Can chewing on hair cause intestinal worms or death?

Chewing Hair Does Not Cause Intestinal Worms or Death

Chewing on hair does not cause intestinal worms in your body or lead to death. While chewing hair can be a concerning habit (known as trichotillomania when involving hair pulling), there is no medical evidence linking this behavior to intestinal worm infections or fatal outcomes.

Understanding Hair Chewing Behavior

Hair chewing or pulling behaviors are recognized in medical literature:

• Trichotillomania: A disorder characterized by recurrent pulling of one's hair resulting in noticeable hair loss 1
• Trichodaganomania: The compulsive habit of biting one's own hair 2

These behaviors are typically associated with psychological factors rather than causing parasitic infections:

• Often triggered by psychosocial stressors such as family issues, sibling rivalry, or school problems 3
• May be associated with anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive features 3, 2

Why Hair Chewing Does Not Cause Worms

Intestinal worm infections (helminthiases) have specific transmission routes that do not include hair chewing:

1. Transmission routes for common intestinal worms:

   • Hookworm: Larvae penetrate the skin when walking barefoot on affected soil 1
   • Tapeworms: Consumption of undercooked or raw beef or pork 1
   • Pinworms: Fecal-oral route 1
   • Roundworms: Typically fecal-oral transmission 1

2. No documented cases: Medical literature does not document cases of intestinal worm infections resulting from hair chewing 1

Potential Health Concerns with Hair Chewing

While not causing worms or death, hair chewing can lead to other issues:

• Trichobezoar risk: In rare cases (5-30% of patients with trichotillomania), actual ingestion of hair (trichophagia) can lead to formation of a hairball in the stomach called a trichobezoar 3

  • Symptoms may include pallor, nausea, vomiting, anorexia, and weight loss
  • Requires medical intervention but is not directly related to worm infections

• Psychological impact: Hair-pulling and chewing behaviors can cause distress and social impairment 3

Management of Hair Chewing Behavior

If you or someone you know has this habit:

• Psychological assessment: Consider evaluation for underlying anxiety, depression, or obsessive-compulsive tendencies 3, 2

• Treatment options:

  • Cognitive behavioral therapy has shown effectiveness 3
  • In some cases, psychiatric consultation may be warranted 3

Conclusion

The belief that chewing hair causes worms or death is a misconception without scientific basis. While hair chewing may be a concerning behavior with its own set of psychological and potential physical complications (like trichobezoar formation in extreme cases), it does not cause intestinal worm infections or death.