However, repeated ingestion can allow strands to become tangled and trapped inside the stomach.
Over time, additional strands may attach to the existing material.
Food particles and mucus can become mixed into the growing mass, producing a dense collection that may occupy an increasingly large portion of the stomach.
Unlike ordinary food, which is processed and moved onward through the intestines, accumulated hair can resist digestion and remain in place.
The resulting mass may gradually interfere with the stomach’s ability to function normally.
For some patients, this process develops without immediately producing dramatic symptoms.
In others, nausea, abdominal discomfort, a reduced appetite, or a feeling of fullness may appear.
The mass can also contribute to complications if it becomes large enough to obstruct the normal movement of food.
The Cleveland Clinic identifies abdominal pain and constipation among possible symptoms associated with trichobezoars and explains that large accumulations may interfere with digestion.
