Hyalophagia - MedFriendly.com

Hyalophagia is the eating or chewing of glass. The

condition is very dangerous because the sharpness of

the glass can cut the tongue, mouth, throat, stomach,

and intestine. The intestine is a tube shaped structure

that is part of the digestive tract. Sometimes, inner

organs such as the intestine can be perforated (cut

open). The intestines can also become obstructed and

feces can become impacted, meaning that it is

impacted (hard, dry, and difficult to pass).

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In severe cases, these adverse consequences require surgery (e.g., to repair a

perforated intestine and remove glass objects). In worst case scenarios, the damage

caused by hyalophagia can be deadly. Hyalophagia is an abnormal behavior that is

sometimes done for entertainment value for magic acts and related sideshow

performances. However, in the field of medicine, hyalophagia is considered to be a

characteristic of pica. Pica is the developmentally inappropriate consumption of non-

nutritive substances. Pica can occur in cases of mental retardation, schizophrenia, and

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Schizophrenia is a type of mental disorder in

which one loses contact with reality. OCD is a type of anxiety disorder characterized by

compulsive behaviors performed in response to obsessive thoughts. Hyalophagia can be

triggered by stress, vitamin deficiency, and mineral deficiency. Hyalophgia is also known

as hyalophagy. Hyalophagia comes from the Greek word "hyalos" meaning "glass," and

the Greek word "phago" meaning "to eat." Put the words together and you get "the eat

glass."