While animals like cats are known to form hairballs from ingested fur, a less common question arises: can humans develop them? The answer is yes, though it involves a rare medical condition distinct from its feline counterpart, involving a similar accumulation of hair within the digestive system.
Understanding Human Hairballs
Humans can indeed form hairballs, medically termed a “trichobezoar.” This mass of undigested hair collects within the gastrointestinal tract, most commonly in the stomach. Unlike animals, humans cannot typically vomit up these hair masses, meaning they remain trapped internally and can grow significantly over time.
Human hair is resistant to the digestive enzymes in the stomach, so swallowed strands do not break down. Instead, they become entangled with mucus and food particles, gradually forming a compact, often oval-shaped mass. While gastric trichobezoars are the most frequent type, these masses can also extend into the small or large intestines.
How Hairballs Form in Humans
Trichobezoars primarily form due to specific behavioral conditions. A significant factor is trichophagia, the compulsive eating of one’s own hair. This behavior is frequently linked with trichotillomania, a psychological disorder characterized by the compulsive pulling out of hair. Individuals may pull and then ingest their hair, often unconsciously.
Hair, composed of keratin, is indigestible by the human gastrointestinal system. Once swallowed, these slippery strands evade the normal muscular contractions (peristalsis) that move food through the digestive tract. The hair instead becomes trapped within the stomach’s folds, slowly accumulating and intertwining into a dense mass. This accumulation can occur over months or even years before symptoms become apparent.
In some instances, a trichobezoar originating in the stomach can extend a tail-like projection through the pylorus (the opening from the stomach to the small intestine) and into the small bowel, or even further into the colon. This rare and more severe presentation is known as Rapunzel syndrome, named after the fairy tale character with long hair.
Signs, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Symptoms of a trichobezoar can be subtle initially. Common indicators include abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, a feeling of fullness after eating a small amount, and unexplained weight loss. A medical professional might detect a palpable mass in the abdomen during examination. More severe complications include gastrointestinal obstruction, internal bleeding, or perforation of the stomach or intestinal wall if left untreated.
Diagnosing a trichobezoar typically involves medical imaging. X-rays can suggest a mass, but CT scans often provide a more definitive diagnosis, clearly showing the hairball’s size and location. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy, where a flexible tube with a camera is inserted through the mouth, allows direct visualization of the hair mass within the stomach and confirms the diagnosis.
Treatment for trichobezoars depends on their size and location. Smaller hairballs might be removed endoscopically using specialized tools. However, this method is often not successful for larger or densely compacted masses due to the hair’s slippery nature and complication risks. For significant trichobezoars, particularly those causing Rapunzel syndrome or obstruction, surgical removal (laparotomy) is usually the most effective approach. Following removal, addressing underlying psychological conditions like trichophagia and trichotillomania through psychotherapy is important to prevent recurrence.