Excessive betel nut chewing might lead to acute psychosis, Tung’s Taichung MetroHarbor Hospital family medicine doctor Liu Man-li (劉曼莉) said.
Chewing too many betel nuts is toxic, and symptoms include excitement, glazed eyes, shaking, impaired motor skills — such as a stumbling gait — irrational behavior and anger, she said, adding that users suffering from severe betel-poisoning could experience an acute psychotic episode with auditory hallucinations, megalomania and persecutory delusions.
Prolonged betel nut consumption is also bad for dental health, causing the user’s teeth to become worn, discolored or loose, Liu said.
Betel nut chewing might also shrivel the gums, potentially resulting in periodontitis, he added.
Saying the hospital offers rehabilitation for betel nut users who wish to quit, Liu cited a recent successful example of a man who stopped chewing betel nuts after a 20-year-long addiction.
The man surnamed Chan (詹), 36, said he started using betel nuts since he was 16 because his friends were chewers. By the age of 30, he was chewing about 45 betel nuts per day.
Chan said his wife was concerned about his health and that his children refused to hug him because of the odor.
Chan resolved to kick the habit last year, when his employer temporarily transferred him to a factory overseas where there were no betel nuts available.
Chan said that quitting betel nut chewing proved to be good for his family life and that he is now also committed to quitting tobacco.
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