Why do I chew ice?

Chewing ice, or pagophagia, can be caused by anemia, pregnancy and nutritional deficiencies, according the Dr. Andrew Weil. It can also be caused by OCD, stress or emotional uproar, or signal a developmental disorder in children, notes Dr. Weil.

Pagophagia is a form of pica, a disorder which causes people to eat nonfood items such as paste, dirt, laundry starch, ice or hair, according to the Mayo Clinic. It is thought that pagophagia associated with iron deficiency anemia is the result of the concomitant sore tongue known as glossitis, states Dr. Weil. A doctor can determine the exact cause of pagophagia.