A woman who used a hot water bottle to save money on her heating bills vowed to never use it again after suffering serious burns.
Sophia Pauley, who is from Cardiff but lives in Hackney, east London, had done her usual routine of filling her hot water bottle halfway and lying in bed on a cold, snowy day last month.
But when she got into bed, the hot water began to drip from a hole in the top of the bottle, burning her “under her butt,” the top of her legs, the inside of her thighs, and part of her hand. .
The 29-year-old woman said she saw her skin “melting”, causing her to scream in pain and run to the shower to cool down the deep second-degree burns with water.
After calling an ambulance, she was ordered to soak in a cold water bath for 45 minutes, before going to A&E, where doctors had to remove the “flappy” skin from her thighs with tweezers.
Sophia said the pain was like an “out-of-body” experience and she had never screamed in pain before in her life.
After treatment, Sophia said she had trouble walking and using the bathroom for a week, so she vowed not to use them again and urged anyone who has them to “throw them away.”
She is now bravely sharing her ordeal as a warning to others after claiming that doctors at the hospital said they had seen many burns from hot water bottles as people tried to keep warm without having the heating on all the time.
Sophia Pauley, who is from Cardiff but lives in Hackney, London, used a hot water bottle to save money on her heating bills and vowed never to use it again after suffering serious burns.
Sophia said, “I use pretty hot water, but I know you shouldn’t use boiling water.” I sat on the bed and immediately thought I had left the lid open because suddenly everything was on me.
“I was screaming, there were so many things I could feel burning underneath me. I was screaming, I took off my pajamas and ran to the shower.
‘There were so many things I could feel them burning beneath me. My sister ended up filling the tub with cold water because the shower head couldn’t cover the area.
‘They were on the inside of my thighs and under my butt, which made going to the bathroom difficult.
‘I had never screamed in pain before in my life, it was an out-of-body experience. I’ve been in the hospital before when other things happened, but that was the most painful thing I’ve ever experienced.
“I saw my skin melting, there was skin flapping on my leg, it was horrible, they had to tear it off with tweezers, it was terrible.
After calling an ambulance, she was ordered to soak in a cold water bath for 45 minutes, before going to A&E, where doctors had to remove the “flappy” skin from her thighs with tweezers.
The artist had her hot water bottle for almost four years and admitted she should have thrown it away
“It was a very painful week, I was very immobile for a while just because it was in a very sensitive area and going to the bathroom was quite difficult.”
Sophia said that she sometimes uses hot water bottles to avoid turning on the heating, but on this occasion the heating was also on, but she still used one because she often still feels cold or her hands and feet are numb.
The artist had her hot water bottle for almost four years and admitted she should have thrown it away.
A month later, Sophia’s burns are mostly healed, although they remain tender, while she has to avoid the sun for at least two years.
Although she is happy with the way her burns healed, Sophia said she was lucky to have her sister and to have made it to the hospital when she did.
Sophia said she wants to warn others against using hot water bottles and make sure to update them every year.
Sophia said: ‘I’ve been using hot water bottles since I was a child, I often use them in winter just to keep warm because my hands and feet always get cold.
Sophia said the pain was like an “out-of-body” experience and she had never screamed in pain before in her life.
After treatment, Sophia said she had trouble walking and using the bathroom for a week, so she vowed not to use them again and urged anyone who has them to “throw them away.”
A month later, Sophia’s burns are mostly healed although they remain tender, while she must avoid the sun for at least two years.
‘After this, I will never use hot water bottles again. I have always known the danger, but I have never heard of a division.
‘I thought I had left the lid off, but my sister told me the plastic had melted and spilled completely.
‘I had mine for about four years and looking back I should have thrown it away, but I don’t know anyone who throws theirs away.
“I would say never use hot water bottles because they are too dangerous, but if you are going to use them, make sure the water is not boiling or fill it with cold water so it is not at a level where it can boil.” burn you.’
But once at the hospital, Sophia says doctors explained to her that the horrible accident was more common than she thought, as many use hot water bottles to save on turning on the heating.
Sophia said: ‘Coming to this time of year, many people come in every year with burns from hot water bottles.
‘They told me they believe (the bottles) are cheaper to manufacture and that people simply don’t heat their homes enough.
“More and more people are using them and more parents are buying them for their kids, which is really sad.” After hearing in the burn unit that there has been such an increase and children have been coming in, I thought this was pretty bad.
‘Sometimes I use a hot water bottle to avoid turning on the heating. I thought it was a bit of a freak accident, but after going to the burn unit they told me this is the case of the week, we had an 80 percent increase in the last few years, all from hot water bottle burns.
‘A lot of children come in and parents don’t put them (the burns) in cold water or people who don’t realize the burn is quite serious and leave it and then it gets infected and causes a lot of problems.
‘Some burns that seem quite insignificant may be due to the hot water bottle not even spilling, but instead burning the skin. If anyone uses them, I would recommend they throw them away.
‘But if you’re going to use them, make sure you update them every year and don’t take any chances. Do not fill it with boiling water or cold water.
‘I would avoid them at all costs. There are dangers, even if it doesn’t drip, it can still burn your skin. I want to spread the word. People really need to look at the expiration dates and think twice before using them.’