What is Rapunzel syndrome?

Rapunzel syndrome is an extremely rare condition seen in adolescents or young females with psychiatric disorders consisting of a gastric trichobezoar with an extension within the small bowel. The delays in diagnosis are common since in its early stages, it is usually asymptomatic.

What happens in Rapunzel syndrome?

The Rapunzel syndrome is an unusual form of trichobezoar found in patients with a history of psychiatric disorders, trichotillomania (habit of hair pulling) and trichophagia (morbid habit of chewing the hair), consequently developing gastric bezoars. The principal symptoms are vomiting and epigastric pain.

What causes the Rapunzel syndrome?

Cause. Rapunzel syndrome is caused by the ingestion of hair. Rapunzel syndrome is characterized by a compulsive disorder of pulling one's own hair and ingesting it. There are several psychiatric disorders that are associated with Rapunzel syndrome, such as trichotillomania, trichophagia, and pica.

How do you know if you have Rapunzel syndrome?

The symptoms and physical signs that characterize Rapunzel syndrome depend on the size of the trichobezoar and the presence of complications. Current case reports show that the most common symptoms and signs are abdominal pain (37%), nausea and vomiting (33.3%), obstruction (25.9%), and peritonitis (18.3%).

Why is it called Rapunzel syndrome?

Named after this tale, Rapunzel syndrome is an extremely rare medical condition where hairs the person has eaten become tangled and trapped in their stomach. This causes a trichobezoar (hair ball) to form, which has a long tail extending into the small intestine.

What is ‘Rapunzel syndrome’?

How do you stop Rapunzel syndrome?

Treatment of Rapunzel Syndrome requires immediate invasive surgery to remove the hairball, or trichobezoar. Psychotherapy and possibly anti-depressant treatment is also used to address the root cause of the hair eating.

Why do I eat my hair follicles?

Eating the part of hair pulled out is a common practice and trichorhizophagia is a new term to denote the habit of eating the root of hairs pulled out, associated with trichotillomania. Many psychiatric disorders are prevalent among patients with trichotillomania.

Does hair stay in your stomach forever?

Hair is made up of proteins called keratin which cannot be broken down by our body. They can only be processed at very high temperatures which do not exist inside our body. So, when you swallow small strands of hair accidentally, they just end up passing out of the body with other undigested food.

Can you poop out hair?

Trichobezoars, undigested accumulations of hair in the gastrointestinal tract, are the most common type of bezoars, commonly seen in patients under 30 years of age[1]. In 90% of cases, the patients are women with long hair and emotional or psychiatric disorders.

Can eating hair harm you?

And about 10 to 20 percent of those individuals end up eating their hair, a condition known as trichophagia. But the medical complications can be deadly, Phillips added. Over time, a hairball can seriously damage the body by causing ulcers or fatally blocking the intestinal tract. Hair isn't biodegradable, Dr.

Why does my daughter eat hair?

Medical experts believe hair eating disorder is a rare condition believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. In some cases, a child will pull hair from their own head to consume, but some also eat hair from hairbrushes.

How do you treat trichophagia?

How can trichophagia be prevented?

Why can't I stop pulling my eyebrows out?

Trichotillomania, also known as “hair-pulling disorder,” is a type of impulse control disorder. People who have trichotillomania have an irresistible urge to pull out their hair, usually from their scalp, eyelashes, and eyebrows. They know they can do damage but often can't control the impulse.

What are the white strings in my poop?

Pinworms are also called “threadworms.” They're the most common type of intestinal worm infection in the U.S., and one of the most common in the world. They're thin and white, and about one-quarter to one-half inch long -- about as long as a staple. Tapeworms are flat worms that look a bit like ribbons.

What happens if you swallow gum?

If you swallow gum, it's true that your body can't digest it. But the gum doesn't stay in your stomach. It moves relatively intact through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool.

Why is there hair on my stomach?

In humans. Before puberty, the abdominal region of both males and females is covered with very fine vellus hair. In response to rising levels of androgens (mainly testosterone) during and after puberty, the skin of the abdomen begins to produce coarser, longer and more pigmented hair (terminal hair).

Can you eat air?

You get aerophagia when you swallow so much air that it makes your stomach feel bloated and uncomfortable. Chewing gum can make it worse. Doctors often see aerophagia as a sign of other problems, such as an illness that affects your digestive system, or a psychological disorder like anxiety or depression.

What happens if I swallow dog hair?

Nothing unusual happens when you swallow a dog's hair. … The acid in your stomach is powerful enough to digest your own body, but it can't dissolve dog fur. The hair will travel from your esophagus to your stomach. Next, it will pass to your small and large intestines.

Why do I have so much ear hair?

Some people get more hair in and on their ears as they age -- especially men. Doctors think it may be because of increased testosterone. This hormone makes hair coarser and thicker as it grays. The hair just inside your ear works with earwax to keep dirt and debris away from your eardrum.

Why does hair pulling feel good?

Experts think the urge to pull hair happens because the brain's chemical signals (called neurotransmitters) don't work properly. This creates the irresistible urges that lead people to pull their hair. Pulling the hair gives the person a feeling of relief or satisfaction.

Does trichotillomania cause GREY hair?

Hair follicles damaged from trichotillomania often grow back as gray or white hair, even when it wasn't before. Unfortunately, trichotillomania is a disorder that often cycles on itself. When hair regrows coarser than normal or in a different color, the desire to pull is even stronger.

What is the best medication for trichotillomania?

SSRIs and clomipramine are considered first-line in TTM. In addition, family members of TTM patients are often affected by obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. Other drugs used in the treatment of TTM are lamotrigine, olanzapine, N-Acetylcysteine, inositol, and naltrexone.

Why do toddlers pull their hair out and eat it?

Babies and young toddlers pulling either their own hair or that of others are, many times, just exploring their boundaries. However, it's important to observe their behavior if they continue, since it could sometimes indicate underlying issues. Fortunately, most outgrow this hairy habit.

Are there any celebrities with trichotillomania?

Justin Timberlake

It's not just female celebrities who suffer hair loss, of course. Said to have been diagnosed with trich in 2008, Justin Timberlake lives with his condition and carries on making music and films. As you can see, even beautiful and famous people suffer from trichotillomania.