The one-minute habit that can lead to disfiguring scars… and millions more are at risk
Doctors are warning against a common summer habit that could lead to a debilitating injury and disfiguring burns.
A 56-year-old man from Seattle was rushed to his local burn unit after walking barefoot on hot asphalt.
The unnamed man told doctors he had only been barefoot outside for one minute before putting his shoes on.
But in that time, several layers of skin had peeled off his feet and his toes, heels and soles turned bright red and were covered in blisters.
It took only one minute of walking barefoot in a rare Washington heat wave in 2021 that saw temperatures soar to 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) for the man to suffer second-degree burns, which destroy the first two layers of skin and cause extreme pain.
Writing in a medical journal this week, the man’s doctors warned similar injuries could become more common as temperatures heat up throughout the US.
Last year, for example, temperatures in one in 10 US cities reached record-high levels, with experts predicting even more extreme heat waves to come.
In addition to burns, the man’s doctors also emphasized spending just a short amount of time in extreme heat can result in painful injuries like dehydration, muscle cramps and heat stroke.
An unnamed man in Washington state suffered second-degree burns on his feet after standing on hot asphalt for one minute during a heat wave (stock image)
The medical team wrote: ‘Extreme heat events increase the risk of contact burns from hot surfaces in the environment.
‘Young children, older adults, unhoused persons, and persons with substance use disorder are at elevated risk for these types of burns.’
The anonymous man was taken to a burn center in Seattle during the heat wave that swept the Pacific Northwest.
The temperatures were significantly higher than the 80-90 degree average for summer in the area.
He told doctors he had walked on hot asphalt for one minute.
However, he also said he was intoxicated, so it’s unclear how accurate his one-minute estimation was.
Temperatures during the heat wave reached 108 F, though asphalt typically is hotter than the air temperature.
On a 90-degree day, for example, asphalt can heat up to about 130 to 140 F. This is because the material absorbs large amounts of solar radiation due to its dark color, causing it to retain heat.
Asphalt is also dense, which allows it to retain heat for longer periods of time.
Though one minute seems like too short of an amount of time to develop severe burns, recent evidence suggests otherwise.
Pictured above are the man’s feet that sustained severe burns
A 2019 study from the University of Nevada School of Medicine, Las Vegas looked at 173 pavement-related burn injuries and compared them to air temperatures on the days they occurred.
The team estimated pavement can cause second-degree burns ‘within two seconds.’
While the doctors couldn’t determine what temperature the asphalt was, experts have estimated second-degree burns can form at temperatures of at least 131 F.
The researchers in the new case report warned intoxicated people like the unnamed man may be a greater risk for pavement burns.
A person who is drunk will have a slower reaction time and a delayed response to pain, leading them to stand on the hot pavement for longer, leading to more severe injuries.
Intoxicated people are also at a greater risk of heat stroke, as alcohol leads to dehydration and prevents the body from regulating its core temperature.
The anonymous man was admitted to the burn unit and treated with painkillers and topical antibiotics. Doctors removed all dead tissue to keep the wounds clean and reduce the risk of infection.
His wounds were fully healed after 18 days.
