An enormous four pound human hairball was removed from the stomach of a teenage girl in India, according to NDTV . The 19-year-old girl arrived at Maharajah Yeshwantrao Hospital complaining that she hadn’t been able to eat or drink anything for several days. After a thorough examination of the patient, doctors determined that something had become lodged inside her stomach. Surgery to remove the blockage was promptly scheduled, much to the delight of the teen in question.
Once inside the girl’s stomach, doctors were shocked at what they discovered: four pounds of human hair wrapped around a massive wad of chalk. The Daily Mail reports that the teenager is extremely fond of consuming pieces of chalk, not to mention large sections of her own hair. Over time, this disturbing combination collected into a large obstruction inside her digestive system. When surgeons removed the human hairball from her gut, they discovered it had been lodged between her stomach and small intestine.
As strange as it may sound, this isn’t the first time doctors have had to remove a massive human hairball from someone’s belly. In November of 2007, Chicago surgeons yanked a 10 pound wad of hair from a teenager’s digestive system. Reports indicate that the girl had been experiencing pain and swelling in her stomach for nearly five months before seeking treatment. Once the offending material had been removed, the woman was able to eat and drink normally.
According to Wikipedia , the act of removing one’s own hair for possible consumption is called trichotillomania. The condition, which is associated with impulse control disorder, can be difficult to treat. Stress and depression can trigger the disorder, causing the individual to remove hair from the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, arms, hands, and pubic region. In some cases, the person suffering from the condition will be compelled to eat what they’ve removed.
The girl with the four pound human hairball, meanwhile, is expected to make a full recovery. For a good look at the hairball in question, swing by the Daily Mail .
