diuretics, excessive exercise, signs and/or smells of vomiting. This may indicate that your child is engaging in purging behaviours.
  • Extreme mood swings 
  • Fear of eating in front of people
  • Hoarding food

Physical Symptoms of Bulimia Include:

  • Change in weight (up or down)
  • Cuts on knuckles due to self-induced vomiting
  • Thinning, brittle hair
  • Dental problems such as tooth enamel erosion
  • Swelling around area of salivary glands (sometimes referred to as ‘bulimia cheeks’ or ‘bulimia face’)

Bulimia Face

When a person has been engaging in self-induced vomiting regularly and they suddenly stop engaging in the behaviour, their salivary glands in front of their ears (cheeks) may begin to swell. This makes their cheeks look swollen. The medical term for the swelling of salivary glands in the cheeks is called ‘sialadenosis’.

One of an individual's cheeks

How to Get Rid of ‘Bulimia Cheeks’

If an individual has swelling in their salivary glands it will disappear after a few weeks if the individual continues to not engage in self-induced vomiting. However, if the individual begins to self-induce vomiting again, the swelling will reappear if they stop engaging in self-induced vomiting.
In other words, to get rid of ‘bulimia cheeks’ an individual must stop engaging in self-induced vomiting.

Bulimia Long-Term Effects

There are several possible long-term effects of bulimia nervosa. These long-term effects are a result of the binging and purging behaviours. Early intervention is important as it can reduce the complications folks experience.

Possible Long-Term Effects Include:

  • Heart problems
  • Low bone density which can lead to osteoporosis
  • Digestive issues
  • Kidney issues
  • Esophagus and stomach issues

If you’re interested in learning more about the possible long-term effects of binging and purging, check out our Thinking of Purging? Consider This First blog post.

Where to Get Help

As we mentioned above, early intervention is very important for eating disorder recovery. Change Creates Change Eating Disorder Care is here to help you and your child navigate recovery. Click below to register for our free on-demand webinar hosted by our Clinical Director, Jillian Walsh, RD, RP.

References

Bulimia Nervosa. (n.d.). NEDA. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/bulimia 

Brown, C. (2021). The Physical Side Effects of Bulimia. Eating Disorder Hope. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/bulimia/the-physical-side-effects-of-bulimia 

Musick, S. (2021). Long Term & Short Term Consequences of Bulimia. Eating Disorder Hope. Retrieved August 17, 2021, from  https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/blog/long-term-short-term-consequences-bulimia 

Adhikari, R. & Soni, A. (2021). Submandibular Sialadenitis and Sialadenosis. StatPearls.  https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK562211/

Not Sure Where To Start?

Take this free 5-minute self-assessment to learn the steps you need to take next.

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Scroll to Top