Like eating ice cubes, you should be careful

Do you often or like to eat ice cubes, whether taken directly from the refrigerator or the rest of the drinks consumed? If so, you should limit it from now on, because eating ice cube too often can cause health problems. When the weather is hot, consuming food or cold drinks added to ice cubes would be refreshing and can quench your thirst. Eating ice cubes is no longer new. Many children and adults like to do it. However, instead of refreshing, having the habit of eating ice cubes can cause a number of health problems.

Dangers of Eating Ice Cubes

One part of the body that can be disturbed due to your habit of eating ice cubes is teeth. Teeth are indeed the strongest part of the body, but that does not mean crushing or biting ice cubes every day is safe for your teeth. Eating excessive ice can erode the protective layer or tooth enamel. Thin tooth enamel can cause sensitive teeth, so the teeth easily ache and ache. In addition, other problems from consuming too much ice cube are also related to processing and storing ice cubes that are less clean or unhygienic. If the ice cubes that are eaten are not clean, transmission of various germs, viruses, and parasites of disease, such as gastroenteritis or diarrhea, typhoid fever, shigellosis, hepatitis A, and cholera can occur. Therefore, if you want to consume ice cubes, make sure that the ice is made using clean water and stored or produced hygienically.

Eating ice cubes can be a sign of disease

Besides being a habit factor, fond of eating ice cubes can also be a sign of someone suffering from iron deficiency anemia. There is a theory which states that consuming ice cubes can increase blood supply to the brain, so that the symptoms of anemia felt by sufferers are reduced. That is why, many people with this type of anemia like to consume ice cubes, either consciously or not. If you often eat ice cubes and experience symptoms of iron deficiency anemia, such as brittle nails, dry mouth, pale skin, and swelling of the tongue, consult a doctor immediately. Without proper treatment, iron deficiency anemia can cause complications in the form of:

Disorders of the heart

When suffering from iron deficiency anemia, oxygen supply in the blood decreases. As a result, the heart must pump blood faster than usual so that the body's oxygen needs are met. Abnormal or too fast heart rates can eventually cause enlargement of the heart or even heart failure.

Stunted growth

In infants and children, iron deficiency anemia can cause interference with growth and development. In addition, this condition can also make a child more susceptible to infection due to his weakened immune system.

Pregnancy issues

Pregnant women who suffer from iron deficiency anemia are at high risk of experiencing premature birth and giving birth to a low weight baby. If you are pregnant, be sure to check the content regularly. Apart from the possibility of iron deficiency anemia, fond of eating ice cubes may also be caused by a psychological problem called pica. Pica is a condition where someone likes to eat something that is not fair, such as earth, paper, cigarette butts, chalk, coins, to ice cubes in excess.

Stopping the habit of eating ice cubes

Handling habits of eating ice cubes must be adjusted to the cause. If this habit is caused due to iron deficiency anemia, then the treatment can be by consuming foods that contain lots of iron or iron supplements if needed. However, the use of iron supplements must be prescribed by a doctor. If the dose is too high, you may experience excess iron intake which is also not good for your health. Meanwhile, if the habit of eating ice cubes is caused by pica, treatment can be with psychotherapy or administration of antipsychotic drugs if the symptoms are related to psychotic disorders. However, not everyone who likes to eat ice cubes indicates that they have certain health problems. In most cases, eating ice cubes is done to refresh and cool the body when the weather is hot. But if you eat ice cubes with symptoms of other diseases, such as iron or pica deficiency anemia, you should immediately consult a doctor so that treatment can be given.