Chloe Douglas, 20, suffered gruesome injuries to her hand (Picture: Chloe Douglas/Pen News)
A woman was left with excruciating blisters ‘the size of grapes’ after coming into contact with the most notorious plant in the UK.
Chloe Douglas suffered third-degree burns after touching giant hogweed – but has no idea where or when it happened.
The 20-year-old, from Sunderland, woke up one morning with a red rash on her hands and neck but by the end of the day, it had grown into horrific blisters.
When she went to the urgent care centre, doctors told her the most likely cause for her injuries was indeed the poisonous plant.
Giant hogweed can cause such severe reactions, it was labelled ‘the most dangerous plant in Britain’ by Mike Duddy, of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust in 2015.
It can spread its sap with only the slightest exposure, which causes gruesome burns when the affected skin is exposed to daylight.
The plant doesn’t often cause any immediate pain and stops skin from protecting itself against the sun, meaning victims are unaware of the damage being done until it’s already too late.
Chloe was left with third-degree burns and blisters ‘the size of grapes’ on her hand (Picture: Chloe Douglas/Pen News)
Chloe said: ‘After work, I went on the sunbed for five minutes, which I’m guessing was the exposure it needed to turn into burns.
‘That evening I was fine, however I woke up the next day and my hands and neck were covered in red rashes.
‘I laughed it off and assumed I was unlucky and had just got prickly heat off the sunbed.
‘But as the day went on my right hand started to burn and eventually blister into these spots – I’d say the size of grapes.’
These are the scars that remain on Chloe’s hands more than three weeks later (Picture: Chloe Douglas/Pen News)
Medical staff popped Chloe’s blisters and dressed her wounds but she is still suffering three weeks later.
‘They disclosed that they were third-degree burns,’ she said. ‘I have scarring that has lasted three weeks and doesn’t show any signs of clearing up.
‘The recovery was extremely painful, my hand constantly ached and had to be bandaged due to the open wound where they had popped the blisters.
‘I had to take a few days off just from being genuinely unwell after getting it treated; it took me well over a week-and-a-half to get myself back to normal.
‘However my hands are still scarred and I’m guessing will be for the foreseeable now.’
Chloe has urged others to familiarise themselves with giant hogweed to avoid suffering a similar fate (Picture: Chloe Douglas/Pen News)
Chloe is now warning others of the effects of giant hogweed and urging people to be aware.
She said: ‘Familiarise yourself with what the plant looks like to make sure if you do see it, you avoid it at all costs.
‘Make sure you’re constantly washing your hands and wearing sun cream.’
Giant hogweed is native to south eastern Europe, but was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in 1817.
A pensioner who was scorched by the plant more than 50 years ago says the old wound still torments him to this day.
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