Sue Harris brushed past a plant but now her skin could be impacted for up to five years
The rash has left her in “agony”(Image: Sue Harris)
A woman has described the extreme pain she has been left in after touching a plant while blackberry picking. Sue Harris from Swansea was left with blisters the length of her arm and says her GP has told her she will have to cover her arm when in the sun for the next four months, and should increase her sun protection for the next five years to avoid the blisters and rash returning.
Ms Harris, 55, was picking blackberries in Mayals, Swansea, when she has touched Hogweed, which can impact people for years after touching it.
A common plant, scientifically known as Heracleum sphondylium, it can be found along hedgerows, roadside verges and rough grassland.
The plants sap, stems, leaves and fruits are toxic. The sap of the plant can cause burns on the skin which can be very thick and painful. The sap makes the skin extra sensitive to the sunlight and allows the skin to burn in the sunlight, causing extreme blisters.
This blistering can occur over and over for months, or years after first contact.
Two hours after the 55-year-old came home from picking blackberries in Mayals, she noticed a small rash on her arm. Overnight it got worse, spreading up her arm, onto her back and causing extreme pain.
Hogweed is common plant in the UK (Image: Getty Images)
She went to her local pharmacy and was given medication for the rash but was left in “agony”. She consulted her GP who advised her that if she had eaten the blackberries, her airways could have closed as the plant can cause the equivalent of a third degree burn. Stay informed on the latest health news by signing up to our newsletter here
(Image: Sue Harris)
Ms Harris says her doctor has told her she will need to take extra precaution in the sun and wear SPF50 or a rash vest for the next four to five years, otherwise the blisters and rash could return.
(Image: Sue Harris)
Two weeks later, her rash remains painful and it could last for another six months. 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.”