Q: Hello doctor, I’d like to ask: could something be wrong with me? I eat a lot of ice cubes and I can’t go a day without eating one, even at night before I go to bed.

A: Could something be wrong with you? Maybe…or maybe not. If you live in a very hot place with frequent power cuts and taking some ice cubes makes you feel cool (literally and figuratively :D), then that makes sense. If you’ve just taken a mouthful of very spicy food or perhaps have a dry mouth and need an instant ‘cool me down’ solution, then ice cubes may not be a bad call. This could develop into a habit or something you do when bored.

However, constantly eating ice cubes (pagophagia) or other non-food items like chalk, hair, glue, sand, clay etc, generally called pica, could be associated with some disease conditions like iron deficiency anaemia. Other causes include pregnancy, poverty and conditions like autism.

For details of this condition, please click on these links:

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In addition, eating ice can lead to cracked teeth which may eventually result in teeth sensitivity. So, you might want to be even more careful 🙂

I suggest you go visit the hospital to check your ‘blood level’ (haemoglobin level). This will give an idea as to whether this is due to iron deficiency. Your doctor will exclude other causes and in some cases, if this is a compulsive behavior, mental health physicians may be required.

Have a good night, y’all 😀