(MENAFN- Live Mint) An 82-year-old woman from China shocked doctors after swallowing eight live frogs. It was her attempt to cure her chronic back pain.

The elderly woman, identified only as Zhang, suffered from a herniated disc for years. Then, she believed in a folk remedy suggesting that eating live frogs could help relieve pain, according to the South China Morning Post.

She asked her family to catch small frogs, each smaller than a palm. However, she did not tell them why she needed those.

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Zhang then swallowed three live frogs on the first day and five more live frogs on the next day. Soon after, she developed intense stomach pain and was unable to walk.

Her family rushed her to Zhejiang University's No. 1 Affiliated Hospital. Doctors first ruled out cancer. But, they later found an abnormal rise in oxyphil cells, linked to parasitic infections. Further tests confirmed the presence of parasites in her system, which were caused by the live frogs.

“Swallowing frogs has damaged the patient's digestive system and resulted in some parasites being present in her body, including sparganum,” SCMP quoted a doctor from the hospital as telling the media.

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In China, strange and unsafe health remedies have spread quickly online. In one case, a 6-month-old baby suffered lead poisoning after her mother had soaked her hand in lead acetate to treat eczema.

The mother found the method on social media. Doctors said the toxic lead later entered the baby's body through skin contact.

Zhang was discharged from the hospital after two weeks of treatment. She has been advised against following unsafe traditional remedies again.

Common among elderly patients

Dr Wu Zhongwen is a senior physician at Zhejiang University No. 1 Affiliated Hospital in Hangzhou. According to him, such cases are common as many elderly patients try unsafe folk remedies.

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“We have received several similar patients in recent years. Besides swallowing frogs, some individuals consume raw snake gall or fish gall, or apply frog skin to their own skin,” the publication quoted Dr Wu as saying.

Many of these patients often hide their health problems from family and only seek help when their condition worsens.

“For instance, putting frog skin on one's body is rumoured to treat skin diseases. However, there is no evidence to support this remedy. On the contrary, it could allow parasites to enter the body, resulting in vision impairment, intracranial infection, and even life-threatening conditions,” Dr. Wu warned.

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