Dispensary Corner

WHAT the hair?

A 38-year old woman from the US who was ‘addicted’ to eating her own hair has grown a fur ball of her own and nearly died.

The unnamed woman was suffering from nausea, vomiting, an extremely swollen abdomen and had lost 7 kg in eight months.

Turns out the weight loss was due to a 15cm hairball that had become lodged in her digestive tract. It was so bad that there was even a small ‘tail’ of hair trailing into her intestines and a second 4cm hairball in her bowel.

Thankfully she was rushed to hospital before it was too late and is now recovering and being recommended to seek counselling for her condition.

Having the irresistible urge to eat one’s hair is known as ‘trichotillomania’ according to The BMJ and has only been documented 88 times in medical literature.

NOSE picking is a generally socially unacceptable practice but apparently it could have dental health benefits, with snot containing “salivary mucins” which can help form a barrier against cavity causing bacteria.

Austrian lung specialist prof Friedrich Bischinger believes people who pick their nose are generally more in tune with their bodies and happier.