A woman in China was left with a massive throat ulcer measuring 8cm wide due to her wolfing down her hot pot meal too quickly.
Thankfully, she sought medical treatment on time and is expected to make a full recovery.
Ate food which was scorching hot
According to South China Morning Post, the woman named Wang was out having hot pot with her friends, where she ate the food while it was still boiling hot.
When she felt a tightness in her chest, she drank some iced water to ease the discomfort.
The next day, Wang experienced severe pain when swallowing even just water and went to the hospital for a checkup.
There, doctors found that an 8cm oesophageal ulcer had developed, which covered nearly one third of her oesophagus.
Aside from the massive ulcer, Wang’s digestive system was also found to have ruptured.
Hot & cold: a big no-no
A doctor explained that a common misconception most have is assuming the human oesophagus can tolerate boiling hot foods.
However, he said the reality was that the oesophagus can only tolerate food up to around 60°C, where hot pot is usually served at temperatures reaching 90°C.
The doctor also said that drinking cold drinks to soothe the heat is not recommended as it further stimulates the oesophagus, harming its mucosa and can lead to oesophageal cancer.
This condition is not uncommon in China, where its population makes up 40% of oesophageal cancer cases worldwide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), any food or drink that’s consumed at above 65°C is labelled as “probably carcinogenic to humans”.
So the next time you’re having hot pot, remember to go slow!
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