Chennai: Nail biting is not the only symptom of nervousness. There are other symptoms which include hair chewing as well, according to psychiatrist P. Nilam.
A 13-year-old girl, who had to be admitted due to indigestion, was found to have this problem. Chewing her own hair for over five years, the girl began to suffer after a hairball, which became too big, was formed in her stomach.She was admitted to the Sri Ramachandra’s Medical College (SRMC) Hospital with complaints of reduced food intake and loss of weight for years and gross loss of appetite for 10 days.
“Eating one’s own hair is a habit of psychiatric patients, which over the years, can lead to the formation of a big mass or tuft of hair inside the stomach causing problems necessitating surgical removal,” said Dr Prakash Agarwal, head of the department of pediatric surgery, SRMC, who led the team which operated upon the girl.
“Such a problem is seen mostly among adolescent girls, especially when they start their period cycle for the first time. In most cases, neither the girl nor her parents are aware of the seriousness of the problem,” said the psychiatrist.
The 13-year-old girl, who is expected to be discharged from the hospital on Thursday, has been advised to meet a psychiatrist for further treatment. “We have also advised her parents to ensure that she keeps her hair short to avoid a recap of the struggles,” said Dr Agarwal.
