HUNAN: A 42-year-old woman in China developed an eight-centimetre oesophageal ulcer after eating hotpot too quickly, prompting doctors to warn about the dangers of consuming extremely hot food.
The woman, surnamed Wang, from Changsha in Hunan, said she was “hungry and carried away” while eating hotpot with friends on a cool day in March, the South China Morning Post reported on Thursday.
Wang swallowed food immediately after taking it from the pot, without allowing it to cool, and felt tightness in her chest; she drank iced water to ease the discomfort.
She initially ignored the symptoms but sought treatment the next day after experiencing severe pain when swallowing, even water.
Doctors at Changsha Eighth Hospital found that Wang had developed an eight-centimetre oesophageal ulcer, nearly one-third the length of an adult oesophagus, which typically measures between 25 and 30 centimetres.
Doctor Wu Xiaoqing said the oesophagus could generally tolerate food temperatures of only about 50 to 60 degrees Celsius, while food taken directly from hotpot dishes could reach 80 to 90 degrees Celsius.
Wu said drinking cold water after consuming extremely hot food could further irritate the oesophagus, adding that ulcers treated early would usually heal completely, although repeated relapses could increase the risk of cancer.