If we love taking advantage of a good hot water bottle in winter to warm up, it is particularly effective for soothing stomach aches or joint pain, for example. However, despite the undeniable advantages of a hot water bottle, it also presents certain risks such as very serious burns or fires. Focus on this mistake that should definitely not be made with this little accessory!
Very practical, this little accessory which has been around for decades is particularly appreciated in cold weather. If the hot water bottle is essential for warming up, but also for relieving certain pains such as joint pain, muscle pain or even stomach aches, it is also essential to know the precautions for use in order to avoid any incident. However, there is one mistake that we all make and which is particularly dangerous with a hot water bottle: sleeping with it!
Indeed, whether you use a water, dry or even electric hot water bottle, it presents certain dangers such as the risk of very serious burns, but also the risk of fire. As for water bottles, the main danger remains that of burns in the event of a crack or bursting of the product. A plastic surgeon, Franck Duteille, warns of its dangers: “The problem with the water bottle is that you risk removing the cap with your foot (…) which can burn the skin to the point of requiring a graft. This type of burn mainly affects elderly people. They have difficulty getting out of bed, the burn lasts quite a long time and affects the lower limbs, causing irreversible consequences.» He explains.
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Never sleep with a hot water bottle, whatever it is.
When it comes to dry hot water bottles, the danger is just as present. Indeed, at a certain point and overheated it simply risks catching fire causing a fire and possible poisoning during sleep. Dangers found with the electric hot water bottle when the heating time is not respected and its general condition is not properly checked (power cable, connections, thermostat, etc.) causing a risk of short circuit and therefore fire or even electrocution during the night.
Certain precautions must therefore be respected when we use a hot water bottle, if we understand it correctly it is strictly not recommended to sleep with this type of accessory, Professor Franck Duteille adds a layer: “you should never sleep with a hot water bottle! You can use it to warm the bed and heat the room beforehand, but you remove it before going to bed“. It is also advisable not to keep a hot water bottle on you for more than 20 minutes, in fact, beyond this time we expose our skin to the risk of burns, heater dermatitis, erythema, etc. The specialist warns of the seriousness of the situation : “The treatment of a deep burn is cumbersome, requiring hospitalization for two to three weeks, a skin graft, then rehabilitation in a specialized center.» He adds that the risk is even greater for the elderly: “the vital prognosis of a burn victim is assessed with the Baux score (…). A score of 100% means that statistically, the person is dead. For example, the chances of survival of an 85-year-old subject who is burned on both lower limbs, or 10% of the body surface, are 5%.“.
If you want to use your hot water bottle safely, it is important to always check that it complies with the BS1970:2012 standard for water bottles, and BS8433:2004 for electric ones. It is also advisable to never place this type of accessory on the skin, but to always use a cover or towel to protect yourself and only fill it ⅔ full with simmering, not boiling, water.
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