Woman's urgent warning after picking blackberries left her with horrific burns
A woman has shared her agonising experience and urged people to be vigilant after coming into contact with a toxic plant while picking blackberries.
Sue Harris, from Swansea, suffered blisters running the length of her arm and was advised by her GP to shield her arm from sunlight for the next four months. She was also warned to enhance her sun protection for the following five years to prevent the recurrence of the blisters and rash.
Ms Harris, 55, was gathering blackberries in Mayals, Swansea, when she inadvertently touched Hogweed, a plant known for its long-lasting harmful effects on those who come into contact with it. It comes after 'UK's most dangerous plant' leaves toddler in A&E with second-degree burns
Hogweed, scientifically referred to as Heracleum sphondylium, is a common plant found along hedgerows, roadside verges, and rough grassland. The plant's sap, stems, leaves, and fruits are toxic. The sap can cause severe, painful burns on the skin, making it hypersensitive to sunlight and prone to blistering under sun exposure, reports Wales Online.
This blistering can recur repeatedly for months or even years after initial contact.
Just two hours after returning home from her blackberry-picking excursion in Mayals, Ms Harris noticed a small rash on her arm. It rapidly worsened overnight, spreading up her arm, onto her back, and causing intense pain.
After suffering a severe rash, Ms Harris sought help at her local pharmacy and received medication, but the pain escalated to "agony". Her GP later warned that consuming the blackberries could have led to a life-threatening reaction, as the plant is capable of causing damage akin to third-degree burns.
Ms Harris has been advised by her doctor to take stringent protective measures against the sun, including using SPF50 or wearing a rash vest for the next four to five years to prevent the blisters and rash from reoccurring.
Now two weeks on, she still endures a painful rash that may persist for up to six more months. She recounted: "Even now, my arm is burning, literally burning. I didn't feel anything at the time, I must have just brushed past it."
She continued, detailing her ordeal: "I went to my doctor a week later because I've been in and I honestly mean it, I've been in agony with it."
Ms Harris is eager to raise awareness about the plant's toxicity, saying: "I just want people to know about it because I never knew it was toxic and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this."
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Daily Mirror
2 days ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman's urgent warning after picking blackberries left her with horrific burns
Sue Harris, 55, was picking blackberries in Mayals, Swansea, when she came into contact Hogweed, which has left her in agonising pain and can impact people for years after touching it A woman has shared her agonising experience and urged people to be vigilant after coming into contact with a toxic plant while picking blackberries. Sue Harris, from Swansea, suffered blisters running the length of her arm and was advised by her GP to shield her arm from sunlight for the next four months. She was also warned to enhance her sun protection for the following five years to prevent the recurrence of the blisters and rash. Ms Harris, 55, was gathering blackberries in Mayals, Swansea, when she inadvertently touched Hogweed, a plant known for its long-lasting harmful effects on those who come into contact with it. It comes after 'UK's most dangerous plant' leaves toddler in A&E with second-degree burns Hogweed, scientifically referred to as Heracleum sphondylium, is a common plant found along hedgerows, roadside verges, and rough grassland. The plant's sap, stems, leaves, and fruits are toxic. The sap can cause severe, painful burns on the skin, making it hypersensitive to sunlight and prone to blistering under sun exposure, reports Wales Online. This blistering can recur repeatedly for months or even years after initial contact. Just two hours after returning home from her blackberry-picking excursion in Mayals, Ms Harris noticed a small rash on her arm. It rapidly worsened overnight, spreading up her arm, onto her back, and causing intense pain. After suffering a severe rash, Ms Harris sought help at her local pharmacy and received medication, but the pain escalated to "agony". Her GP later warned that consuming the blackberries could have led to a life-threatening reaction, as the plant is capable of causing damage akin to third-degree burns. Ms Harris has been advised by her doctor to take stringent protective measures against the sun, including using SPF50 or wearing a rash vest for the next four to five years to prevent the blisters and rash from reoccurring. Now two weeks on, she still endures a painful rash that may persist for up to six more months. She recounted: "Even now, my arm is burning, literally burning. I didn't feel anything at the time, I must have just brushed past it." She continued, detailing her ordeal: "I went to my doctor a week later because I've been in and I honestly mean it, I've been in agony with it." Ms Harris is eager to raise awareness about the plant's toxicity, saying: "I just want people to know about it because I never knew it was toxic and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this."
