Burns, electric shock, and complicated pre-existing injuries. Experiencing good performance by an electric heating pad is extremely unlikely and considered quite dangerous. Because most heating pads are inexpensive, you shouldn’t trust them enough to use them often or even sleep with one. The first thing that should be kept in mind is the burns. Reported cases state that it can cause lasting damage to the skin, leaving permanent scars.
Another terrifying thing is the EMF radiation. Nowadays, it is literally everywhere, and depending on the source and exposure, it can be extremely harmful. Most people associate dangers from EMF radiation with the most common sources we use every day, like cellphones, Wi-Fi, smart meters, and so on.
Many domestic appliances, on the other hand, can release far more radiation than you might think. This is why we want to discuss EMF heating pads and why you should stop using them immediately.
The main purpose of the heating pad is to alleviate pain by simply applying it to the affected area, not only to maintain the body warm for an extended period of time. Either way, you should be careful and consider the risks of using these pads that we are about to reveal. So are heating pads safe? Hell no, and we are going to give you proof why not.
How Many Times a Day Can I Use a Heating Pad?
The colder the weather gets, the more people get chronic muscle pain, making them addicted to heating pads. If you are one of those people that use them for many hours a day, you should beware that the longer you use them, the higher is the risk of causing more negative than positive effects.
Sleeping with a heating pad is a huge no, and you should stay away from putting it directly on your skin. The best way is to put towels between the heating pad and the area where you want to reduce the pain to prevent the risk of causing skin burn. It’s preferable to be used for about 15-30 minutes once or twice a day.
Heating Pad Side Effects
Are heating pads safe? What are the main disadvantages of using a heating pad? Most people use them to protect themselves from the wrath of the winters, but do you know that they can cause more harm than good?
Not only that, there are far more serious consequences than just skin burning and irritations that you should be aware of. So next time when you think about using one while you sit and relax on your sofa, you would think twice.
Dangerous for pregnant women
Well, who else if not pregnant women, knows better than discomfort and cramps that come with pregnancy, and they don’t think twice when finding something that will free them from the agony. Studies say that the usage of heating pads has increased the incidence of miscarriage in women to a significantly large degree.
Can cause addiction
Addiction to heating pads it’s real, the same as pain killers to the body, since they provide instant pain relief, especially when you are suffering from severe pain in your neck, shoulders, or hands. Older people use these pads religiously, becoming so accustomed to them, resulting in not falling asleep fast or staying restless overnight because they haven’t used their heating pad.
Damaging the inner muscles
Heating pads can cause severe damage to the inner muscles. Electric heating pads can even cause a muscle injury when you apply them directly to your skin. They may rapture inner muscles, which occur when muscles begin to deteriorate.
Negative effect on the blood pressure
People who suffer from high blood pressure or hypertension should be extremely cautious when using heating pads. Because when you leave them at any part of the body for a longer period of time, the heat can create the flow of the blood in the veins, which can be dangerous for high blood pressure patients.
Cause a fire hazard
Like any other electrical appliance, heating pads can come with the great danger of sparks or can even cause a fire.
Causing burns
This is a serious risk for people with diabetes or other conditions that reduce sensitivity. Just as you can get a sunburn without feeling anything until it’s too late, the longer you apply them with too-warm heating pads can even cook skin.
Can Heating Pads Cause Internal Damage?
It’s not a groundbreaking statement that heading pads are all the rage on the market, but very little is known that using them can cause damage that can cost you a life. Many studies hypothesized that EMF exposure could internally damage our bodies, even cause cancer, especially breast cancer and brain tumors, if they are used too often for a longer period of time.
These products are closely associated with users diagnosed with cancer because of the EMF (electromagnetic fields) to which the users are exposed. Like any other electrical appliance, heating pads emit EMFs.
Higher frequency EMF includes X-rays and gamma-rays. They are part of the ionizing part of the spectrum that can damage cells and DNA. The American Cancer Society reported that this electromagnetic radiation could even cause leukemia in childhood.
A shocking statement released from The International Commission of non-ionizing radiation protection declared that the biological effect of infrared radiation indicates thermal injury heat as a dominant risk. Even if it isn’t visible on the skin, exposure to IR is likely to be a cause of skin cancer too.
Conclusion
Yeah, people adopt different methods which can help them warm up in the winter season, while some use boilers to keep the house warm; one of the most used things today is the electric heating pads. They are basically used on some parts of the body to provide pain relief to the shoulders, neck, and back.
But if you are reading this and shaking your head, finding it a little bit difficult to wave goodbye to your favorite heating pad, we completely understand. Sure, heat can provide you with instant relief. But unfortunately, this type of radiant heat not only damages your skin tissue but can penetrate way deeper than that.
According to the sources, there are over 12,000 people injured in home fires each year, and more than 2,000 people die from home fires. The best way is to play it safe and discard them from using, and stick to the more traditional and natural methods of heating.
