Reports of low-temperature burns from disposable hand warmers have prompted a doctor to warn about proper use of the products amid a prolonged cold spell in Taiwan.
Huang Ching-yu (黃景昱), a doctor at the Dr Young and Dr Huang Dermatology and Aesthetics Clinic in Taipei, said that while heating pads can provide localized warmth — improving blood circulation — people must take care when using them.
Leaving the heating pads on skin for long periods or inside blankets while sleeping can lead to problems, Huang said.
Photo: Taipei Times file
“If a person rolls over onto a heating pad in their sleep, it can press the product onto exposed skin, which can cause a low-temperature burn,” he said.
This can lead to a condition known as a “hot water bottle rash” — or erythema ab igne — which can cause reticulated redness and dark patches on the skin, he said.
Itchiness, a burning sensation, and damage to the skin and underlying tissue can result, Huang said, adding that great care should be taken when using heating pads in bed.
Elderly people, those with chronic illness, mobility problems or nerve abnormalities are prone to low-temperature burns, while other high-risk groups include infants and people who use sleeping pills, he said.
“A hand warmer can reach 45°C and could easily cause a burn if pushed against the skin for 15 to 20 minutes,” he said. “If a person sustains a low-temperature burn, they should immediately rinse it with cold water before seeking advice from a medical professional.”
The nervous system will warn people about temperatures in excess of 60°C, but damage from low-temperature burning can go unnoticed while it is being inflicted, he said.
“It is like cooking sous vide chicken,” Huang said. “People might not be concerned by the relatively low heat and not be on guard for potential damage.”
However, after prolonged exposure, the skin can be harmed, he said.
After 30 minutes, low-heat burns can manifest as a burning sensation, he said, adding that the resulting rashes do not usually blister, and there would be more itchiness than pain.
“We treated a patient for shoulder pain after they used heating pads for about 20 minutes daily,” Huang said. “After a few weeks of use, the patient had reticulated redness on the area.”
Even if a heating pad is wrapped in a towel, it can still burn if it is pressed against the skin, he added.
Four factors led to the declaration of a typhoon day and the cancelation of classes yesterday, Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) said. Work and classes were canceled across Taiwan yesterday as Typhoon Krathon was forecast to make landfall in the southern part of the country. However, northern Taiwan had only heavy winds during the day and rain in the evening, leading some to criticize the cancelation. Speaking at a Taipei City Council meeting yesterday, Chiang said the decision was made due to the possibility of landslides and other problems in mountainous areas, the need to avoid a potentially dangerous commute for those
There are 77 incidents of Taiwanese travelers going missing in China between January last year and last month, the Straits Exchange Foundation (SEF) said. More than 40 remain unreachable, SEF Secretary-General Luo Wen-jia (羅文嘉) said on Friday. Most of the reachable people in the more than 30 other incidents were allegedly involved in fraud, while some had disappeared for personal reasons, Luo said. One of these people is Kuo Yu-hsuan (郭宇軒), a 22-year-old Taiwanese man from Kaohsiung who went missing while visiting China in August. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office last month said in a news statement that he was under investigation
PRO-CHINA SLOGANS: Two DPP members criticized police officers’ lack of action at the scene, saying that law enforcement authorities should investigate the incident Chinese tourists allegedly interrupted a protest in Taipei on Tuesday held by Hong Kongers, knocked down several flags and shouted: “Taiwan and Hong Kong belong to China.” Hong Kong democracy activists were holding a demonstration as Tuesday was China’s National Day. A video posted online by civic group Hong Kong Outlanders shows a couple, who are allegedly Chinese, during the demonstration. “Today is China’s National Day, and I won’t allow the displaying of these flags,” the male yells in the video before pushing some demonstrators and knocking down a few flagpoles. Radio Free Asia reported that some of the demonstrators
China is attempting to subsume Taiwanese culture under Chinese culture by promulgating legislation on preserving documents on ties between the Minnan region and Taiwan, a Taiwanese academic said yesterday. China on Tuesday enforced the Fujian Province Minnan and Taiwan Document Protection Act to counter Taiwanese cultural independence with historical evidence that would root out misleading claims, Chinese-language media outlet Straits Today reported yesterday. The act is “China’s first ad hoc local regulations in the cultural field that involve Taiwan and is a concrete step toward implementing the integrated development demonstration zone,” Fujian Provincial Archives deputy director Ma Jun-fan (馬俊凡) said. The documents