A man, enduring a persistent stomach ache for two years, left doctors shocked after they found that he had consumed a vast array of household items, equivalent to the contents of a Home Depot store. The items ranged from buttons to earphones, showcasing the extent of the ingestion, the New York Post reported.
The human hardware shop was treated at the Moga Medicity Hospital in Moga, Punjab, India. "On carrying an X-ray, we found lockets, chains, nuts, bolts, earphones, and many other objects inside the stomach," said Ajmer Singh Kalra, director of the facility. The unique incident has left doctors and everyone else shocked.
Shocking the Doctors
Kuldeep Singh, 35, sought medical attention at the hospital due to severe and persistent stomach issues, accompanied by a high fever. Medical professionals conducted a scan of the affected area, making the startling revelation
Singh had ingested approximately 60 assorted items, ranging from lockets, chains, nuts, bolts, earphones, safety pins, magnets, shirt buttons, zips, and various other non-edible objects.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, doctors determined that the trinket eater had pica, a mental health disease in which the victim "compulsively swallows items that aren't food."
This condition is typically prevalent among young children, pregnant women, and people with psychiatric disorders, particularly autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, or schizophrenia.
Surprisingly, the patient's relatives were unaware of this issue, adding to the unexpected discovery by medical professionals, the Jam Press reported, according to the New York Post.
Disorder Could Prove Fatal
As expected, consuming non-digestible objects can pose serious health risks, as seen in Singh's case. "Since he had eaten sharp objects, there were severe wounds in his stomach," said Kalra, who "decided to operate on him."
Following the discovery, Singh underwent a three-hour surgical procedure led by Surgeon Anup Handa and Gastroenterologist Dr. Vishavnoor Kalra.
Kalra said that family members of Singh said that he would frequently complain of stomach aches.
"Pica is an eating disorder in which a person eats things not usually considered food. Since he had eaten sharp objects, there are severe wounds in his stomach. Even thought the surgery was carried out successfully, he is still on ventilator and is critical," Ajmer Singh said.
Despite the success of the surgical procedure, the patient is still facing potential challenges on the path to recovery.
"He is still on a ventilator and is critical," said Kalra.
In another unusual case of pica reported in July, a woman in London spent an excess of $3,800 to satisfy her unusual craving for clay. This craving began during her pregnancy with her son in 2013.
