Despite being an unknown condition, Pica is part of the eating disorders (ED). What is it and how does it manifest in a person?
In recent years, information and awareness about eating disorders has increased, demonstrating that they are very delicate conditions related to mental and nutritional healthand that if presented, they may have severe consequences on the physical and emotional condition of people.
Despite this, almost all attention has focused on the and but there are many other disorders that should also be mentioned and made known, one of these is Pica.
Do you want to know if you have an eating disorder? Find out.
What is Pica?
The most common definition that we find about this disorder is that those who present it repeatedly and insistently ingest elements that have no nutritional value. If we put it in simpler words, this means that people with Pica They constantly eat things that are not considered foodregardless of whether they feel good or bad.
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What do these people eat?
Research has shown that these people can reach ingest all types of elements, from those that are not dangerous such as ice to those that can be very toxic and dangerous when consumed. This is a list of the most common:
- Land
- Mud or clay
- stones
- Paper
- Ice
- Crayons
- Hair
- paint chips
- Chalks
- Stool
- glue
- Soap
- ashes
- Sand
- Buttons
In this list we bring together only the most common items that have been found being consumed by people with Pica; Nevertheless, they are not the only ones. This way, If a person insistently eats any item that is not considered food, it is very possible that he or she has Pica.
Why does this condition occur?
No single cause has been identified for Pica. According to several investigations, a relationship has been found between this disorder with some physical conditions, as well as with other mental health disorders.
For example, it has been seen that the Anemia can lead some people to have a deficiency in their iron levels, which in turn leads them to have “cravings” for elements that can make up for this deficiency.. Furthermore, it has been seen a association between pica and some extreme diets and situations of malnutrition, since eating these strange elements can help the person feel satisfied.
On the other hand, it has been seen that people with certain mental illnesses, such as can develop pica as a strategy for emotional regulation and management.
Lastly, there are cultural issues that may justify this intakeFor example, in some cultures eating mud is accepted behavior. This form of pica is called geophagy.
What consequences can this condition bring?
People who have this disorder can develop different problems in their physical health, this depends a lot on the substances or elements they prefer to eat, but some of the most common consequences are:
- Anemia due to iron deficiency because what they consume fills them up, but does not have any nutritional value.
- Poisoning since they consume some elements that may contain lead or other toxic substances.
- Constipation or diarrhea by eating things that the body cannot digest (like hair).
- intestinal infections by eating soil or feces that contain parasites or worms.
- Intestinal obstruction by eating things that clog the intestines.
- Injuries or wounds to the mouth or teeth by eating sharp or too hard items.
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How is it treated?
The first thing that will be done for the course of treatment, in these cases, is to carry out a complete evaluation to define if there are physical or psychological causes for Pica. With the result it will be determined if a medical, psychological or combined management for that matter.
Some people find in multivitamin complex an improvement and they stop feeling the “cravings” for consuming strange things; However, in other cases it is necessary to work hand in hand with a mental health professional who will use therapeutic strategies to generate a change in eating behavior.
Therefore, if you or someone you know may be going through this, we recommend that you seek support from a health professional to identify what may be causing it and how it should be managed. Call us or write to us at 3330333588, our attention is completely free.