Why do you want to eat chalk, coal and other inedible things?
At different periods of life, a person can try many inedible things, but most often they eat :
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- ash;
- baby powder or talc;
- chalk;
- charcoal;
- clay, dirt or earth;
- coffee grounds;
- eggshells ;
- feces;
- hair, rope or thread;
- ice;
- starch, including linen starch;
- peeling paint;
- paper;
- small stones;
- pet food;
- soap;
- wool or fabric.
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Who most often wants to eat inedible things?
Cravings for inedible things can occur in any person, but are more common among:
- children under 6 years old;
- teenagers;
- pregnant women;
- people with certain mental illnesses.
People who periodically want to eat something inedible are often embarrassed or ashamed of the condition. Therefore, they may not tell their doctor about their eating habits and therefore not receive the necessary treatment.
Why do you want to eat inedible things?
Sometimes it’s normal to try something inedible on your teeth. But if a person regularly eats non-food items and cannot stop doing so, doctors talk about an eating disorder called pica . Sometimes the condition is also called allotriophagy.
Scientists and doctors still don’t know exactly why pica occurs. But they have identified several factors that cause people to eat inedible things.
- Nutrient deficiency.For example, iron , calcium and zinc.
- Medical conditions.These include pregnancy and sickle cell anemia.
- Mental health disorders.The most common group of conditions in which pica occurs are autism spectrum disorders. But the craving to eat inedible things can also appear, for example, with depression.
- For some people, eating non-food items helps calm them down , such as during a panic attack or severe anxiety .
- Negative conditions in childhood. Not muchresearch has been done on this topic , but there is still a connection. For example, at a younger age, pica is more likely to occur in children living in poverty and in those who are abused or neglected by adults.
Experts at the Cleveland Clinic suggest that the risk of pica may increase due to medications. But there are no studies on this topic, and it is not fully known how drugs affect such changes in eating behavior.
Also, eating inedible things may be a cultural trait. For example, in some countries, eating dirt is considered a religious practice . And a child can develop the habit of eating inedible things if someone in his environment does so.
What are the dangers of eating inedible things?
Many people with cravings do not experience any side effects, especially if the cravings are short. But if the habit persists or the person consumes non-food items instead of regular food, problems may arise.
Poisoning with toxic substances
Most often, people with pica experience lead poisoning , which is very dangerous. It can lead to loss of control over body movements, seizures, cranial nerve palsy, and damage to the optic nerve and brain. Metal can be contained in pieces of paint, ink on paper, chalk, and pottery glaze.
Toxins can also be present in seemingly safe things: fluoride toothpaste, paper and special “edible” clay.
Infections
This mainly happens to those who eat earth and clay. Moreover, microorganisms that cause infections can be very different. Bacteria, fungi, and parasites were found in samples sold through marketplaces around the world .
Symptoms may include: high fever, weakness and fatigue, cough, headache, nausea, vision problems, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, irregular heart rhythm, confusion.
Development of gastrointestinal disorders
The severity of the disease will depend on what exactly the person who is drawn to eat the inedible consumes. For example, ingesting washing powder can cause esophagitis and gastritis. And if you consume fabric, clay, hair or paper, constipation , intestinal obstruction, and bezoars occur.
Nutrient deficiencies
Non-food substances take up space in the stomach, which means they make you feel full. As a result, a person with pica does not eat regular food and does not get the nutrients it needs. Additionally, certain things can interfere with the absorption of micronutrients from food.
Eating clay combines both of these problems. It not only fills the stomach, but also forms a barrier in the intestines that prevents essential microelements from being absorbed.
Weight gain
Excess weight occurs when a person eats a lot of non-food items that are high in calories . For example, 100 grams of corn or laundry starch contains about 380 kcal. For comparison, a chicken burger from “Tasty and full stop” has 337 kcal, and pancakes with milk have 220 kcal per 100 grams.
Difficulty controlling sugar levels
This is especially dangerous for people with diabetes. Pica makes it difficult for them to control their blood glucose levels. Over time, this can lead to diseases of the heart and blood vessels, kidneys , and loss of vision.
Electrolyte imbalance
Electrolytes are minerals that we need to maintain fluid balance and acid-base levels in the body, absorb nutrients, and remove waste.
