A woman who ate live frogs as a child had to have an 8cm-long parasite removed from her brain . Yin Meng , 29 , had been complaining of headaches for six years when she keeled over at work . She was rushed into hospital in Zhaoyang County in south-western China 's Yunnan Province . There , doctors discovered something growing inside her brain . Scroll down for video . Unaware : Yin Meng , 29 , had an 8cm-long parasite growing inside her brain , which caused her to collapse . But they had no idea what it was or how to remove it so she was discharged . Yin then took medications to try and control the increasing number of headaches and seizures she was experiencing - before collapsing again . Her boyfriend Shan Tu , 30 , said : ' I was getting increasingly worried about her as her fits and seizures were getting worse - and so too were her headaches . 'So when she collapsed again that was the last straw . ' Yin was admitted to hospital and this time surgeons agreed to operate - despite the risk . During surgery , they removed the thin , 10cm-long white parasite . A hospital spokesman said : 'The woman was found to be suffering from a parasitic infection called Sparaganosis which had been growing inside her for years . 'It was attacking her nervous system . ' Sparaganosis can be contracted by drinking contaminated water , or eating a carrier of the infection such as a frog or a snake . Danger : During surgery , doctors removed the thin , 8cm-long white parasite ( pictured ) . A hospital spokesman said : 'The woman was found to be suffering from a parasitic infection called sparaganosis ' Harm : The parasite ( pictured ) was attacking Yin 's nervous system , triggering seizures and headaches . It can also be transmitted through coming into contact with an open wound from the host . It most commonly affects the brain or the eye . Upon waking and being told about her condition , the patient immediately realised what had happened . 'She said that when she was a child , around five-years-old , she used to catch and eat live frogs with her grandmother , which must be how she contracted the parasitic infection , ' the spokeswoman said . 'She said she could remember the feeling of the frog 'jumping ' as it went down her throat . She added : 'The damage to her nervous system is quite extensive but we hope we can prevent it from being permanent as the brain has an amazing capacity to heal itself . '
Yin had been complaining of headaches for years before collapsing . 29-year-old had also suffered frequent seizures but it was not clear why . Hospital tests revealed something was growing inside her brain . Surgeons eventually agreed to operate and removed 8cm parasite . Sparaganosis can be caused by eating live frogs , as Yin Meng had as a child .