You’ve probably heard children swallowing coins and getting them stuck in their throats.Now that’s pretty normal. But have you heard someone swallow hair? Well, here is something weird enough for you to know. A teenage girl from China swallowed a hairball weighing 3 kg, and doctors who examined her said there was no space for food.
A Chinese Teen Swallowed Hairball
A Chinese teen girl had to undergo surgery because she complained of not being able to eat anything. The girl ate about 3 kg of her own hair, which led to a blockage in her intestine to such an extent that she could not eat anything more. This incident happened in China, where the girl had to undergo surgery for it.
The teenage girl belonged to Xian, Shaanxi, in China. Shi Hai, a gastroenterologist at Xian Daxing Hospital, said that the girl visited them with a complaint that she could not eat anything. After examinations, they found hair in her stomach. Doctors removed a hairball weighing about 3 kg, which is equivalent to a brick, by operating on her.
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A Disorder Called Pica
The doctor informed me that the habit of eating your own hair is a disorder known as “pica.” He mentioned that this disorder is mostly found in “left-behind” children. Under this disorder, they have an abnormal urge to eat non-edible items. The term “left behind” is used for children whose parents leave them in rural areas and go to work in urban areas.
The teenage girl too was a “left-behind” child who lived with her grandparents. The doctor said that her grandparents probably do not pay much attention to her behaviour. He suspected that she must have suffered from psychological issues. According to the Chinese Ministry of Education, approximately 13 million children aged 6 to 15 are “left behind.”
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First Published: November 29, 2022 8:40 PM