Man Has Real Taste For Metal.
A French Man was recently admitted to a hospital where they found 100 Pieces of Metal in his Stomach. The 52-year-old man had a compulsive personality where he would knowingly eat metal. The man had been under treatment but could not help himself. Unlike swallowing a single penny or small object that might pass through his system he ate numerous items.
These items clumped together in his stomach and caused a blockage. The clumps referred to as Bezoars eventually blocked the opening to his intestines and he had to seek medical attention. The man complained of vomiting blood, nausea, and stomach pain.
Doctors tried to use less invasive techniques but ended having to perform 4 surgeries to remove the items. The Surgeons discovered that he had eaten: nails, knives, screws, nuts, coins, and spoon handles.
Watch The Video Below about a Frenchman who eats metal and sharp objects.
As Reported By Cari Nierenberg, LiveScience.com
It may seem unusual that sharp items, such as a swallowed razor blade, could come into contact with the stomach and not cause holes all the time, Moss said. But the stomach has thick walls, and when cuts or scratches happen, the body can be amazingly resilient and heal, he said.
Although the sheer quantity of metal swallowed by the man, in this case, was “impressive” and “more than normal,” Moss said he has retrieved metal objects ranging from bed springs and batteries to bits of CDs and hundreds of coins.
Another intriguing question is why people would deliberately and repeatedly swallow such large quantities of metals or other objects in the first place.
“No one really quite understands it,” Moss said. This behavior is more commonly seen in people with psychiatric conditions and in prisoners who are seeking medical attention, he said.
There are two groups of psychiatric patients who may exhibit this strange behavior.
One group is people with psychosis, who may say they are hearing voices inside their head telling them to swallow these objects, Moss said. A bigger group is people who swallow these unusual items as a form of self-injury, as a way to relieve tension and an urge to harm themselves, he said.
Both groups can be very resistant to psychiatric treatment, Moss said. People who repeatedly swallow unusual objects will often do it again, even if these behaviors cause them pain and medical problems, and even if they are treated with the appropriate medications, he said.