2 replies to this topic

[Thorsten3]

Hey I was wondering if any of you guys have got any first hand experience in how to get a glass splinter out of ones foot. It's very small and hasn't caused me much discomfort but it's been in there now for 4 weeks and is now starting to become a bit uncomfortable to walk on. I've looked on the internet and there doesn't apear to be one thing that can get it out. It seems to be a mish mash of ideas. I've tried a needle but couldn'tstand the pain. My mother has told me to soak my foot in hot water each night.
In theory your body should push the splinter out itself over time but because it is on the sole of my foot does this mean by walking on it I am pushing it further into my foot?
Any ideas?

[castrensis]

Christ on a cracker...4 weeks?! I certainly hope you don't have an infection; is it red, warm, producing any pus? any red streaks up your leg or foot [1] [2]? If you have a possible infection & are insured you should head to your PCP. If you're uninsured head to the ER, they have to treat you & you can pay them $5 a month until it's paid.

For splinters I usually soak my hand in a basin of hot water to soften the tissue, wash the area with soap & water, prep the area with antiseptic - you could use iodine/povidone or alcohol. Clean from the center outwards in a circular fashion, do multiple times with cotton balls/swabs soaked with the solution, allow 30 seconds to dry to give it enough time to kill bacteria, do this with clean hands - use a sterilzed x-acto blade (boiling is your friend) to part the tissue over the splinter & extract the exposed splinter with a pair of similarly sterilized tweezers. Clean the area with antiseptic & try to keep clean & dry. This is for splinters close to the surface that I can clearly visualize - if there's any chance I won't get it all or it will involve a considerable amount of bleeding I head to my PCP to have him dig around. If you can't take a needle, however, you should probably let someone who knows what they're doing dig it out of your foot.

ETA: If you have red streaks (lymphangitis) as illustrated by either photo 1 or 2 you need to immediately go to your nearest emergency room.

Edited by castrensis, 27 August 2009 - 01:42 PM.

[niner]

Cast has covered the medical angle well. Yeah, 4 weeks! wow. My approach to splinters is a pair of very sharp pointed tweezers and a head-mounted magnifier. If you can see it, you can probably dig into the dead skin enough to grab it and pull it out. It really helps to know the direction that the splinter went in so you aren't fighting it. I work with wood a lot, so all my splinters are wood. Glass is a different thing entirely. The bottom of the foot has very thick dead skin. Soaking it for a long time would soften it. You might want to be careful about walking because maybe you are pushing it further in. It might be time to see a dermatologist. They do tiny little superficial surgeries all the time, and could cut out a splinter without charging you an arm and a leg. Don't worry, they know about anesthetics...