20-year-old girl had to go to the emergency room due to an unexpected accident while making lemongrass and chili chicken feet

(Dan Tri) - An accident while making lemongrass and chili chicken feet caused the girl's 10 fingertips to burn like fire, requiring emergency care.

A 20-year-old woman was recently hospitalized with blisters and pain on all 10 fingertips after cutting about 10 chili peppers without wearing gloves.

The patient, Ms. TNT, 20 years old, treated herself at home by soaking in ice cold water for 1 hour but did not improve. At a medical facility in Ho Chi Minh City, doctors diagnosed Ms. T. with dermatitis caused by direct contact with capsaicin - the active ingredient that creates the spicy taste in chili peppers, also known as chili burn.

Ms. T. was treated with pain relievers, anti-inflammatory drugs and a direct spray containing panthenol (which has moisturizing and soothing effects on the skin).

After more than 1 hour of intervention, the girl's burning pain and discomfort improved and she was discharged from the hospital. "This is the first time I've encountered this condition. Before, I still cooked and cut chili normally but never had to be hospitalized for burns," the patient shared.

The girl's hand was burned by chili when she went to the emergency room (Photo: PK).

Specialist Doctor Ho Ngoc Bao, who directly treated Ms. T., explained that capsaicin in chili does not cause burns like thermal burns or frostbite, but strongly stimulates the sensory nerve endings, causing intense burning.

This condition is common in people who handle chili peppers with their bare hands or accidentally touch sensitive areas such as the eyes, nose, or mouth with their hands contaminated with chili peppers. Capsaicin can also cause redness, itching, and even mild blistering in people with sensitive skin or exposed to high concentrations.

Dr. Bao also noted that capsaicin is not water-soluble but oil-soluble, so cold water cannot relieve the burning sensation.

"In case of mild chili burns, the correct treatment is to use fats to neutralize capsaicin such as cooking oil, fresh milk, yogurt... apply to the damaged skin area, leave for a few minutes and wash with soap. If the mouth is spicy, you should suck on milk or eat white rice or bread to absorb the capsaicin," Dr. Bao instructed.

In case capsaicin gets into the eyes, the patient needs to rinse immediately with clean water or saline continuously for at least 15 minutes, absolutely do not rub the eyes to avoid corneal abrasion or conjunctivitis.

The doctor emphasized that after first aid, if the skin area is red for a long time or shows signs of infection, the patient should go to a medical facility for proper treatment. To prevent chili burns, housewives should wear gloves when preparing dishes with chili, wash their hands thoroughly after contact and absolutely avoid touching their eyes and nose.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/co-gai-20-tuoi-phai-di-cap-cuu-vi-tai-nan-bat-ngo-khi-lam-mon-chan-ga-sa-ot-20250718153124003.htm