People may not know this, but eating ice is actually not as harmless as you think it is. There are a number of things that can happen to you when you eat ice, and these include the wearing away of your teeth enamel and the creation of minute cracks in your teeth, which might progress into bigger cracks and more serious tooth damage if you continue doing this. This usually happens when you chew ice cubes or even crushed ice, as long as you chew them like you would peanuts or popcorn.
Why Do Some People Munch on Ice?
Some people chew on ice simply because they like the feeling of crunching something cold in their mouth. Others chew on ice simply because they like the sudden cold feeling that takes over the warmth that is in their mouths. Some people who find that they crave ice however do not know that there are some serious things associated with the eating of ice and the side effects of eating ice often pales in comparison with some of the reasons why a person feels the need to chew on ice.
Side Effects of Eating Ice
While the side effects of eating ice may seem negligible or avoidable if you are careful enough, there are some things that you need to know about habitual ice munching or ice eating. The cravings you get to eat ice is actually a possible indicator of an ailment that can be pretty serious and this is iron-deficiency anemia. This is especially true with women who munch on ice compulsively. As some doctors have noticed, some of the patients who told them of this ice eating habit also showed a somewhat low hemoglobin count after a blood count was performed. This kind of a problem is called pagophagia or the habit of compulsively eating ice which also indicates a possible problem with anemia or lack of iron in the blood.