Woman Feels Pain in Her Throat & Chest After Having Hotpot, Coughs Up Blood The Next Day

Hotpot (or steamboat) has been our all-time-favourite, whether it’s rain or shine, it would be nice to have some steaming hot goodness right out of the boiling pot. Whether if you like it healthy and herbal, or “ma-la”, everyone would agree that we are able to bond over a pot of soup in the middle.

Putting all yumminess aside, some of us like to gobble down the food and do the “hashafhazhaf” dance before it actually cools down. A woman from Hangzhou, China, enjoyed having hotpot with her friends on 25 December 2019.

Right after she finished her meal, she experienced discomfort and pain in her throat and chest, and it felt like something was stuck in her throat when she swallowed. Zhang thought that maybe she had accidentally swallowed bone pieces or burnt food crusts that would’ve hurt her throat, and she didn’t pay attention to it.

On the following morning, Zhang woke up having prolonged pain in her throat, and it even hurt as she tried to swallow her saliva. She ended up coughing up blood, which immediately prompted her to visit a doctor.

The doctor from the gastroenterology department went on with gastroscopy to take a look in her stomach, according to MSN. Lo and behold, her oesophagus had huge ulceration 22cm down her oesophagus! 

Zhang was then diagnosed with an oesophageal ulcer, chronic non-atrophic gastritis, as well as bile reflux. Although it’s terrible, she had been given proper treatment and also in the process of recovery.

The doctor warned the woman that “eating food that’s too hot” or “eating too quickly” will cause damages to the oesophagus, stomach and the rest of the digestive system.

If this eating pattern is practised in the long run, it will eventually lead to oesophageal cancer! The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) carried out a study that showed drinking liquids that are above 65°C will result in an increased chance of having oesophageal cancer. 

We hope that this incident will serve as a reminder for all of us to be cautious when we enjoy piping hot food or drinks. Hunger and thirst can wait because it’s absolutely important to prevent ourselves from being burned by our food.

Also read: 46yo Gets Brain Parasites After Not Cooking Meat Properly While Having Hotpot Meal