Eating clay, baking soda, ice and baking soda instead of regular food and water or in large quantities may cause imbalance symptoms:
- confusion and irritability;
- diarrhea or constipation;
- fatigue;
- headache;
- irregular or rapid heart rate;
- muscle cramps, spasms, or weakness;
- nausea and vomiting;
- numbness or tingling in the limbs, fingers and toes.
Oral diseases
Eating very hard substances such as ice, uncooked rice or wheat can damage your teeth. Sometimes there is even pain in the jaw. In addition, solid particles can scratch the gums and cause inflammation.
Fetal health problems in the womb
If a woman frequently eats non-food items during pregnancy, the fetus may suffer from nutritional deficiencies. The child may also develop other problems:
- Fluorosis is a change in the appearance of the enamel of unerupted teeth that develops due to fluoride toothpaste.
- Destruction of red blood cells and liver damage – occurs due to potassium chlorate and sulfur from match heads.
- An increase in the level of oxidized hemoglobin in the blood – in this condition, the fetal bloodstream cannot carry the required amount of oxygen, this happens due to the ingestion of naphthalene.
When is it time to see a doctor
There are several cases when you need to see a doctor as soon as possible. For example, if, due to the consumption of inedible foods, signs of the following conditions arise :
- Ascariasisis a parasitic infection, which is primarily accompanied by a dry cough, whistling and discomfort when breathing, shortness of breath, and bloody sputum . The temperature also rises and jaundice occurs.
- Electrolyte imbalancecan be recognized in the early stages by nausea and malaise, confusion, and headache.
- Heart rhythm disturbancesare when the heart beats irregularly, too fast or too slow.
- Early signs include nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, drowsiness, dizziness or weakness, headache, fever, trembling, difficulty breathing and excessive salivation.
- Intestinal obstruction– accompanied by abdominal pain, bloating and inability to go to the toilet .
If there are no dangerous symptoms, you should still talk about your condition with your doctor. The specialist will figure out why the patient wants to eat inedible things and tell him how to deal with it.
How is pica diagnosed?
In order for a doctor to diagnose pica, four conditions are important :
- A person must be fully mentally developed and able to distinguish food from non-food.
- The eating disorder persists for more than a month.
- There are no medical or psychological conditions that lead to eating disorders.
- There are no social or cultural reasons for humans to eat something that is inedible.
Pica is not diagnosed in children under two years of age or those who have iron deficiency anemia .
There are no specific tests that can detect pica. But your doctor may suggest a diagnostic test to determine the possible causes of your eating disorder. It can be like this: blood, urine and stool tests, x-rays, ultrasound, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.
How is pica treated?
In pregnant women, pica usually goes away on its own without treatment, as it does in most children.
Treatment for children with autism is often difficult to find. Therefore, doctors advise closely monitoring what the child eats and removing problematic items from the house.
Psychotherapy often helps adults . A specialist teaches a person with pica to pay more attention to the unpleasant consequences of eating non-food products and switch to other activities.
To reduce the risks of pica complications, your doctor may also prescribe :
- adjusting your diet to include more foods with zinc and iron;
- vitamins to replenish nutritional deficiencies;
- drugs against parasites, if a specific microorganism causing the infection is identified;
- in rare cases – antipsychotic
What you can do yourself if you want to eat inedible things
Try to throw away items that you usually eat during pica attacks. Or make it inconvenient to get to them.
Another way is to prepare a quick and convenient snack for yourself in advance and always have it on hand.
What can you do if you notice signs of pica in a child?
First, you need to go to the doctor to find out if it really is pica. If the condition has a medical cause, the specialist will suggest treatment options.
Monitor what your child eats and tell your doctor about it. This will make diagnosis easier.
Here’s what you’ll need to do at home yourself to reduce the chance that your child will eat something inappropriate:
- Pay attention to where and when children put non-food items into their mouths and try to avoid these situations. For example, if your child likes to eat dirt, take him to a slide or carousel instead of the sandbox. And if he prefers to eat paper, instead of drawing, build a construction set with him.
- Keep non-food items that your child frequently tries to eat out of his sight.
- Install locks on cabinets.
- Clean up often and make sure there are no objects on the floor that your child might want to eat.
- While on vacation, try to spend time together, but keep things that can be eaten away. For example, if a child likes to bite off paper, it is better to play with blocks instead of drawing.
- Practice identifying inedible or dangerous things with your child.