Can Eating Zimbabwean Chillis Cause Severe Burns?

[_Mayday_]

Hey, keep it brief.

I have just eaten two small chillis and it is killing my throat and tongue. How the hell do I stop it, I've scratched my eye and it has gone blood red. Help me out guys it bloody aches!

_Mayday_ (Quite literally)

 

[Danger]

Putting a spoonful of sugar on your tongue and letting it dissolve can help with the throat/mouth problem. As for your eye, I'd recommend flushing it with warm salt water. A visit to your doctor might also be in the offing.

 

[_Mayday_]

Tried milk, not work.

I will try this. thns

 

[turbo]

I have been bitten by habanero chilies while making my chili relishes, etc. I have tried some remedies, but time seems to be the best healer. Sorry.

 

[Evo]

Hey, keep it brief.

I have just eaten two small chillis and it is killing my throat and tongue. How the hell do I stop it, I've scratched my eye and it has gone blood red. Help me out guys it bloody aches!

_Mayday_ (Quite literally)

Be careful, turbo's innards have been replaced with solid steel. You may be more sensitive. I've had to give up hot stuff for now, I have a scarred esophagus, among other things, and eating anything is painful, but even raw onions now are too painful to swallow.

 

[_Mayday_]

It's gone, I'm such an idiot. Trying to be macho in the kitchen, nothing worked, I just had to bhe patient and drink lots or water with a few seconds in between sips. How the hell do people like it when its that hot?

 

[_Mayday_]

I can take spicy, two of these little monsters and I am out though.

 

[Evo]

I can take spicy, two of these little monsters and I am out though.

You have to gradually build up a tolerance over time.

 

[_Mayday_]

Will red ring ensue? I'm a hide fan of indian cuisine, I don't know the names of it all but I do like a hot curry every now and again.

 

[Danger]

I have a scarred esophagus

Wow... me too. You're the only other person that I've heard of who had that.

 

[Moonbear]

It's gone, I'm such an idiot. Trying to be macho in the kitchen, nothing worked, I just had to bhe patient and drink lots or water with a few seconds in between sips. How the hell do people like it when its that hot?

Your pain isn't over yet. What goes in must come out.

 

[turbo]

A scarred esophagus? That doesn't sound good for a chili-head like me. I have been splitting and stacking firewood all day, and I'm thinking about forgoing anything complex for supper. Looks like fried hot dogs and rolls in butter with habanero relish, horseradish, raw vidalia onions, and yellow mustard for me. Mmm. Ought to go good with a Molson.

 

[Astronuc]

Hey, keep it brief.

I have just eaten two small chillis and it is killing my throat and tongue. How the hell do I stop it, I've scratched my eye and it has gone blood red. Help me out guys it bloody aches!

_Mayday_ (Quite literally)

What are you complaining about. Enjoy the experience - relish the fire!

If it's too much some salty crackers and yoghurt would ease the burn, or an olive oil based salad dressing.

 

[wolram]

What are you complaining about. Enjoy the experience - relish the fire!

If it's too much some salty crackers and yoghurt would ease the burn, or an olive oil based salad dressing.

I remember the time Astro helped me, hells teeth my goo lies were in the devils kitchen, he is still my number one hero

 

[Ouabache]

If it's too much some salty crackers and yoghurt would ease the burn, or an olive oil based salad dressing.

Astro has a good point.. The reason is that most of the heat in chilis comes from capsaicin which is fat soluable. Yoghurt, a piece of cheese, any food containing oil will cut the heat by diluting the capsaicin. It is hydrophobic, so water (water soluable drinks) won't wash away the acute burning sensation.

However, once you are burned, that's a physical injury akin to that suffered after eating scalding soup (tomato, potato and any chowder comes to mind). Under those circumstances, I agree with Turbo, time is the best healer.

See this ref for additional food for thought.

 

[turbo]

Yep! Once the damage is done, time is the mediator. When the active ingredients are still in your mouth and working away, it may help to have some fatty foods like cheese, cream, whole milk, etc to pull some of that, but once you have gotten overloaded (burned) you'll have to ride it out. Especially when sensitive areas and mucous membranes are involved.

 

[Astronuc]

Astro has a good point.. The reason is that most of the heat in chilis comes from capsaicin which is fat soluable. Yoghurt, a piece of cheese, any food containing oil will cut the heat by diluting the capsaicin. It is hydrophobic, so water (water soluable drinks) won't wash away the acute burning sensation.

Butter could work, but ice cream would be better with the coldness in addition to the creamy texture and sweet taste.

Ways to reduce burning sensations produced by capsaicin

It has been shown that rinsing the mouth with cold solutions of whole milk or sucrose reduces burning produced by capsaicin (Nasrawi & Pangborn 1990). That cold temperatures successfully reduce mouth-burn demonstrates that decreased temperature can inhibit capsaicin C fibers. Furthermore, that return of the burning sensation followed after rinsing suggests that capsaicin binds tightly to its receptors since it does not wash away with solutions in which it is soluble (Nasrawi & Pangborn 1990). For example, capsaicin is hydrophobic and dissolves readily in ethanol. Mouth-rinsing with 5 0.000000e+00thanol, however, provided no more relief from the burning than luke warm water did (Nasrawi & Pangborn 1990). This suggests that capsaicin binding may cause conformational changes in the receptor that ethanol cannot reverse. That whole milk was more effective than skim milk in reducing mouth-burn indicates that fat may be important in sensing burn. Sucrose is a gustatory and not a trigeminal stimulus. Therefore, mechanisms proposed to account for the reduction of burn by sucrose include the following: 1) sucrose induces the secretion of a protein-rich saliva that protects nociceptors, 2) sweet gustatory stimulation inhibits substance P release, and 3) sucrose stimulates the release of endogenous opiates (Nasrawi & Pangborn 1990).

http://sulcus.berkeley.edu/mcb/165_001/papers/manuscripts/_209.html

That's a great site that Ouabache cited. It explains why I enjoy ginger, as well as hot peppers. I love ginger beer, but most are too mild. I like ginger beer with a burn, the stronger the better.

 

[_Mayday_]

They were from Zimbabwe. Didn't even know Zimbabwe grew them in mass.