A personal trainer was left with ‘raw’ burns and blisters after brushing against giant hogweed.
Kat Parnell ran a 100km event on Saturday (August 3), that involved pushing her way through overgrown plants and bushes.
The next day, she woke up covered in itchy red rashes on her hands, arms and legs.
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The 33-year-old, from Ipswich, Suffolk, doesn’t recall encountering the dangerous plant and assumed she’d had an allergic reaction to something.
However, the rashes grew into painful blisters and burns, as reported by Need To Know.
She showed the injuries to her nurse sister, Stephanie, who said Kat must have come into contact with giant hogweed.
Kat is still finding new itchy wounds popping up on her arms and legs almost a week later.
She said: “I woke up covered in rashes and didn’t know if it was me having a weird reaction to something.
“They were really itchy and I was trying not to scratch.
“They’ve got worse over time, and they’re still popping up now. My arms, legs and hands are covered.
“They’re red, raw, sore and blistering. It’s irritating. I keep catching them on things and worry they might scar.
“I had to push down bushes because it was quite overgrown.
“I can’t recall what the hogweed looked like, but I pushed my elbows right into it so they’re covered.
“I’m glad I didn’t go to the loo in it, because I did have to go a few times.”
Kat completed the 100km run between Newmarket in Stour Valley to Brantham in 14 hours.
She shared images of her blisters on social media where other people who had taken part in the run said they had also broken out in blisters.
Kat said: “I posted the photo on social media and a lot of people were saying they also had burns.
“Everyone was suffering in silence wondering what was happening to them and were glad I’d shared it so they knew what it was.”
According to Woodland Trust, the sap of giant hogweed can cause burns and make skin extremely sensitive to sunlight.
The NHS advises anyone who comes into contact with the plant to cover the affected area and wash with soap and water as soon as possible.
And Kate is urging others to steer clear of hogweed.
Kat said: “I’ve researched it and it can make you blind. It’s important to raise awareness so that people don’t end up losing their sight.
“My injuries will go away but it could cause permanent damage.”
