Woman suffers horrific burns from hot water bottle

A woman is warning people over using hot water bottles to save money on heating bills - after one burnt her so badly she struggled to use the toilet for a week.

Sophia Pauley had done her usual routine of filling her hot water bottle halfway and getting in bed on a cold, snowy day in Hackney, London. But as she got into bed, hot water started leaking from a hole on the top of the bottle, burning under her bum, her upper legs, inner thighs and part of her hand. The 29-year-old said she saw her skin melt, leaving her screaming in pain and ran to the shower to cool the deep second-degree burns down with water. After phoning for an ambulance she was instructed to submerge herself in a bath of cold water for 45 minutes, before going to A&E where doctors had to tweeze the flappy skin from her thighs.

Sophia said the pain was like an out-of-body experience and that she had never screamed in pain before in her life. After treatment, Sophia said she struggled with walking and using the toilet for a week - so has vowed not to use them ever again and is urging anyone with them to throw them out. She is now bravely sharing her ordeal as a warning to others after claiming doctors at the hospital said they had seen many hot water bottle burns as people tried to stay warm without having the heating on all the time.

Sophia, who is from Cardiff but lives in London, said: “I use pretty hot water, but I know you're not meant to use boiling. I sat in bed and immediately thought I had left the lid off because it was suddenly all over me. I was screaming, there was so much, I could just feel it burn underneath me. I threw my pyjamas off and ran to the shower. My sister ended up filling the bath with cold water because the shower head couldn't cover the area. They were in my inner thighs and under the bum, which made going to the toilet tricky. I had never screamed in pain before in my life, it was an out-of-body experience.

“I saw my skin melt, there was flapping skin on my leg, it was horrible, they had to tweeze it off, it was grim. It was a very painful week, I was very immobile for a while just because it was in such a sensitive area and going to the toilet was quite difficult.”

Sophia said she does sometimes use hot water bottles to avoid putting the heating on but on this occasion the heating was also on - but was still using one as she often still feels cold or has numb hands and feet. The artist had her hot water bottle for almost four years and admitted that she should have put it in the bin. A month later, Sophia's burns are mostly healed although remaining sensitive, while she has to avoid the sun for at least two years.

Although she is happy with how her burns healed, Sophia said she was lucky to have her sister and to have got to the hospital when she did. Sophia said she wants to warn others against using hot water bottles, and to make sure to update them every year.

Sophia said: “I've been using hot water bottles since I was a kid, I use them often in the winter just to get warm because my hands and feet always get cold. After this, I'll never ever use hot water bottles again. I have always known the danger but never heard of one splitting. I thought I had left the lid off but my sister told me the plastic had just melted and it poured all out.

“I had mine for about four years and looking back I should have binned it, but I don't know anyone who bins theirs. I'd say to never use hot water bottles because they're too dangerous, but if you're going to use them make sure the water is not boiling or top it up with cold water so it's not at a level where it can scald you.”

But once at the hospital, Sophia says doctors explained that the horrifying accident was more common that she thought - as many are using hot water bottles to save on turning on the heating.

Sophia said: “Coming to this time of year, lots of people every year come in with hot water bottle burns. I was told they think there is cheaper manufacturing of the bottles and people are just not heating their houses enough.

“I thought it was a bit of a freak accident but after going to the burns unit they said ‘we had a 80% rise in the last few years, all from hot water bottle burns’.

“Lots of kids coming in and parents not putting the burns in cold water or people not realising the burn is quite severe and leaving it and then it getting infected and causing lots of issues. Some burns that look quite insignificant can be caused from the hot water bottle not even spilling but burning on the skin. If anyone uses them, I would advise them to bin it. But if you are going to use them, make sure to update them every single year and don't risk it.

“Don't fill it up with boiling water - or top it up with cold water. I want to get the word out. People really need to look at the expiry dates and think again before using them.”