Eating an entire bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos and other spicy chips may not only inflame the mouth but also the stomach, experts confirmed.
Pediatricians across the nation believe that spicy Cheetos and other chips are causing several unnecessary visits to emergency rooms. Not only does consumption of these foods cause stomach pain among children, they also cause parent's to worry about their children's stool which they believe may have blood in it. "We have a population that loves to eat the hot, spicy, not-real foods, and they come in to the emergency room with these real complaints," said Dr. Martha Rivera of White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles. She said: "the kids are being set up for ulcerations, erosions and peptic ulcer disease."
A 12-year old boy, Andrew Medina confirmed that he normally consumes 20 to 30 bags of spicy snacks per month. After experiencing stomach pain, he consulted with a doctor who told him that spicy chips were causing gastritis or inflammation of the stomach lining and is associated with bloating, burning and vomiting. Media explained that the pain feels like a bruise and that it really hurts a lot.
"A number of patients who have consumed these Cheetos in excess have complained of pain in their upper abdomen, rising up to their chest, likely due to red peppers and spice contained in the snack," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency medicine physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York. Dr. Rivera advises parents to sub out snacks like chips for string cheese. She also discourages parents from giving moeny to their children for after school snacks. Eyewitness News has tried contacting Frito-Lay, the maker of Cheetos and other brands of chips, for their reaction but they were unable to respond, according to KABC-TV.
