Teenager ‘cooks her own stomach’ and is left with ‘toasted skin syndrome’ trying to relieve cramps
A TEENAGER “cooked her own stomach” while trying to relieve agonising stomach cramps.
Tanya Jade Woolley gave herself toasted skin syndrome by repeatedly using a hot water bottle – even strapping it to herself while out shopping.
The 18-year-old discovered that heat was the only way to “distract” herself from the “unbearable” pain caused by her irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) – a common condition that affects the digestive system, with symptoms including cramps, bloating, diarrhoea and constipation.
But within two weeks of using it, burn marks “covered her whole stomach” and she realised she had scorched her skin.
This, however, is “less painful than the intense cramps” so the teaching assistant refuses to stop using her beloved hot water bottle.
Showing her skin pigmentation in a TikTok video, Tanya said: “I’m just a girl who has burn marks from using her hot water bottle too much.”
Users said she was likely suffering from toasted skin syndrome (TSS), also known as erythema ab igne.
It happens after prolonged exposure to heat and causes discoloration, itching and burning.
TSS is usually resolved by removing the heat source, but it has been linked to certain cancers, according to Healthline.
Tanya, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was diagnosed with IBS in January 2023.
She was hospitalised three times in a year due to the pain it caused her, so she turned to a hot water bottle for relief.
Tanya said: “It was comforting and distracted me from the pain.
“I used it all day and constantly filled it up. Any time it was only slightly warm, I’d fill it up again.
“I’ve got a fluffy koala cover. It’s got velcro to wrap it round your stomach and I’d go to the shops wearing it.
“I went through a phase where I was using my hot water bottle so much that it actually became really painful and it burned my skin. It literally cooked my skin.
“I had to put aloe vera gel on it because it literally was burning. I think that’s why it scarred so badly.
“The marks cover practically my whole stomach. It’s like dry skin. I moisturise it so it doesn’t just dry out.”
Despite her skin flaring up when heat is applied, Tanya still frequently uses a bottle.
She said she’d rather not risk making the burn marks worse, but she feels like she has little choice.
‘EXCRUCIATING’
“I can’t stop because the pain would just be so bad,” Tanya added.
“It’s really harsh stomach cramps. The pain is unbearable and I can’t move.
“The only thing that gets rid of it is heat.
“I take tablets as well but often they don’t work. The best thing is the hot water bottle.
“Once I realised how bad [my skin] was I used it slightly less, but if I was in a lot of pain then I would put it on.
“It’s either I deal with the stomach marks or the pain of IBS.
“The burn marks don’t hurt as much as the pain of IBS, so I’d rather just have the burn marks on my stomach.”
Doctors noticed Tanya’s permanent scarring and advised her to use her bottle less and not to apply it directly to her skin.
She found this “frustrating” as the alternative is “excruciating pain”, but she has tried to listen to their recommendations.
“I never put it directly onto my skin and I always put a top between it or a cloth – plus my cover is fluffy too, it’s not a rubber one,” she said.
“I’ve tried alternatives. Instead of putting a hot water bottle directly on my stomach, I put a warm towel on it. But even then it doesn’t really help.”
How to relieve IBS safely
IRRITABLE bowel syndrome (IBS) can be a real pain – literally.
As well as diarrhoea, constipation and bloating, it can cause agonising stomach cramps.
To help relieve symptoms, the NHS recommends:
- Cooking homemade meals using fresh ingredients
- Keeping a diary of what you eat and any symptoms you get (then avoiding any triggers)
- Finding ways to relax
- Getting plenty of exercise
- Taking probiotics for a month to see if they help
- Eating regular meals
- Enjoying your food slowly
- Limiting your intake of fatty, spicy or processed foods
- Not eating more than three portions of fresh fruit a day
- Not drinking more than three cups of tea or coffee a day
- Avoiding alcohol and fizzy drinks
And to ease bloating, cramps and wind specifically, you could try:
- Eating oats regularly
- Adding 1tbsp of linseeds to your diet per day
- Avoiding hard-to-digest foods like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sprouts, beans, onions and dried fruits)
- Avoiding the sweetener sorbitol
- Speaking to a pharmacist about medications like Buscopan
Source: NHS