Do You Know What Pica Is?

We are going to talk about pica, a curious eating disorder, according to the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). The name of the term comes from the Latin “Pica pica” which means “magpie”, an animal known among other things for eating unusual substances.

This disorder is characterized because the person who suffers from it suffers an irrepressible desire to eat and lick unusual things, such as dirt (geophagy), plaster, cigarette ashes or tobacco itself, starch, glue, bicarbonate, nail varnish, pencil, charcoal, ice (pagophagia), hair or wool balls (trichophagia), animal feces (coprophagia) etc.

It occurs in different countries and cultures, so we could not associate it with a single place, a certain way of life, etc.

It is a more common disorder in children than in adults.  Between 10 and 32% of children between 1 and 6 years of age usually have this problem, although it also occurs in adults and pregnant women who say that they feel more freshness in their body, although this is not real, it responds only to a personal perception.

For a person to fall within this diagnosis, they have to present symptoms for at least a month. We invite you to watch this video in which Dr. Lety Cervantes explains this disorder :

 What are the causes of pica and how can it be prevented?

It is not known exactly why it appears, studies suggest that it may be due to biochemical factors (lack of iron in the body), although it has not been proven. It could also be a consequence of psychological factors (stress and anxiety, pleasant sensations associated with eating ice, dirt …).

Another possibility is cultural factors. For example, in developing countries and rural areas, where there may be greater permissiveness to eat non-food substances by imitation. Although this explanation is not entirely plausible, since the desire to lick pencils, for example, is very frequent in the cities of developed countries.

There is also no specific prevention, although doctors recommend that a good diet from birth can help prevent it from appearing.

What is the treatment for pica?

The treatment basically consists of a psychosocial, environmental and family orientation carried out jointly by doctors and psychologists, who will assess if there is pica, if drugs and / or food supplements should be taken due to the consequences that may have appeared such as digestive problems, malnutrition , obesity etc.

The therapy must be carried out by psychologists, who will be in charge of guiding the patient on how not to consume more these objects that they associate as food.

The first basic idea to solve this disorder would be to ask the patient why he does it, many times they are repetitive behaviors that are done without more. The person is not aware that they have acquired a bad habit for their health and that it can have negative consequences such as esophagus problems or intestinal obstruction. If we let you know, we may end the problem.

It is not the only recommendation to treat this disorder. There are other possibilities, including:

• A training that makes the patient distinguish between what is edible and what is not.
• Make the patient associate the ingestion of these substances with negative consequences and food with positive consequences
• Self-protection devices that prohibit putting objects in the mouth.
• Correction of the environment that leads the patient to this disorder.

• Promote healthy eating habits.

If you suspect that you suffer or that someone close to you suffers from this disorder, go to your doctor as soon as possible to avoid undesirable consequences for your health.