Eventually he ended up in hospital with “severe, sudden onset lower back pain”, and it was there that doctors learned he had been self-medicating for 18 months.
During their examinations of the patient, they noticed that his arm was red and swollen, with a subsequent X-ray showing a build up of semen in the muscle where he had been injecting.
As per reports, the man was diagnosed with subcutaneous emphysema, a condition that occurs when air gets trapped under your skin. Needless to say, he required medical attention for both his back and his arm before being discharged.
One doctor, Dr. Asim Cheema, an Internal Medicine and Cardiology Specialist at Your Doctors Online, labeled the case ‘deeply concerning’.
Speaking to online outlet UNILAD, Dr. Cheema shared: “This is a deeply concerning example of how misinformation and desperation can drive individuals to take extreme, dangerous measures to manage chronic pain.
Injecting non-sterile bodily fluids like semen, particularly without medical supervision, is not only ineffective but also poses serious health risks. Complications can include infection, inflammation, embolism, and subcutaneous emphysema, as seen in this case.
“This behavior borders on self-harm and highlights a wider issue — people with chronic conditions increasingly turning to unverified, anecdotal remedies online instead of seeking evidence-based medical care.”
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