Pica
If you have urges to eat things that are not food, you deserve a calm conversation and appropriate medical care. Start with your safety, then explore how assessment and support can help.
Understand the concern without judging yourself.
Pica describes persistent eating of non-food, non-nutritive substances when it is inappropriate for a person's developmental level and outside a culturally accepted practice. Clinicians consider the pattern and its context, rather than labelling one isolated event.
You do not need to decide whether this name fits before speaking to someone. This page helps you find words for the concern; it does not ask you to describe an ingestion or try a behaviour.
Based on MSD Manual Professional
Your safety and support belong together.
- Immediate safety
Possible exposure or injury needs medical attention
- Health & nutrition
Investigations guided by your circumstances
- Your context
History, development and culturally accepted practices
- Ongoing support
A plan you can understand and return to
What may bring you to a conversation.
These concerns deserve an individual medical discussion. Their presence does not identify a cause or establish pica.
The concern
Repeated urges or behaviour involving things that are not food.
Nutrition
Concern about your nutrition or a possible deficiency.
Your safety
A possible harmful exposure, injury or physical complication.
Being heard
Wanting support to discuss the concern without embarrassment.
Based on MSD Manual Professional · NHS
Your medical and developmental assessment.
A health professional can discuss the history, developmental and cultural context, nutrition, and possible complications. Tests depend on what has happened and the health concerns they identify.
You can ask what needs attention now, what an investigation is for, and who can help with ongoing support. Do not delay urgent help while collecting notes or waiting for an appointment.
Based on MSD Manual Professional · NHS
- 1Your immediate concern
Is medical help needed now? Get that help before making notes.
- 2What you want to discuss
You can ask to explain the concern privately, in your own words.
- 3Your next step
Ask what will be assessed and who will follow up with you.
Assessment considers the behavior and possible physical effects.
After any immediate exposure concern has been addressed, a clinician can consider developmental and cultural context, nutrition and possible complications. Tests depend on what happened and the person's symptoms; this is not a universal test battery.
You can explain the concern without trying to meet a duration rule before requesting help. A possible harmful exposure needs prompt medical advice even when there is no established pica diagnosis.
Based on MSD Manual · NHS
Care can address more than the behaviour.
Explore the options and ask what fits your circumstances and needs.
Based on MSD Manual Professional
Ask which needs require care and follow-up.
Care can address identified nutritional problems or other complications, with behavioral support considered where appropriate. Evidence for specific pica treatments is limited, so ask what the proposed approach is intended to help and how it will be reviewed.
Do not assume that an urge proves a particular deficiency or start iron or other supplements on that basis. This page does not depict ingestion, suggest replacement substances or provide a home-treatment protocol.
Health
Which possible effects need assessment?
Support
What approach fits this person's circumstances?
Follow-up
What changes should prompt further medical contact?
Based on MSD Manual
You deserve to understand your care.
You can ask for help without waiting to meet a diagnostic duration.
Your specialist assessment
Find support. Prepare your next step.
Find care or prepare a conversation. You can ask for help before you have a diagnosis.
Your first sentence does not need to be perfect.
For an ongoing concern without an immediate danger, ask a medical professional for an assessment. You can begin with a short description and ask for a private, respectful conversation.
Based on MSD Manual Professional · NHS
“I have urges involving things that are not food. I would like help checking my health and understanding what support is available.”Make it sound like you
Your questions, with room for nuance.
You can read just the answer you need.
Does this behavior automatically prove iron deficiency?
No. A clinician can assess nutrition and other relevant explanations. Do not diagnose a deficiency or choose supplements from an urge or a website description.
Based on MSD Manual
Where this information comes from.
Use this hub to learn and prepare questions. It does not diagnose you or recommend a personal treatment plan. By Selfmora editorial; sources checked . Updated .
Additional explanations and examples: sources consulted . Examples illustrate ideas; they do not assess your personal health. Your questions
Our editorial approach