82-year-old Chinese woman's 'desi' remedy for back pain, she swallows 8 alive frogs, this happens next

An 82-year-old woman from Zhejiang province in eastern China was hospitalised after swallowing eight live frogs in a misguided attempt to cure her chronic lower back pain, according to a report by Hangzhou Daily.

The woman, surnamed Zhang, was admitted to the Zhejiang University No. 1 Affiliated Hospital in Hangzhou in early September after experiencing severe abdominal pain. Her son told doctors that Zhang had consumed the frogs over two days—three on the first day and five on the next—believing it would relieve her herniated disc, a condition she had suffered from for years.

Zhang had reportedly asked her family to catch the frogs, all smaller than an adult’s palm, without revealing her intentions. She swallowed them alive, based on a traditional but unverified folk remedy.

Although she initially experienced only mild discomfort, the pain worsened significantly, prompting her to confess her actions to her family, who then took her to the hospital.

Medical tests revealed no tumors but did show an abnormal spike in oxyphil cells, indicating a parasitic infection. Doctors later confirmed that Zhang had been infected with sparganum, a type of tapeworm and other parasites, which had damaged her digestive system.

After two weeks of treatment, Zhang was discharged.

Dr Wu Zhongwen, a senior physician at the hospital, noted that similar cases have become increasingly common. “We’ve treated patients who have swallowed frogs, consumed raw snake or fish gall, or applied frog skin to their skin,” he said. Most of these patients are elderly and often do not discuss their health concerns with family members until complications arise.

Dr Wu warned that such folk remedies are not only ineffective but dangerous. “For example, applying frog skin to the body is believed to cure skin diseases, but it can lead to serious parasitic infections that may cause vision loss, brain infections, or even death,” he explained.

The incident also highlights the dangers of misinformation on social media. In another recent case from Zhejiang, a six-month-old girl was diagnosed with lead poisoning after her mother repeatedly soaked the infant’s hand in lead acetate to treat eczema—an unscientific treatment found online. The lead absorbed through the skin caused serious health complications.

Medical professionals urge the public, especially the elderly, to consult doctors before trying alternative treatments and to avoid unproven and potentially harmful home remedies.