Story perspectives

82-Year-Old Hospitalized After Swallowing Live Frogs for Pain

10/10/2025

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Summary

Story summary

An 82-year-old woman in Hangzhou, China, was hospitalized after swallowing eight live frogs as a folk remedy for her chronic back pain from a herniated disc.
She consumed three frogs one day and five the next, resulting in severe abdominal pain.
Doctors at Zhejiang University Hospital diagnosed her with a parasitic infection due to an increase in oxyphil cells.
After two weeks of treatment, she recovered, prompting medical experts to caution against unverified remedies, especially among elderly patients.

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Story summary

An 82-year-old woman in Hangzhou, China, was hospitalized after swallowing eight live frogs as a folk remedy for her chronic back pain from a herniated disc.
She consumed three frogs one day and five the next, resulting in severe abdominal pain.
Doctors at Zhejiang University Hospital diagnosed her with a parasitic infection due to an increase in oxyphil cells.
After two weeks of treatment, she recovered, prompting medical experts to caution against unverified remedies, especially among elderly patients.