In Bareilly, doctors have removed 2 kg of human hair from the stomach of a 21 year old woman. Who was eating it for the last 16 years. It is said that whenever the woman got a chance, she would secretly pluck hair and eat it. In the language of medical science, it is known as trichophagia or Rapunzel syndrome. This is a mental disorder in which the patient starts eating his own hair. The Karagaina resident was diagnosed with the disease on September 20 when a hair mass was found in a CT scan.
What is the disease trichophagia?
Trichophagia is a chronic mental health problem in which one feels like eating hair again and again. It is often associated with trichotillomania. A condition in which a person is forced to pull out his own hair. Bareilly District Hospital surgeon Dr. MP Singh told PTI that after the treatment, the woman was given special advice from the hospital. The woman admitted that she had been eating hair for 5 years. Hair was removed from his body through an operation on September 26. The amount of hair had completely engulfed his abdominal cavity and even some part of his intestine. Due to this condition, the patient is unable to eat solid things. And when she took some liquids she would vomit.
What is Rapunzel Syndrome?
The mental health of the patient is not good, he is suffering from trichophagia. Operation was done for trichobezoar. And this syndrome is called Rapunzel syndrome.Rapunzel syndrome is an uncommon form of trichobezoar. Which is found in patients with a history of mental disorders trichotillomania (habit of hair pulling) and trichophagia (morbid habit of hair chewing). As a result gastric bezoars develop.
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Symptoms of Trichophagia
Its main symptoms are vomiting and pain in the upper part of the stomach. He said that trichobezoar is considered a ball of hair. Which can form in the intestinal tract and stomach. It can be benign, but it can also cause serious health concerns and require emergency surgery. Dr. Singh said that this condition causes symptoms like stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and weight loss. He said that the cause of trichophagia has not been known yet. But some theories suggest that it may be due to genetic predisposition, social environment or neurobiological factors. He said that cognitive behavioral therapy is considered to be the most effective treatment for trichotillomania.
This is a very rare and dangerous disease. The doctor further says that no such case has come to light in the last 20 years. The family told the doctors that the woman was addicted to hair pulling and her condition came to light when she started having severe pain in her stomach and she required a CT scan. .
Disclaimer: Some information given in the news is based on media reports. Before implementing any suggestion, you must consult the concerned expert.
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