Constipation has become a widespread problem, thanks to our increasing dependence on processed food and lack of exercise. The ideal way to beat it is to eat a lot of fibre-rich foods, increase intake of water and indulge in some form of physical activities. But doctors at a Chinese hospital had the shock of their lives when they had to save a patient who tried to cure constipation by inserting an eggplant up his anus.

According to a news report in Kan Kan News, the man was tired of suffering from abdominal pain and constipation for a long time. But instead of seeking treatment, he came upon a bizarre way to treat the problem – by inserting a large aubergine inside his anus. Unfortunately for him, the eggplant only made matters worse. The 50-year old started experiencing vomiting and severe abdominal pain and swelling.

When the discomfort became unbearable, he went to the doctor after two days of suffering from the ordeal. He thought that the vegetable would act as a laxative and relieve him from constipation that he was suffering from for four days.

The doctors were horrified by the damage done by the eggplant. A CT scan revealed that the object got stuck in a diagonal position inside the man. The vegetable had moved so far up inside the intestines that it almost touched his heart and caused inflammation in his lungs. It took an emergency surgery to extract the vegetable and save the man’s life. According to reports, the unnamed man is now recuperating.

This is not the first time a Chinese man had attempted something truly bizarre to treat constipation. In April 2017, a man took his pals’ dubious advice and shoved a live eel inside his rectum. He was told that the live swamp eel would eat through the accumulated faeces and relieve him of constipation. Luckily for him, the doctors were able to save him in the nick of time before he almost died as the live 20-inch-long fish ended up wriggling inside his intestines.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jun 06, 2018 11:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).