How to Use a Hot Water Bottle Correctly and Where Not to Apply it – 6 Rules

The warmer is an indispensable item in any Ukrainian home during the harsh winter. This tool will keep you warm even on the coldest days. However, if used incorrectly, the heating pad can harm the body and aggravate chronic diseases.

How to Use the Hot Water Heater Properly

  • The hot water bottle is most often used to heat the bed so that it was warmer to sleep. For this purpose warm one or more hot-water bottles and leave them on the mattress under the blanket for half an hour. To warm the bed evenly, the hot water bottle can be moved several times. The heating pad should be removed from the bed before bedtime.
  • Many people wonder: can I sleep with a hot water bottle? Doctors say that you should not do so. Overnight, the rubber hot water bottle cools down and stops giving heat, but on the contrary, it takes the heat from the body to itself. Because of this part of the body near the heating pad can freeze more. To prevent this from happening, it is better to remove the hot water bottle from the bed when it is barely warm, or just sleep without it.
  • You can put a hot water bottle on your body to warm yourself. It is extremely important that the part of the body that comes into contact with the hot water bottle is not sore or inflamed. There should be at least two layers of clothing between the hot water bottle and the body so as not to burn yourself.

What not to do with the hot water bottle

  • You should not lie on top of a full hot water bottle. This may cause it to get damaged and you will burn yourself. If you want to put the hot water bottle on your back, lie on your stomach and place the hot water bottle on your back.
  • Children should not be heated with the hot water bottle – their skin is too tender.
  • Do not use the hot water bottle without checking. After filling it with water, shake the hot water bottle over the sink to make sure the item is not leaking.

What are the dangers of the heating pad?

The heating pad on the stomach is a popular method of treating abdominal pain, but it is very dangerous! With acute inflammatory processes in the abdomen, the use of the heating pad can cause complications. For example, a rupture of appendicitis is possible. Put the hot water bottle on the stomach only on the recommendation of the doctor.

The hot water bottle should also not be used for injuries, bruises, tumors, and any unclear pain. Exposure to heat can seriously aggravate the injury.

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Written by Emma Miller

I am a registered dietitian nutritionist and own a private nutrition practice, where I provide one-on-one nutritional counseling to patients. I specialize in chronic disease prevention/ management, vegan/ vegetarian nutrition, pre-natal/ postpartum nutrition, wellness coaching, medical nutrition therapy, and weight management.

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