Daily Fit Tip: Chewing on ice could be a sign of anemia

by Rigel Celeste (Subscribe to Rigel Celeste's posts)
Jan 18th 2008 6:00AM

Categories: Daily Fit Tip, Diet & Weight Loss

Do you love to chew on ice? I've had friends who do and it seems like a fairly common habit to me, but apparently it can be (in some cases) a sign of anemia. The connection may not seem clear at first, but chewing on ice is a form of pica, which is defined as the practice of eating non-food items (often including metal and paper also). Pica is commonly a symptom of iron-deficiency anemia, although doctors aren't sure exactly why this is.

So if you have the habit of chewing on ice cubes it's probably a good idea to make an appointment and have your iron levels checked. The good news is that anemia is usually easily treated with iron supplements.

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Comments (202)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 11)

FRiC 1-19-2008 @ 1:38AM

Hmm, I remember hearing that women who are anemic should chew on ice. It's interesting to hear that ice chewing is caused by being anemic.

Dave 1-21-2008 @ 3:58PM

I have hemochromatosis, iron overload, and I am bled to the point of anemia as therapy for the disease. I drive my wife crazy chewing ice. Now I know why i do it.

Dana 1-21-2008 @ 4:39PM

It's not pica.
A counselor

Heidi 1-21-2008 @ 9:43PM

I have always chewed on ice since I was a teenager. My hemoglobin was 4 dangerously low and in need of a transfusion due to fibroids that made me hemorrage. I had the fibroids removed and the ice chewing disappeared. I used to go through buckets of ice. My icemaker could not keep up with me. I would buy bags of ice and keep them in the freezer. My husband couldn't stand the chomping next to him every night. Thank god its over. I never knew the connection until my doctor asked me if I chewed Ice.

pattie 1-20-2008 @ 9:44AM

I have always loved chewing on ice and over the past year and a half the habit became progressively more obsessive. When I had my iron levels checked by a physician they were very low. A normal level for a woman my age is 11.5-13 and mine was a 7.1.
I noticed now that I am taking mega iron supplements that my cravings for ice have decreased but I chew it because I love to.
The other thing is this. Chewing ice also makes cracks in your teeth so to avoid that I put my ice and water in the blender first so I am sucking it more than chewing it.
Fondly,
Then ice conneseiur

TAMI 1-20-2008 @ 7:18PM

I HAD HEART SUGURY 7 YEARS AGO AND SINCE THEN I EAT ICE ALL DAY LONG I WILL NOT GO ANYWHERE WITHOUT MY ICE I EAT A BAG A DAY I EVEN LOST A TOOTH RIGHT IN THE FRONT HAD TO GET A FAKE ONE.ITS REALLY BAD TAMI

vicki 1-21-2008 @ 4:40PM

Pattie.
I read the "Ice" article. Don't know if I totally support the findings. My hemoglobin has ALWAYS been low.... Recently I discovered a love of ice (smile). You love it too, I see. Have you ever tried Sonic's ice? Try it, you'll love it!!! It's very.....teeth friendly : )
~Vicki

Joy 1-21-2008 @ 5:54PM

maybe you are perhaps going thru hot flashes & in order to cool off this is a remedy that's useful ?

christine 1-21-2008 @ 8:01PM

this is amazing to hear, {or read} my mom tells me all the time i was anemic when i was little and i had a problem when i was pregnant with both my kids. i have loved to eat ice all my life. when i was about 4 i drove my parents crazy chewing on anything metal i could get in my mouth, i even tried razor blades!! that was crazy, i know. luckliy i did not have a cut in my mouth. thats when they found out i was anemic. i still eat ice every day. my husband even put an ice machine in the basement...crushed ice..my favorite. and i have a crushed ice machine at work, i love it!

