![]() Constipation, bloody stool, or diarrhea.Ĭurrently, no single cause has been determined for this disorder.Damage to the brain from eating lead or any other harmful substances.Esophageal tears caused by sharp or harsh objects like metal scraps.Infections caused by germs and parasites that enter the body after ingesting dirt or mud.Infections may damage the liver or kidneys.Consumption of abrasive items such as rocks might cause intestinal obstruction or tear.Lead poisoning from excess consumption of paint flakes. ![]() It can lead to the following complications: Consumption of non-food things on a regular basis can be harmful to your health. What Are The Complications Associated With This Disorder?Īccording to a study conducted by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) Statistical Briefs, “hospitalizations for pica increased by 93 percent between 19”. Bowel problems (constipation or diarrhea).Blood in the stool (it may be a sign of an ulcer in the stomach from eating non-food items).The individual consuming non-food items may experience some of the symptoms mentioned below: Consumption of non-food items can be really harmful to the body. Pica is characterized by the inability to stop eating non-food items for more than a month. Read More About Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Here What Are The Signs And Symptoms? Moreover, proper treatment under the guidance of a medical doctor can help the sufferer overcome the disorder and recover from potential side effects. However, in most cases the condition is temporary. The report states “In the spectrum of eating disorders, pica may be viewed as a derailment of food selection and a driven, often chaotic, form of ingestive behavior.” If this illness is not addressed, it can lead to nutritional deficiencies, intoxication, and parasitosis. Moreover, it may adversely affect physical & intellectual development in sufferers, along with chronic and acute medical complications leading to surgical emergencies. This is why, sociocultural, geographical, and developmental factors are considered while determining this eating disorder.Īccording to a report published in Psychiatric Times, pica may result in geophagia and lead intoxication in children. Furthermore, in some parts of the world, the consumption of such products and items may be culturally significant and acceptable. This is important as younger children often tend to eat substances with no nutritional value out of curiosity. To diagnose this condition, the sufferer should be at least 2 years of age and must engage in eating non-nutritive items or raw food ingredients for at least a period of one month. According to a recent 2020 scientific review 5, pica may occur “as an isolated disorder but there are instances when it may coexist with schizophrenia, OCD, and trichotillomania.” As for the mental disorder, a person with this condition may eat variable items from earth (geophagy), ice (pagophagia), raw starches (amylophagy), to charcoal, baby powder, eggshells and coffee grounds. ![]() Magpies 4 tend to incessantly collect and eat almost everything and can even ingest certain objects simply out of curiosity. ![]() The word Pica is derived from the Latin term “pica-pica,” referring to the magpie bird. This may be related to any deficiency present in the body. Studies 3 reveal that around 27.8% of women experience pica during pregnancy. Pregnant women are also known to have cravings for non-food items. The disorder can even occur in children and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities like autism. One German prevalence study 2 revealed that 12.3% of primary school children exhibit symptoms of pica at some point in their lives. However, there may be a problem if a youngster has progressed above his or her developmental stage and suddenly begins to consume non-food substances. They usually consume non-food items for the sole reason of being hungry. This disorder is more common among children between the ages of 2 to 7, affecting around 10 to 30% of young children. People with this condition have an uncontrollable urge to consume things that can be harmful for them, like – It can often result in certain health problems. It is repetitive non-nutritive ingestion that is developmentally inappropriate and occurs for at least a month. An individual may eat harmless items like ice or potentially harmful items like flakes of dried paint or pieces of metal. According to a 2014 study 1, pica is defined as “the act or habit of eating things that are not food”. Pica is a compulsive eating disorder where people eat items that have no nutritional value. ![]()
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