What does trichophagia mean?
People who compulsively swallow their own hair are said to have a psychiatric disorder called trichophagia. The disorder is related to a slightly more common one in which people have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, called trichotillomania or hair-pulling disorder.
Why do people get trichophagia?
Although causes of trichophagia are unknown, early reports suggested that it was associated with iron deficiency (18). Psychoanalytic perspectives have suggested that eating the hair may have aggressive or destructive unconscious meanings (19).
Is trichophagia a mental illness?
Trichotillomania (pronounced trik-o-till-o-MAY-nee-uh), also referred to as “hair-pulling disorder,” is a mental disorder classified under Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders and involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelids, and other areas of the body, despite repeated …
What are the symptoms of trichophagia?
Trichophagia may present with symptoms of abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, recurrent diarrhoea or constipation, and weight loss due to formation of a trichobezoar. A diagnosis of trichotillomania may have already been made, or signs of hair pulling noted on examination.
How common is Trichomania?
According to an article in the American Journal of Psychiatry , researchers estimate that trichotillomania affects between 0.5% to 2% of the population. Trichotillomania appears to be equally prevalent among males and females during adolescence. However, adult females are more likely to report the condition than males.
What is a Bazoa?
When a tightly packed mass of undigested or partially digested material builds up in the digestive tract, its known as a bezoar, and it can cause a blockage. Bezoars occur in animals and humans of all age groups and are most commonly found in the stomach.
What does a bezoar feel like?
Symptoms and Complications of Bezoars Lack of appetite. Feeling full after eating a small food portion. Vomiting. Nausea.
Is trichophagia curable?
There is no cure for this disorder, but it can be successfully managed. Therapy by a qualified body-focused repetitive behavior practitioner would be the ideal method to deal with trichotillomania.