Recently I listened to a podcast that mentioned an interesting fact: many women crave chewing ice or clay, and it seems unusual and odd. However, it’s a pretty common fact when it comes to uterine fibroids. Doctors have a reasonable explanation for this behavior: chewing ice, clay, dirt or chalk is a common symptom of anemia.
Symptoms of perverse appetite have been known for a long time, and the desire to eat inedible is usually associated with a deficiency of nutrients in the body. You probably don’t feel the lack of iron, but strange eating habits, such as the chewing ice, indicate possible problems.
Why Do Some Women Chew Ice?
Usually, anemia is characterized by general weakness, brittle nails, episodes of lightheadedness/dizziness, brain fog (cloudy thinking), heart palpitations, migraine-like headaches, and chewing/craving ice, clay, dirt, chalk or other inedible substances.
One of the possible causes of anemia development is uterine fibroids. Fibroids sometimes cause heavy menstrual bleeding. The blood loss is more than a woman can replace each month so she becomes more and more anemic.
If someone is craving ice or chewing clay, these are profound anemic symptoms, and this condition needs treatment. These women should check if they have symptomatic uterine fibroids. And if they do, uterine fibroid embolization is an outstanding procedure to treat all fibroids effectively.
Such treatment normalizes the period after the procedure. A woman will no longer experience iron and hemoglobin deficiency. Severe menstrual bleeding will stop, overall health and performance will improve. A woman will no longer crave ice, dirt or clay and can move on with her life.
Chewing Ice And Fibroids
Any unpleasant fibroid symptoms, including heavy periods, weakness, pain during sex, frequent urination, and chewing ice can only be stopped by treating the underlying cause.
Uterine fibroids are benign tumors. In many patients, uterine fibroids are asymptomatic. Usually, the manifestation of the disease depends on the size, location, and number of fibroid tumors.
For many years, gynecologists “treated” uterine fibroids with a radical method by performing a hysterectomy (and they still do), but removing the uterus is not just a serious and risky procedure; surgery usually involves multiple health risks in general.
Today, nonsurgical procedure called uterine fibroid embolization procedure (UFE) is rightfully considered the most effective, safe treatment option. UFE reduces the risks of complications and relapse to almost zero; moreover, a woman can return to her usual lifestyle in a short time.
You do not need additional treatment after UFE. The procedure allows you to get rid of fibroid symptoms and restore the reproductive function.
For more information on fibroids and UFE, make an appointment with Dr. John Lipman of Atlanta Fibroid Center by calling 770-214-4600 or make an appointment online.
