Recently Alex's family noticed that he is craving salt to the point where he uses it excessively on his food. He also has a need to consume strange substances such as clay and burnt match tips. What might be the cause of this strange behavior?
What will be an ideal response?
Alex may be suffering from Addison's disease, a disorder entailing deficient mineralocorticoid hormone production by the adrenal cortex. Sometimes when the necessary electrolytes are deficient, people crave strange substances such as chalk, clay, starch, or burnt match tips. This unusual habit is called pica.
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