Hogweed looks impressive: luxurious white umbrellas and large leaves attract the eye. But this is deceptive beauty. Many people know that picking this plant and even just touching it is extremely dangerous. Hogweed burns are accompanied by severe skin lesions.
Anton Samoilov, a dermatovenerologist at the Be Healthy clinic, explained to Mail.ru Health why you should stay away from hogweed thickets.
Hogweed, unlike the same nettle, does not “sting” a person: you will not feel that you have touched it, but the consequences of contact are incomparable. Close acquaintance with hogweed can lead to severe burns, allergic reactions and even loss of vision. What a hogweed burn looks like, how to provide first aid and what the treatment is – we’ll look into this article.
What is hogweed and why is it dangerous?
It is not difficult to identify hogweed – it can be seen from afar. This is a large plant, the height of which can reach four meters, with voluminous white umbrellas-inflorescences.
There are many types of hogweed, but almost all of them are toxic to humans in one way or another, although some are grown for beauty, as animal feed, or even eaten. But these are rather exceptions. In Russia, the poisonous hogweeds Sosnovsky and Mantegazzi are especially common .
The danger is posed by hogweed juice, which contains photosensitive substances from the furocoumarins group (and this juice is found in any part of the plant) (1). Under the influence of UV radiation, furocoumarins transform into an active form that can cause skin damage, from dermatitis to burns.
Burns from contact with hogweed are photochemical dermatitis. It develops after plant sap comes into contact with the skin and subsequent UV irradiation of the area.
It sounds difficult, but in fact it is enough to touch the leaves, stem or flowers of the plant, and then just walk a little down the street. You don’t even have to touch it: toxic components can affect the skin through clothing when a person walks through the thickets of this poisonous weed.
By the way, in the heat you shouldn’t even be near hogweed – you can get your dose of poison through evaporation.
Also try not to inhale plant pollen, it causes allergic reactions in the respiratory tract.
Hogweed is very tenacious: it feels good in any climate, reproduces quickly and literally survives other plant species from their usual habitats.
This close relative of dill and carrots (can you imagine!) is a real scourge of agriculture and is considered a serious environmental threat in many countries. Hogweed destroys existing ecosystems, poisons the earth with toxic substances and is dangerous for people and animals.
Symptoms of hogweed burn
A person does not always understand that he has touched a poisonous plant. At first, the victim may feel normal, but then the skin begins to itch a little. Then, when exposed to sunlight, severe redness occurs and the spot may darken.
After a day, blisters filled with liquid appear, which begin to merge into one large blister and burst on about the 4-5th day, and a painful wound appears in their place. Such a burn can even be equivalent to a 3rd degree thermal burn.
In contact with eyes, hogweed can cause blindness. And essential oils from juice can cause severe irritation of the mucous membranes of the nose and mouth.
Symptoms of the lesion increase over time. On a sunny day, the signs appear brighter and faster:
- A slight itch appears at the site of contact. Gradually the skin turns red and may even darken.
- After about a day, blisters with fluid inside appear, which grow and merge. After a few days, the blisters burst and the wound becomes open.
- Swelling appears, joints become less mobile.
- A person may also be bothered by fever, headache, or dizziness. Other signs of intoxication may appear.
What does a hogweed burn look like?
A hogweed burn is very painful, it takes about a month to heal, and its marks remain for many years. If the lesion was too large, then the person may even die; such cases have been recorded in medical practice (2).
In addition, an open wound that occurs at the site of a burst bladder becomes a gateway for secondary infection. This is also why you should not self-medicate.
First aid for contact with a plant
You should avoid any contact with hogweed – do not pick it, do not smell it, do not touch it, and it is better to avoid it altogether.
If a meeting does occur, immediately go to a clinic or hospital where a doctor can examine you. This will protect you from complications and maintain your health.
Juice on skin
If the plant juice gets on the skin, it should be thoroughly washed with running cold water and soap, take an antihistamine and completely eliminate exposure to sunlight and other ultraviolet radiation for at least three days by any means: cover with clothing, apply a clean and dry gauze bandage (3) .
Juice getting on the mucous membrane
If the plant juice gets into the eyes or mucous membranes, they should also be rinsed as soon as possible with plenty of clean running water for at least 15–20 minutes, and the mouth should be rinsed thoroughly (as when brushing teeth).