linda 1-22-2008 @ 2:53AM

Patty, Your story is the one I found most in common with. In 2000, I was having chest pains. I went to the dr. who called and said my hemo level was at 7. Before this was discovered, I was chewing ice like a maniac. It's true what someone else said, it cannot be controlled until the anemia problem is resolved. I had no idea until after I was helped that there was a connection to my ice chewing. I would think "My God, it's like I'm an ice conneseiur", thus my feeling a connection to your post. It was so strange, I became obssessed with the type of ice I would eat. I loved the ice left in the ice trays after I popped out the ice (we didn't have an automatic icemaker at the time). It was crazy, it was constant. I could hardly wait for the ice to freeze. I could tell by the color of the ice if it was going to be just the consistency I liked to chew. Geez, it was too weird. My problem was my monthly bleeding. Once I had a couple of blood tranfusions and a subsequent hysterectomy, the passion for ice stopped. I'm so glad it's over. Instead of people complaining about the noise of someone you love or know chewing ice, tell them about the connection to anemia. I'm sure there are millions who don't know of it. I didn't. After my hysterectomy, I found an article in the Chicago Tribune about it, a very small article. A light bulb went off and I finally knew what had caused the ice chewing. When I was going to the dr. for my hemo problems, they never mentioned it or asked me if I had been chewing ice. Anemia can also cause restless leg syndrome, which became severe for me during my health problems. This is not something to laugh off. The anemia caused my severe chest pains because I wasn't getting oxygen to my heart. I am so thankful I no longer crave ice. It is a very odd symptom of a serious illness. Linda

sims 1-20-2008 @ 7:41PM

It was very interesting to read this because about four years ago, i was chewing on ice all the time..It was like popcorn during movies:) And two years after that I've found out that I have iron deficiency. Everybody thought it was very weird that i was chewing on ice all the time:) Now it makes sense to me!

mona 1-20-2008 @ 10:51PM

i have a 59 year old sister that eats ice all the time it drives us crazy.....im calling her to let her know to see her dr. thats for leting us know.

Pat Poole 1-21-2008 @ 2:33PM

My Mom who passed away 2 years ago always had to have her cup of ice to constantly chomp on. When she was pregnant with her 3 children including me she craved coal. She loved it like candy. It is a good thing that we were living in a coal mining town in Pennsylvania so coal was easy to get. She definitely was anemic especially later in her years.

matt 1-21-2008 @ 2:56PM

very interesting..........I guess a lump of coal in her stocking on Christmas morning for being bad might not be the right choice...........

stormy 1-21-2008 @ 6:36PM

coal?... to eat????
woa! thats weird... why???
i ddnt know u could EAT coal...!!!
>:d

~ stormy was here!! X# ~

tim sparks 1-21-2008 @ 2:19PM

i hope you ice crunchers realize this is a very annoying habit to those around you, so please keep it to yourself away from others.you may not realize how loud it is, ...but, it is....i think the only thing more annoying is sucking your teeth in public, both bad,rude social habits

Ramone 1-21-2008 @ 2:52PM

Sir, people probably think the same thing about your habits as well. Stop pretending like you are without fault, because nobody is.

Pam 1-21-2008 @ 4:34PM

You knucklehead. When you're anemic chewing ice is not your choice. It's something you have to have. I know because this has happened to me several times in my life. As soon as the anemia was taken care of, I had no desire to chew ice. I've even gone so far as to go to a particular fast food place because of the type of ice they had.
It's really like an addiction. You have to have it. I would have a panic attack if I couldn't. I know it's annoying, but so is being anemic. We're not doing it to bug you, after all.

renee 1-21-2008 @ 10:56PM

It's almost as bad as sitting in front of a popcorn eater in the movies.

linda 1-22-2008 @ 7:00AM

tim, that's so sweet of you to care that my heart may stop due to lack of oxygen due to my low hemoglobin which caused my anemia which caused my ice chewing which has now stopped after blood transfusions and a hysterectomy. thanks so much for caring, i'm touched. instead of bitchin, tell those that making that OH SO ANNOYING SOUND that they may be sick. doesn't seem like something you'd do, but worth the suggestion.