What is Psychology?

Answers to Your Psychology Questions

  • Disorders & Syndromes
  • Mental Health
  • Definitions
  • Love & Relationship
  • Experimental Psychology
  • Child Psychology

What is Pica Disease?

What is Pica Disease? If you are suffering from Pica Disease, you crave all kinds of strange substances, and not necessarily edible ones.

The disorder can affect people or pets, so if your dog keeps eating coal and your child has a fondness for chewing the soil in the garden, Pica Disease is probably the cause.

The definition of Pica is a craving for non-foods. Pica Disease is classified by the DSM-V as a “feeding and eating disorder of infancy or early childhood”, although the same disorder can sometimes affect pregnant women or those suffering from a mental illness.

The name “pica” means “magpie” in Latin, which is very apt since a magpie is the dustbin of the bird world — it eats pretty much anything it comes across.

What Causes Pica Disease?

The causes of Pica Disease are not really understood, although hunger can sometimes be a factor.

Many people with Pica eat clay, a habit that has been associated with anaemia, although no definite link between the two has been found.

Some research has suggested that people with Pica Disease have abnormally low levels of dopamine in their brains, but a specific underlying problem has not yet been identified.

What do People with Pica Disease Usually Eat?

A child or adult with Pica Disease might eat any number of strange things.

Young children have been known to eat hair, string, paint, plaster, and cloth, whereas older children have been known to eat cigarette butts, animal feces, leaves, pebbles, sand, and insects.

Adults are most likely to eat clay or soil.

What are the Symptoms of Pica Disease?

The symptoms of pica will vary according to the substance that has been eaten, some things being more dangerous to eat than others. Clay can cause stomach upsets and constipation whereas eating soil or sand is typically associated with stomach pain and gastric bleeding.

Sufferers who habitually eat animal feces put themselves at risk of catching all kinds of nasty diseases, including toxoplasmosis and toxocariasis.

Some sufferers have even been known to eat metal objects, which can end up perforating the stomach or bowel.

Who is Most Likely to be Affected by Pica Disease?

Pica is fairly common in very young children, many of whom put all kinds of inappropriate things into their mouths at some point or other, but it is considered to be abnormal behavior in children older than two years of age.

The habit of eating inappropriate materials normally tapers away as children get older and it is very rare in adults, apart from those with learning difficulties, although it is sometimes seen in young pregnant women in the first trimester.

What is the Treatment for Pica Disease?

Treatment for Pica Disease will depend on the underlying reason for the disorder.

If caused by pregnancy, the symptoms normally stop of their own accord once the baby comes.

If pica is caused by a nutritional deficiency, once the deficiency has been corrected, the symptoms should disappear.

When seen in adults with learning difficulties, the condition can persist for years.

Related Articles:

  1. What is Catatonia? What is catatonia? Catatonia is a series of disorders that are defined as a state of motor immobility or muscular disturbances. It is a rare condition often associated with schizophrenia and depression, although it can also be caused by other conditions. What are the symptoms of catatonia? Catatonic features can...
  2. What is apraxia – Definition and Description? What is apraxia: definition and description? Apraxia is neurological disorder arising from disease or injury to the brain. A patient with apraxia loses their ability to execute certain motor movements such as licking the lips or dressing. The patient will know how to do these tasks, and want to do...
  3. What is the Difference Between Ego Syntonic vs Ego Dystonic? What does ego syntonic vs. ego dystonic mean? Ego syntonic and ego dystonic are both terms used by psychologists: ego syntonic refers to behaviors, feelings and values that are in harmony with one's own self image, whereas ego dystonic refers to behaviors and thoughts that are in conflict with one’s...
  4. What is the Difference Between Assimilation vs Accommodation? Anyone who is a science fiction fan will probably understand the concept of assimilation: there are many stories and plot lines involving the ‘assimilation’ of one species by another. When taken in this context, to be assimilated means to be absorbed or incorporated into something else. So when the Borg...
  5. What is Perceptual Reasoning? Perceptual reasoning measures the subject's ability to find relationships between non verbal stimuli and as well as testing their reasoning skills. It is considered to be a useful indicator of general intelligence and problem solving skills....

Filed Under: Definitions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Search

Topics

  • Disorders & Syndromes
  • Drugs & Addiction
  • Mental Health
    • Fear & Anxiety
  • Neuroscience
    • Attention & Concentration
    • Memory
    • Neuroscience
  • Psychology
    • Animals
    • Behavior
    • Child Psychology
    • Definitions
    • Education
    • Experimental Psychology
    • Famous Psychologists
    • Gender Difference
    • Language & Communication
    • Love & Relationship
    • Nutrition
    • Popular Psychology
  • Therapy

Recent Posts

What is Alzheimer’s Disease?

Why Do People Cut Themselves?

Can You Learn While You Sleep?

Is Herpes Linked to Dementia?

Stay updated on Facebook Follow WhatisPsychology on Twitter

Affiliate Links – Advertising Disclosure

If you purchase a product or service linked from this site, we may receive an "affiliate commission". We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising" and also in accordance to amazon associates programme operating agreement.

Amazon
The owner of this website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.

Copyright © · What is Psychology? · Privacy Policy · About · Archives · Contact us