The stomachs of many ruminants, such as goats, often contain lumps of plant material that eventually turn into stones. These are called bezoars, and in ancient times people extracted and stored these stones because they believed them to be an effective remedy against poisons. For example, some rulers added bezoars to their drinks so that no one could poison them. It goes without saying that the stones extracted from the stomachs of animals did not have any magical properties. For many people, this will be a big discovery, but bezoars can also form in the internal organs of a person. More than 400 such cases have been described in world literature, and some of them are very recent. How can we prevent the formation of these stones and is it possible to understand that they are already present?
Stomach stones are formed not only in animals, but also in some people. Source: luxewomen.ru
Contents
- 1 What are stomach bezoars
- 2 How are stomach stones formed
- 3 What happens if you eat hair
- 4 How to understand that there is a stone in the body
- 5 How to prevent the formation of stomach stones
What are stomach bezoars
According to Science Alert, bezoars most often form in the bodies of ruminants: goats, horses, elks, etc. In some cases, they are found in the digestive tract of cats and dogs.
Bezoars are often extracted from the stomachs of goats. Source: chel.mk.ru
They are formed when hair and other materials that are not digested and absorbed through the intestinal walls enter the animal's body. Sometimes indigestible plant particles accumulate in the stomach, esophagus, and other parts of the body.
Indigestible plant parts, as you can understand, enter the body during eating. And hair – when the animal washes itself, licking itself with its tongue.
Bezoars come in different shapes and sizes. Source: wikipedia.org
After a small lump forms, other particles begin to stick to it, and it increases in size. Over time, the lump can become hard as a stone. But it also happens that bezoars remain soft.
In some cases, bezoars do not bother animals. But it also happens that stones lead to their death, because they interfere with nutrition, cause ulcers or even block the intestines.
How are stomach stones formed
Depending on their composition, bezoars are divided into several types. For example, stones made from plant particles are called phytobezoars. If a hairball that does not come out has formed in the stomach or intestines, this is a trichobezoar. Sometimes the body forms stones from the blood, these arehematobezoars. People often develop diospirobezoars, which occur due to excessive consumption of persimmons, which are rich in tannins that impart a bitter taste.
Bezoars can form in people who eat persimmons too often. Source: erenlar.ru
Sometimes bezoars form from chewing gum, swallowed paper and even plastic. The article “What happens if you swallow chewing gum” says that most often swallowed gum leaves the body naturally in a couple of days. But in exceptional cases, especially if the gum is large, it can remain in the body.
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What happens if you eat hair
At the beginning of the article, it was noted that in total, about 400 cases of bezoar formation in humans have been recorded in history. Usually, stones in the stomach and other internal organs are formed in people with the habit of constantly biting their hair. Each time, a person unknowingly swallows hair particles, and over time there are so many of them that a lump is formed that needs to be removed somehow.
A bezoar in the human stomach is visible on an x-ray. Source: researchgate.net
In July 2024, a 40-centimeter-long hairball weighing 907 grams was removed from the stomach of a 24-year-old Ecuadorian woman. And a little earlier, in March, a 15-centimeter-long ball was removed from a seven-year-old girl – it covered about 80% of her intestines. The condition in which a person eats their hair until a lump forms in the digestive tract is called Rapunzel syndrome.
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How to understand that there is a stone in the body
In most cases, bezoars do not make themselves known in any way. Only if the bezoar is large, people may begin to complain of heaviness in the stomach, pain and vomiting.
If the bezoar that forms in the stomach or intestines is small, it is removed using an endoscope. This is the name of an instrument with a camera in the form of a flexible tube that can be inserted into a person. If the bezoar is large and causes serious discomfort, it is removed surgically.
Sometimes bezoars have to be removed surgically. Source: vdohnovenno.ru
Sometimes bezoars are dissolved using saline solutions and even Coca-Cola. But this is a very risky option, because if these agents dissolve even stones, they can seriously damage the mucous membrane of the stomach and intestines.
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How to prevent the formation of stones in the stomach
As you can see, stones from plants and hair can form in both animals and humans. To prevent this, it is important to ensure that hair does not get into the mouth. Those who have a habit of chewing hair during periods of stress should be especially careful. In case of nervousness, it is strongly recommended to consult a specialist to prevent subsequent and even more serious problems.
Bezoar jewelry. Source: wikimedia.org
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They were a popular collectible in ancient times. People were attracted by the fact that bezoars supposedly saved them from poisoning. In some collections you can find ancient stones from which jewelry is made. Sometimes gold and other precious materials are glued to bezoars. Such artifacts can be seen in many museums around the world, for example at the Hunterian Museum in London.