Madeline Sirianni regularly gets relief from her painful endometriosis symptoms by using a hot water bottle.
But nine months ago, the Melbourne woman’s life was turned upside down when a hot water bottle filled with boiling water exploded as she sat down at her desk.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Urgent warning over hot water bottles.
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The bottle had exploded from the bottom, suggesting a malfunction.
On Tuesday, Sirianni joined Sunrise host Nat Barr, and recalled the horrific incident, which left her unable to walk properly for months.
“I filled up my hot water bottle, I walked from my kitchen to my desk, and living in a two-bedroom apartment, that’s not a far walk. I sat down at my desk, and it just exploded,” Sirianni said.
“Within seconds, it had burnt my stomach, down my right leg, and (the boiling water had) hit my ankle as well.”
Sirianni said her injuries took a huge toll.
“The recovery has been quite lengthy and definitely something I underestimated,” she said.
“There’s not just the physical recovery, but also the mental toll as well. And for me, that was quite a big element.
“(Only recently) I have made it back to all the exercise that I love, being Pilates. I’m well on the way to recovery, but definitely, not a recovery period to be underestimated.”
Sirranni said she wanted hot water bottles pulled from shelves, as she did not want people to underestimate the serious injury the common household product can cause.
Dr Dane Holden, who met Madeline during her recovery, also joined the show to discuss the issue.
He said hospitals were seeing about 50 preventable hot water bottle injuries each year — about one incident per week. And most occur during winter.
“What people don’t realise is that hot water bottles have an expiry date,” Holden said.
“We recommend people not use them past the 12-month mark, but also to make sure they’re using Australian certified water bottles.”
The doctor recommended people to take precautions such as never filling the hot water bottle with boiling water, hanging it up to dry before reusing it, and replacing it every 12 months.
Burns must be run under cold water for at least 20 minutes.
“Don’t fill it with boiling water but warm water and do not put any direct pressure onto the hot water bottle, that makes it at risk of rupturing, and finally, wrap it in something before applying it to the body,” Holden said.