Not Only Damaged Teeth, The Hobby Of Touching Stone Ice Is A Sign Of This Health Disorder

JAKARTA - Have you ever felt like chewing ice so much that it becomes a daily habit? This condition is known as pagofagia. Although it sounds trivial, it turns out that a strong urge to constantly chew ice can be a sign of health problems, especially lack of nutrition.

Reporting from the WebMD page, pagofagia is a strong and repeated desire to chew ice cubes, ice flakes to ice sheets frozen from the freezer.

This condition is included in pica, which is the behavior of eating objects that are not nutritious food such as soil, paper, or lime. The difference is in pagofagia, consumers like ice.

If you only occasionally bite the ice left over from the drink, it's normal. However, if the push to chew ice appears continuously and is difficult to control, you suffer from the so-called pagofagia.

Symptoms

The main symptoms of pagofagia are of course the habit of continuously chewing ice. However, this condition is often accompanied by other signs that are usually associated with anemia such as skin that looks pale and dry, the body is easily tired, often headaches, tongue hurts, heart palpitations faster, depression appears, and often feels dizzy.

Cause

Some of the main causes of pagofagia include:

- Lack of iron

This is the most common cause. A study found that about 16% of people with iron deficiency anemia have a strong desire to chew the ice. According to experts, chewing on ice can make anemia sufferers feel fresher and more focused.

- Lack of calcium

Although less, the low calcium content can also trigger pagofagia.

- Eating disorders

Some people chew the ice to feel full without adding calories.

- Dry mouth (xerostomia)

Touching the ice can give a moist sensation in the dry mouth.

- Psychological factors

Stress, compulsive disorder (OCD), or developmental disorders can also be a trigger.

Complications

Although it looks trivial, pagofagia can cause serious problems including:

- Gigi problem: Yawning the ice can damage the sixel layer, cause the teeth to crack, damage the patch, and irritate the gums.

- Malnutrition: If the habit of chewing ice replaces nutritious food, the body can lack essential nutrients.

- Complication of anemia: If caused by iron deficiency, pagofagia can lead to heart rhythm disorders, heart enlargement, risk of infection, pregnancy complications, to delays in child growth.

How to Overcome it

The treatment of pagofagia depends on the cause. If it is triggered by iron deficiency anemia, the doctor advises:

- Consumption of iron-rich foods such as green vegetables, eggs, or bread enriched with iron.

- Iron supplements (both free and doctor's prescription).

- Infusion of iron or blood transfusion for severe cases.

If the cause of eating disorders, stress, or OCD, cognitive behavioral therapy can be helpful. Meanwhile, if the cause is dry mouth, you can switch to sugar-free rubber candy to stimulate saliva production.

As a safe step, if you can't stop chewing the ice, choose a shaving ice or a small piece that is a bit melting so that tooth damage is minimal.