Woman, 33, scarred for life and left in a wheelchair after trying common period pain relief method
How to ease your period pain safely
A WOMAN suffered such horrific burns she was left wheelchair-bound for weeks and scarred for life after using a common period pain relief method.
Jade Parsons-Mayle was left in agony when her hot water bottle exploded in her lap- despite being well within the use-by date.
She was unable to walk for over a month after her hot water bottle ruptured across her legs and groin area, due to the severity of her burns.
The 33-year-old had tucked the device into her pyjama bottoms to help warm up and ease her period pains.
However, moments later the bottle exploded underneath Jade’s clothes – leaking boiling hot water onto her lower stomach, groin, legs, buttocks and genitals.
Jade, who lives in Ealing, Cambridgeshire, said she collapsed on the kitchen floor and woke up to her wife Jules ushering her to the bathroom.
The carer was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridgeshire, before being referred to Broomfield Hospital in Chelmsford for specialist burns treatment.
There, she underwent a skin graft operation and remained wheelchair-bound for more than a month while her first, second and third-degree burns healed.
Shocking photos show severe burns across Jade’s leg, which have left her skin scarred for life.
Jade, who is married to Jules Parsons-Mayle, 42, said she will never use a hot water bottle again after her accident in January last year – and is calling for better awareness over their risks.
Jade said: “I was at home and had my hot water bottle against my stomach. I had period pains and use it a lot in the winter.
“I tucked it under my pyjama bottoms directly onto my skin.
“I was in the kitchen just sorting things out then it burst. I didn’t really realise what had happened. The side had ruptured in it. I had filled it with boiling water.
“Luckily my wife was home and knew what to do. I don’t think I realised what it was. I was just in excruciating pain.
“I passed out onto the floor for a few seconds. My wife got me to come into the bath and covered me in cold water.
“Funnily enough, two months before I had checked the date of my hot water bottle and it was still in date by months but still ruptured.”
Jade was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital and underwent a skin graft two weeks later due to the severity of her burns.
‘No idea how much damage hot water could cause’
Unable to walk or return to work, Jade was discharged from hospital in a wheelchair and has been left with significant scarring on her legs.
Jade said: “I couldn’t really walk or anything – I had to use a wheelchair to allow it to heal. I had no idea how much damage hot water could cause.
“It was difficult to sleep – it was really itchy and the smell was unbearable.
“I had different levels of burns on different areas of my body. I had first degree in some areas of my leg then the worst bit of my leg was third degree where I had the skin graft.
“I wasn’t allowed to walk after the skin graft and was in a wheelchair at home.”
Hot water bottle safety tips
HOT water bottles do have an expiry date as rubber deteriorates over time, becoming prone to breaking.
You should regularly check the bottle for signs of wear and tear and don’t use it if it’s more than two years old.
You can check when it was made from the flower or wheal symbol stamped into the rubber.
The number at the centre of it will show the year it was made, while the 12 petals represent the month it was manufactured.
For example, the number 23 in the middle will show the hot water bottle was made in 2023. And if four of its petals are filled with dots, that means it was made in April of that year.
Here’s how to make sure you’re using your hot water bottle safely:
- Use hot water, but avoid boiling temperatures
- Fill up to three-quarters only to minimise bursting risks
- Remove all air above the water level before sealing to prevent injuries due to escaping hot air
- Ensure the stopper is tightly secured
- Wrap the bottle in a cloth or towel to avoid direct skin contact
- Refrain from taking the bottle to bed
- Don’t combine the use of a hot water bottle with an electric blanket
- Avoid using the bottle as a cushion or sitting on it
- Store the bottle without any weight on top
- Replace your bottle every two years
- Regularly inspect for wear and tear
- Babies should never be given hot water bottles, wheat bags, or electric blankets
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Jade said her burn scars have changed the way she dresses.
“I don’t really wear a skirt or anything anymore. I think if I was a younger girl, it would’ve impacted me more.”
And despite the wounds healing, she’s still in pain and has to be cautious.
“I get nerve pain now and I have to be a lot more careful with heat and being out in the sun.
“I can’t feel temperature in that area much anymore so have to be cautious with hot baths and things.”
Know the risks of hot water bottles
More than a year on since her accident, Jade believes the risks of hot water bottles should be more widely known.
Jade said: “I’ll never use one again. I think there needs to be clearer labelling about the risks and the temperatures you should be using. It should be a bit like smoking where the risks are clearly shown to you.
“It can cause life-changing injuries. I know more and more people are using them because of the cost of living. It’s scary. When I was in hospital they said it was a really common burn.
“I feel really lucky. I’m not as fazed by the scars as being older. You never think something like this will happen to you.”
