Why do people who are anemic crave ice?

Because their bodies are actually craving oxygen so since ice has oxygen, it relieves the body's craving for the oxygen, temporarily. Need to see a doctor.

Why Do People Crave Ice

Eating Ice Anemia

I had no idea that people who were anemic craved ice...though I have a history of anemia and a history of craving snowcones...it's something I'll have to look up, now.

I have no idea. I became anemic after having my kid. I did crave ice. but I take Xango, an all natural juice, now to help me, and I show no signs or symptoms of anemia anymore.

FAMILY MEDICINE® COLUMN

By Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A.

Assistant Professor of Family Medicine

Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

PICA WON’T “GO AWAY” UNTIL UNDERLYING PROBLEM IS ADDRESSED

Question: Why do I eat ice? I really crave ice and have to eat it continuously. This has been going on for several months. My friend says this means I am lacking something in my diet, but I have a good diet. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Answer: Ice craving is known as pagophagia. Persistent eating of non-nutritive substances for a month or more is called Pica. The term pica is derived from the Latin for Magpie, a bird with unusual eating habits. Pica can occur in conjunction with a number of conditions, but it’s often difficult to figure out why some people develop this behavior while others do not.

People who have pica often have otherwise normal appetites. Some other non-nutritive substances that are frequently eaten by people with this condition are clay (geophagia), starch (amylophagia) and hair (trichophagia).

This voracious consumption of unusual substances can be associated with pregnancy, iron deficiency anemia and obsessive compulsive disorders. If the pica is due to a specific condition, the treatment of the condition (or delivery, in the case of pregnancy) should make the craving disappear.

Pica can lead to vitamin and electrolyte deficiencies as people fill up on non-nutritive substances and don’t eat enough of the correct foods. Hair chewing/eating, can lead to hairballs in the stomach that can cause intestinal obstruction. If you have a cat, you may be familiar with this problem in the feline world. Humans who eat hair have a similar problem!

Not surprisingly, a person with pica who eats dirt can develop intestinal parasites. Severe pica in children can retard normal growth and development.

In your specific case of ice craving, there is sometimes an association between the behavior of ice eating and iron deficiency anemia. In fact, it can sometimes be the first symptom of this disorder.

In your case –- as with any form of pica –- a thorough evaluation by your physician is in order. He or she needs to determine the underlying cause before treatment can begin. Blood tests including a complete blood count, lead level and serum iron level are important. Since pica is frequently associated with pregnancy, if you are a sexually active woman of childbearing age, a pregnancy test should be done.

Once the underlying condition is identified and treated, the pica will go away. In the case of pica that’s due to an underlying psychiatric disorder, there are medications that can be prescribed that will help alleviate the cravings.

Family Medicine® is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to Martha A. Simpson, D.O., M.B.A., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701. Medical information in this column is provided as an educational service only. It does not replace the judgment of your personal physician, who should be relied on to diagnosis and recommend treatment for any medical conditions. Past columns are available online at http://www.familymedicinenews.org./