Pediatricians are warning that extremely spicy snacks, like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and other chips, are sending numerous children to the emergency room every year.

The experts say that eating too many spicy products can cause a significant inflammation of the stomach lining which can lead to severe abdominal pain in children.

“We have a population who loves to eat the hot, spicy, not-real foods, and they come in [to the emergency room] with these real complaints,” Dr. Martha Rivera of White Memorial Medical Center in Los Angeles told KABC-TV.

One 12-year-old boy told KABC that he would eat 20 to 30 bags of spicy snacks a month until he suffered stomach pain and was diagnosed with gastritis. He said the feeling was like someone bruised his insides and that it hurt “a lot”.

Some school districts in New Mexico, California and Illinois have banned spicy snacks because of their lack of nutritional value. Doctors say parents should steer their children toward healthier snacks like string cheese, apples or pretzels.

The doctors warn the spicy snacks have addictive qualities that could lead to children overeating them.