4 days ago
Warning after woman left with agonising blisters from picking blackberries which could have KILLED her
The woman has been told to keep her arm out of the sun for at least four months and ensure she wears factor 50 sun cream
SUMMER HORROR Warning after woman left with agonising blisters from picking blackberries which could have KILLED her – know the signs
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A WOMAN was left with 'agonising' blisters and "burning" skin after she picked blackberries which could have killed her.
Nature lover Sue Harries suffered extreme pain after a toxic plant left her covered in a horrifying rash.
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Hogweed can grow up to 16ft (stock image)
Credit: Getty
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Sue Harries was collecting the berries near her home when her arm brushed nearby hogweed
Credit: WNS
The 53-year-old, from Swansea, Wales, was collecting berries near her home when her arm brushed nearby hogweed.
The plant, which is officially known as Heracleum sphondylium, has toxic sap, stems, leaves and fruit which can leave lasting damage.
Sue didn't spot anything wrong straight away but a rash spread across her arm and back within hours.
She was covered in blisters and in "agony" as the wounds developed and is still reeling from the affects weeks later.
Doctors told Sue if she had eaten any blackberries touched by the plant, her airways could have closed.
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."
Sue will now be forced to keep her arm out of the sun for at least four months.
The 53-year-old must also ensure she wears factor 50 sun cream, or keep the affected areas covered for at least the next five years.
Boy, 9, left with horrific burns and blisters after brushing past 'Putin' toxic plant while playing football in the park
Brits have been issued an urgent warning about the dangerous plant.
In June last year, Jenson Price was left with agonising blisters when he brushed past giant hogweed.
The nine-year-old had come into contact with the plant while running to fetch the football during the kickabout with his friends in Ryhope Park, Sunderland.
The toxic sap from the plant increases the sensitivity of the skin to sunlight, often leading to burns - and sometimes blindness.
While in June 2022, Ella, a 22-month-old toddler, was rushed to hospital having touched giant hogweed.
Ella was taken to two hospitals, North Tees and James Cook, but doctors and medics were unable to determine what had caused such injuries.
The tot required intensive treatment, doctors had to burst her blisters, carve away her dead skin, and finally bandaged her hands.
A similar incident occurred the same year when Chavana Neuweg's six-year-old daughter suffered poisoning from a hemlock plant growing in their garden.
The young child suffered a severe rash and trouble breathing, resulting in a trip to the hospital.
Dog owners have also been warned about the dangers the plant poses to our furry friends.
Hogweed can tower up to 16ft tall, according to the RHS, with long green stems with purple blotches, huge branches of small white flowers and green leaves.
Mike Duddy, of the Mersey Basin Rivers Trust, previously said: "Giant hogweed was without a shadow of a doubt, the most dangerous plant in Britain".
It is native to the Caucasus but was introduced to Britain as an ornamental plant in 1817, and its spread has now gotten out of control.