Daily Record
3 days ago
- Daily Record
Woman covered in agonising burns after wholesome day picking blackberries
Sue Harris has described the extreme pain she has been left in after a doctor said she would need to stay out of the sun for four months. A woman has been left with excruciating blisters the length of her arm after coming into contact with the most notorious plant in the UK. Sue Harris suffered horrific burns after touching giant hogweed while she spent an afternoon picking blackberries. She has described the extreme pain she has been left in and told how her doctor has said she will have to cover her arm when in the sun for the next four months, and should increase her sun protection for the next five years to avoid the blisters and rash returning. Sue, 55, was picking blackberries in Mayals, Swansea, when she touched Hogweed, which can impact people for years after touching it. A common plant, scientifically known as Heracleum sphondylium, it can be found along hedgerows, roadside verges and rough grassland. The plants sap, stems, leaves and fruits are toxic. The sap of the plant can cause burns on the skin which can be very thick and painful. The sap makes the skin extra sensitive to the sunlight and allows the skin to burn in the sunlight, causing extreme blisters. This blistering can occur over and over for months, or years after first contact. Two hours after Sue arrived home, she noticed a small rash on her arm. Overnight it got worse, spreading up her arm, onto her back and causing extreme pain. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Wales Online reports she went to her local pharmacy and was given medication for the rash but was left in 'agony'. She consulted her GP who advised her that if she had eaten the blackberries, her airways could have closed as the plant can cause the equivalent of a third degree burn. Two weeks later, her rash remains painful and it could last for another six months. She said: 'Even now, my arm is burning, literally burning. I didn't feel anything at the time, I must have just brushed past it. 'I went to my doctor a week later because I've been in and I honestly mean it, I've been in agony with it. 'I just want people to know about it because I never knew it was toxic and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this.'
North Wales Live
3 days ago
- North Wales Live
Blackberry picking goes horribly wrong as Welsh woman left with terrible blisters
A woman was left in severe pain after coming into contact with a dangerous plant while picking blackberries. Sue Harris suffered extensive blisters along her arm and was advised by her GP to shield her arm from sunlight for the next four months. She was also warned to use sun protection for the next five years to prevent the rash and blisters from recurring. Ms Harris, 55, was gathering blackberries in Mayals, Swansea, when she inadvertently touched Hogweed, a plant known for its long-lasting effects on those who come into contact with it. The plant, scientifically referred to as Heracleum sphondylium, is commonly found along hedgerows, roadside verges and rough grassland. It was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in the 19th century. The plant's sap, stems, leaves, and fruits are toxic. In particular, its sap can cause severe, painful burns, making the skin hypersensitive to sunlight and prone to blistering if exposed to the sun, reports Wales Online. Two hours after returning home from her afternoon blackberry-picking trip, Ms Harris noticed a small rash on her arm. The condition worsened overnight, spreading up her arm, onto her back, and causing intense pain. She visited her local chemist and received treatment but she remained in "agony". Her GP warned that consuming the blackberries could have caused her throat to swell shut, as the plant can inflict damage equivalent to third-degree burns. Ms Harris said her doctor instructed her to take additional sun protection measures and use SPF50 or protective clothing for the next four to five years, or risk the blisters and irritation returning. A fortnight on, her rash continues to cause pain and may persist for another six months. She explained: "Even now, my arm is burning, literally burning. I didn't feel anything at the time, I must have just brushed past it. "I went to my doctor a week later because I've been in and I honestly mean it, I've been in agony with it. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox "I just want people to know about it because I never knew it was toxic and I wouldn't want anyone else to go through this." Find out what's happening near you
