by Jackie Hart, MD
Q: I have the craving to chew ice. Are there any side effects from this habit or alternative treatments for it?
A: The craving for and uncontrollable chewing of ice is a type of medical condition known as pica, which is defined as the urge to eat non-nutritive substances. About two-thirds of people with pica crave ice; the other one-third craves and ingests substances such as dirt, flour, aspirin, chalk, and detergent. (I even read the case of a woman with schizophrenia who ate over $175 worth of change!)
There dont seem to be any side effects or dangers from eating ice, but ingesting the other substances mentioned does pose significant risks. The only potential problem with consuming a lot of ice may be urinating often and the possibility of causing an imbalance of electrolytes from the large amount of water ingestion.
The first and most important step in taking care of your ice craving is to see your doctor to determine and treat the underlying cause. Pica, which is more common in children and women, particularly during pregnancy, often represents a nutritional deficiency, such as low levels of iron or zinc. When a persons iron levels are low long enough to cause pica, that person usually has anemia, as well.
Although the solution for pica is generally to find and treat the fundamental cause, sometimes no reason for the unusual yearning is identified, particularly during pregnancy, when cravings are common. In fact, some suggest that there is an evolutionary reason for the development of pica during pregnancy, claiming that pregnant women in ancient cultures ate some of the substances mentioned to alleviate morning sickness, suggesting that the cravings for these non-nutritive substances have somehow been passed down through the generations.
Anemia and electrolyte changes are common in pregnancy, though, so the first step is still to see your doctor and look for an underlying, treatable cause. If no underlying, treatable cause is found, there may be other options to curb the craving I came across an interesting study published in the Journal of Nurse Midwifery (May 1999 issue), in which homeopathy successfully stopped the cravings of pregnant women with pica.
Q: I have the craving to chew ice. Are there any side effects from this habit or alternative treatments for it?
A: The craving for and uncontrollable chewing of ice is a type of medical condition known as pica, which is defined as the urge to eat non-nutritive substances. About two-thirds of people with pica crave ice; the other one-third craves and ingests substances such as dirt, flour, aspirin, chalk, and detergent. (I even read the case of a woman with schizophrenia who ate over $175 worth of change!)
There dont seem to be any side effects or dangers from eating ice, but ingesting the other substances mentioned does pose significant risks. The only potential problem with consuming a lot of ice may be urinating often and the possibility of causing an imbalance of electrolytes from the large amount of water ingestion.
The first and most important step in taking care of your ice craving is to see your doctor to determine and treat the underlying cause. Pica, which is more common in children and women, particularly during pregnancy, often represents a nutritional deficiency, such as low levels of iron or zinc. When a persons iron levels are low long enough to cause pica, that person usually has anemia, as well.
Although the solution for pica is generally to find and treat the fundamental cause, sometimes no reason for the unusual yearning is identified, particularly during pregnancy, when cravings are common. In fact, some suggest that there is an evolutionary reason for the development of pica during pregnancy, claiming that pregnant women in ancient cultures ate some of the substances mentioned to alleviate morning sickness, suggesting that the cravings for these non-nutritive substances have somehow been passed down through the generations.
Anemia and electrolyte changes are common in pregnancy, though, so the first step is still to see your doctor and look for an underlying, treatable cause. If no underlying, treatable cause is found, there may be other options to curb the craving I came across an interesting study published in the Journal of Nurse Midwifery (May 1999 issue), in which homeopathy successfully stopped the cravings of pregnant women with pica.