Fear the Reaper... chilli so hot it put a man in hospital!

WHEN trying a chilli named the Reaper, you might expect to be in for a grim old time.

And so it proved for one unlucky chap who was taken to hospital with agonising headaches after tasting it in a hot pepper-eating contest.

The 34-year-old, who has not been named, felt ill immediately after trying the chilli – the world’s hottest – during the US competition.

Over the following days, he developed intense neck pain and headaches, each lasting a few seconds. He was tested for various neurological conditions but the results all came back negative, said the journal BMJ Case Reports. A scan then showed he had reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome – a condition that involves narrowing of the brain arteries and is accompanied by ‘thunderclap’ headaches.

It is usually caused by prescription medications or illegal drugs and has never before been linked to eating peppers. The man’s symptoms cleared up on their own. It’s not known if he has decided to give further hot chilli contests a miss.