Craving Ice



Why Would You Be Craving Ice?

Have you notice that you are craving ice lately?  Is this something new for you or is it something that you have experienced in the past?  If you are wondering why you are experiencing this strange craving, read on.  This article will explain why you may be craving ice.

Well, the most common reason for someone craving ice is often anemia.  This is related to your body not getting enough iron.  Because of this, you may suffer from different symptoms and related issues.  Some of the most common symptoms related to anemia are being tired, being out of breath, being dizzy and even craving ice.  Often, women who are pregnant will experience the need for a nap as well as craving ice.  When they finally have blood work done it shows that they are anemic.

Another issue that may cause you to crave ice, without having anemia, is pica.  This is a condition in which people will crave certain things that are not food.  Ice may be one of these cravings.  However, these people can also crave things like dirt, laundry soap and starch to name a few.  The individual is going to be craving things that do not have any nutritional value.

If you are suffering from iron deficiency anemia you may have a sore tongue or it may begin to swell.  If that is the case, the craving of ice may help with some of these symptoms and make these symptoms feel better.  This would explain why so many people with this type of anemia end up craving ice.  The ice may actually taste different to some of the people who eat it because of the anemia.  It is not going to taste the same to them as it does to you or me.

If you find that you are craving ice you may want to be checked for low iron anemia.  You may also want to consult your doctor if you or your child has been craving ice so that they can help determine the cause and possible solutions.  You may also want to begin adding iron rich foods to your diet.  This may decrease your cravings but it will also help you determine if anemia may be the cause of the cravings.   You are also going to want to find out if the ice craving is caused from pica because this can be a sign of other complications.  Pica can be a sign of emotional stress or other problems.  It can also be an early sign of psychological issues such as obsessive compulsive disorder.  You are going to want to have every aspect of the ice craving explored so that you can determine what is going on with you.

While craving ice may not sound like that big of deal to the average person, if you are the one craving it, you are going to need to figure a few things out.  First of all, is this craving interfering with your daily tasks?  How often are you craving ice?  When did it begin?  These are all things that you are going to want to have answers to and be able to let your doctor know about.  He or she is most likely going to order blood work to check for anemia but you need to be able to tell him or her about any stressful events that have taken place as well.  This is going to give your doctor better insight into why you may be craving ice and what he or she can do to help you with this craving.