How to treat a burn from hogweed
For the next week after contact, you should protect the affected areas of the skin from exposure to sunlight as much as possible, wear closed clothing – this will reduce the severity of tissue damage and help prevent the appearance of blisters – there is a chance that everything will only get better with peeling of the skin.
For any medical treatment of a burn, you should consult a specialist. If you are far from medical institutions, you can take an online consultation; in any case, this will be better than self-medication.
1. Ointments
The use of specific products depends on the degree of skin damage, but in general, the same products are usually used as for ordinary burns . Only a doctor can prescribe them. It is important not to use greasy creams and ointments, as this can lead to complications. The main thing is not to puncture the blisters or cover them with a band-aid.
2. Tablets
You can relieve pain or remove allergic swelling after a burn using conventional painkillers and antihistamines. They should be taken according to the instructions, after consulting a doctor, without exceeding the recommended doses.
3. Folk remedies
Be careful with folk remedies for burns, trust your health only to professionals. There is no need to treat wounds with alcohol or alcohol-containing liquids.
No sour cream, kefir, and especially butter – all this can lead to even deeper tissue damage and the addition of a secondary infection, which is fraught with serious complications, including necrosis.
Consequences of hogweed burns
Burn marks, which usually look like dark spots, take quite a long time to disappear: several months or even years, depending on the degree of damage and the individual characteristics of the body. If the burn was very severe, scars may form on the skin that will remain with the person for life.
If the eyes are damaged by hogweed juice, vision may decrease; in severe cases, a person may even go blind.
How to prevent hogweed burns: preventive measures
Research the types of hogweed that grow in your area – what they look like and how dangerous they are. This can be done, for example, by searching by photo, if you can find and photograph this plant. Or in some other way.
Having studied the local species of hogweed and where it grows, try to avoid meeting it. Be sure to tell children and elderly people about the danger. This is especially true for residents of small settlements and summer residents.
Methods of combating hogweed
Hogweed reproduces very quickly using seeds. It wakes up in the spring earlier than other plants and grows quite quickly, gradually poisoning the soil with its toxins (4).
As soon as one plant appears in a clearing, after a few years it is all overgrown with hogweed, and there is no room left for the rest of the herbs, flowers and even trees.
In agriculture and urban farming, hogweed is controlled using special chemicals. And if you want to prevent this weed from multiplying on your site, then follow our instructions.
How to destroy hogweed:
- If hogweed appears on or near your summer cottage, you need to get rid of it as soon as possible. This is best done in the spring, after sunset or when the sky is cloudy. It is necessary not only to cut off the shoots themselves, but also to dig up the roots, since there are dormant buds on their upper part. Use a shovel or hoe (5) for this.
- Wear rubber gloves, a mask and goggles. Don’t forget clothes made of thick fabric with long sleeves and trousers. After mowing and digging up the roots, thoroughly wash your hands and tools, and destroy the hogweed.
- Check every week to see if new shoots have appeared on the site. It is important to dig them up in time and prevent them from blooming. Plant other plants and trees in the place where the hogweed grows.
- If the thickets are too large, herbicides can be used. They are also sprayed in the spring, before the hogweed blooms. In the summer, you will have to mow the plants, wait until new shoots with leaves rise above the ground, and only then apply chemicals. Remember the safety precautions that are usually written on the packaging.
Expert reviews and recommendations
Anton Samoilov, a dermatovenerologist at the Be Healthy clinic, gave his recommendations on how to treat a burn from hogweed.
If contact with hogweed goes unnoticed, which often happens with children, and a stain or blisters have already appeared, it is necessary to wash the affected area with a solution of chlorhexidine or furatsilin, and apply a clean, dry gauze bandage loosely.
Do not open the blisters under any circumstances; this will only slow down healing and expose the painful bottom of the burn. Also, you should not use greasy creams and ointments; their use contributes to deeper damage to the skin.
Memo to the victim: what to do if you come into contact with hogweed
- Wash the contact areas with cool water and soapy suds.
- Cover them from the sun for a couple of days with clothing or a loose bandage.
- Take allergy medicine and pain medication if needed.
- Call an ambulance if the burns are large. Or go to the clinic or hospital on your own. It is important that you be seen by a burn surgeon or at least a local doctor. Any therapy must be prescribed by a specialist. In severe cases, hospitalization and inpatient treatment may be required.
- Even if the burns do not get worse, stay out of the sun for at least a week, and protect the affected areas from UV radiation for several months until the skin heals.