Man complaining of horrid stomach pain discovers he had a live cockroach in his body

Everyone who has ever had food poisoning can attest that while it is definitely not an enjoyable experience, it usually goes away within a week at most, and it rarely has consequences on your health over the long run. However, when you are wolfing down a meal, you can forget to chew sometimes, and end up swallowing a foreign object. One woman from the US almost ate a live snail, which was hiding in her McDonald's order. This time, a 23-year-old man swallowed an insect, which remained alive inside his body. Keep reading to find out what really happened, at your own risk.

The 23-year-old man thought he had food poisoning

According to the Indian Express, the unnamed 23-year-old man started noticing his symptoms a few days after he had eaten street food at a night market. He suffered from stomach pain and bloating for days before he finally decided to go to the hospital. However, when doctors at the Fortis Vasant Kunj Hospital ran several tests on him, they discovered the source of his ailments was much more surprising than simple bacteria.

Indeed, the doctors in charge of the young man were baffled when they discovered he had a three-centimetre-long cockroach wriggling around in his belly. Dr. Shubham Vatsya, a senior consultant in gastroenterology, told the Indian Express that the whole team of doctors and the patient himself were shocked to not only discover the insect, but also by the fact that it was still alive and kicking. He explained:

Even we were surprised as to how the cockroach managed to stay intact.

For the last two-three days, the patient was suffering from indigestion and bloating after eating food. It was during routine inspections that we incidentally spotted the cockroach.

He had a live cockroach inside his belly

The 23-year-old patient explained to the doctors he had no clue as to how the insect got inside his body. While some believe he could have swallowed it by mistake while he had street food a few days earlier, others, such as Dr. Vatsya himself, have opted for an even creepier explanation. Indeed, they claim the cockroach could have made its way down his throat while the man was sleeping.

While the patient was hospitalised, doctors ran a gastrointestinal endoscopy, also known as a GI, which allowed them to get a good view of where the cockroach was located in his digestive system. Thankfully, the young man's doctors were able to fully remove the insect from his body during a quick ten-minute procedure. Dr. Shubham Vatsya explained how the procedure went down to the Indian Express:

We immediately proceeded to extract the insect. We activated the suction button on the scope, effectively sucking the cockroach into the suction channel, leading to its removal from the body and saving the man’s life.

While the ordeal may seem disgusting, but not life-threatening, having a live insect inside your body can actually lead to extreme consequences, and even death.

According to the British Pest Control Association, these insects can cause widespread infections, as they are 'vectors of disease'. Cockroaches can cause a 'direct health risk to humans'.

Read more:

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Sources used:

LADbible: Man complaining of indigestion left horrified after finding out something was living inside of him

Indian Express: Alive and kicking, cockroach found in man’s stomach; Delhi doctors successfully remove it

British Pest Control Association: The dangers: why we control cockroaches