Riding a motorcycle or practicing extreme sports are activities that have something in common: the people who do them can get hurt. However, what for many is sure far from their imagination is that, in the same way, eating can be dangerous .
Unfortunately, many people have had accidents while eating , either from burns to the throat from eating very hot food or even suffering from taste syndrome.
Discover 6 health problems that you can suffer if you eat food incorrectly.
6 health problems when eating
1. Stomach problems from protein shakes
Protein shakes can cause some unexpected stomach problems. For example, a 35-year-old man reported having problems with abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. The problem was found in that the patient had consumed between three and four protein shakes during the day (Klair, Girotra and Aduli, 2014).
These shakes contained casein, a slow-digesting protein that doctors think led to a problem called gastric bezoar , which is basically a hard mass of indigestible food that was able to form in the stomach.
This condition caused by the consumption of smoothies is somewhat unusual. Similarly, one fruit that can cause this problem is persimmon, as our bodies have a hard time breaking down fiber-rich fruits.
If you do end up with a bezoar, treatment is relatively simple: A 2013 study found that carbonated soda (such as a diet cola) can help dissolve the masses in most patients. (Kamberoglou et al., 2013).
2. Choking due to chia seeds
Chia seeds are an excellent source of protein, fiber, and omega-3 and omega 6 fatty acids; However, they also have their dangers: a man after consuming a tablespoon of dried chia seeds with a glass of water suffered from suffocation.
How is this possible? Chia seeds have the ability to absorb up to 27 times their weight in water. Once the seeds expand, they form a sticky substance that can clog the esophagus, causing suffocation. This can occur mainly in people who have a history of swallowing problems.
This does not mean that you should stop consuming chia seeds because it can be dangerous; You can consume them, but letting them expand in a smoothie or yogurt and then consume them.
3. Burns caused by margarita cocktail
Surely from now on you will want to consume the Margaritas in a calmer way, especially if you are doing it outdoors. The reason for this is because a chemical found in limes can react to sunlight, triggering a skin condition known as " phytophotodermatitis ."
The symptoms of this problem can be very uncomfortable, but mild and moderate depending on the severity. Moist skin and sweating can aggravate symptoms, some people may experience redness, swelling and even blisters similar to a burn.
On several occasions, it may be necessary to use skin creams to treat the problem; although most of the time a cold compress and an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory is sufficient.
4. Swallowing a toothpick by accident
Most people would feel if they have a toothpick in their mouth or even more clearly, if they are swallowing it; but in a review of a 2014 study of 136 toothpick ingestion accidents, more than 50% of patients did not realize they had accidentally swallowed it. (Steinbach et al., 2014).
They didn't realize it until they had a stomachache, which after tests was related to toothpicks. In that same review, the researchers found that the toothpick more often ended up piercing the intestines, causing surgery to heal the wounds in more than half of the cases.
More frightening is that almost 10% of patients died from their injuries. (The toothpick can cause an infection, which can spread to the blood and lead to organ failure.)
In an issue provided by the BMJ Case Reports , doctors realized that the main reason for these problems was that people tended to consume food quickly and carelessly, this can cause people to swallow toothpicks inadvertently . (Kaoutzanis et al., 2010).
5. Chewing headaches
Eating hot peppers can lead to a huge and painful problem known as " thunder headaches ." This name is due to the intensity and speed with which this pain appears.
These symptoms can be felt from the head, to the neck, and sometimes in the upper back. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, confusion, and numbness.
One study mentioned a case of a man with headaches that was caused by eating hot pepper from a well-known brand. This man was diagnosed with a reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (Boddhula et al., 2018).
6. Fish bones in the throat
Of the most common problems when swallowing accidentally, we can find fish bones (fish bones) as one of them.
Many people have swallowed fish bones on various occasions, but have not experienced serious problems because the bones were small in size. However, if the spines get caught in your throat they can cause pain and discomfort problems when swallowing.
These problems can be solved with a tongue depressor and forceps, or with an endoscope and forceps. However, it is better to prevent it. For this, it is recommended to carefully dispose of the bones of the fish before eating.
conclusion
Eating accidents are pretty rare, but they can happen if you're not careful.
We recommend you take a look at these six health problems which you can find when eating: this will help you be more careful when consuming these foods or drinks. Many are more common than you really think.
References
- Boddhula, S., Boddhula, S., Gunasekaran, K. and Bischof, E. (2018). An unusual cause of thunderclap headache after eating the hottest pepper in the world – “The Carolina Reaper”. BMJ Case Reports . doi:
10.1136 / bcr-2017-224085 - Klair, J., Girotra, M. and Aduli, F. (2014). Protein Shakes: An Unusual Cause of Gastric Phytobezoar in a Health Obsessed Person. American College of Gastroenterology. 2 (6)
- Kamberoglou, L., Karamanolis, G., Vlachogiannakos, J. and Zouboulis-Vafiadis, I. (2013). Systematic review: Coca-Cola can effectively dissolve gastric phytobezoars as a first-line treatment. Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics. doi: 10.1111 / apt.12141
- Kaoutzanis, C., Saghir, W., Hamade, A. and Garrett, W. (2010). Accidental ingestion of a cocktail stick. BMJ Case Reports. doi:
10.1136 / bcr.05.2010.3047 - Steinbach, C., Stockmann, M., Jara, M., Bednarsch, J. and Lock, J. (2014). Accidentally ingested toothpicks causing severe gastrointestinal injury: a practical guideline for diagnosis and therapy based on 136 case reports. World Journal of Surgery. doi: 10.1007 / s00268-013-2307-z
