Ouch! Glass stuck in foot - What to do?

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Hi all. I know many of you don't like giving medical advice here, but I'm in a lot of pain so I'm going to take my chances.

A few weeks ago I stepped on a tiny piece of glass, about the size of a single sugar crystal. I tried everything I could think of to get it out, peroxide, tweezers, a needle, tape, etc. Nothing worked. I was leaving to go out of town the next day, so I couldn't see a doc. I thought if I just left it alone it might work itself back out. No such luck.

Now it's swollen up around the perimeter, kind of like a bee sting, and it's VERY tender, even moreso than when I first stepped on it. The skin has grown back over it, and there is no redness.

Do any of you have any advice on how to get it out? I don't want to go to the ER because it's not an emergency, but I don't know if a regular doc's office would have the tools to get it out. I am due to see my OB doctor on Friday, do you think she could get it out?

Thanks.

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That happened to me once - only I had a big chunk of glass DEEP. I ended up digging it out with a needle. It was so deep that when I stuck the needle WAY down there I could hear it clink on the glass. It hurt like HELL, but I was persistent and finally dug it out. It healed fine. I feel for you....

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At this point, it sounds like it is infected, and I suggest that you see someone right away to get it out. Your OB will probably not touch it, especially since it is already swollen. You can end up with a cellulitis, if you are not careful and on IV antibiotics for a few weeks. All you need is an infection in the bone.

Go to an urgent care to get it out, but do it now.............or it will be a definite emergency. An ER may not be a bad idea just take a book with you..........

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suzanne4 said:
At this point, it sounds like it is infected, and I suggest that you see someone right away to get it out. Your ob will probably not touch it, especially since it is already swollen. You can end up with a cellulitis, if you are not careful and on iv antibiotics for a few weeks. All you need is an infection in the bone.
Go to an urgent care to get it out, but do it now....or it will be a definite emergency. An er may not be a bad idea just take a book with you.....

Just take a book with you is right! :rotfl:

But yes.....what suzanne said!

Z

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Quote
Just take a book with you is right! :rotfl:

But yes.....what suzanne said!

Lmao! I concur!

Maybe even 2 books and some food!!

But ya, your ob won't touch it and it needs to be addressed asap before you get severe cellulitis. Feet are sweaty breeding grounds for bacteria and funguses!

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That happened to me once, too. I went to a podiastrist and he got it out. The sore place was right on the ball of my foot and took alot of pressure. I had to make a pad around it to take some of the pressure off the area when I walked. That help it to heal up faster.

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I did this, too...was out gardening, took off my clog on the porch and stepped on a tiny shard of glass. Could not get it out for anything. I wound up going to my pcp where he injected some local and dug it out. I wouldn't go to the er for something like that when i can get an appt with my pcp within a few days. Of course, if you've waited just a bit too long, get thee to an urgent care place, and get it done. You've only got 2 feet, darlin, and i'm guessing you want them to last. ?

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tridil2000 said:
lmao! i concur!

maybe even 2 books AND some food!!

And a recliner with a built in remote!

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grimmy said:
You've only got 2 feet, darlin, and I'm guessing you want them to last. ?

Reminds me of my dad. Years ago my mom called me in a dead panic and insisted I come over right away and look at my dad's hand. He was trying to get the fireplace going and he had branches he was breaking over his knee and one of them went up into his hand. It was between his thumb and first finger.

I go over there and look at my dad. I asked him what he is doing and with a pocketknife in hand he is digging in his hand. He said he was digging out woodchips.

I just looked at him and explained that no, dad, you aren't digging out woodchips, you are digging out tendons.

Of course there wasn't a bandage in the house so i used those cotton things you clean your face with and pink hair tape and off we went to the hospital.

How embarrassing.

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Specializes in Education, Acute, Med/Surg, Tele, etc.

I have had this happen to me too..ouch! I did the same thing with the old needle digging, but I used a large guage IV needle and it worked like a charm! I soaked my food in epson salts for 10 minutes before doing the job, and used some clove oil to kinda numb the area (still hurt like heck, but oh well). It was a TINY shard but I did manage to get it out (can't believe how much a tiny shard in a foot can hurt so much! wowie!).

I have also heard of people using super glue and peeling it off and it takes the sliver too...but my luck I wouldn't be able to peel it off! LOL!

After that I just used antibiotic cream and epson salt soaks for a few days and bingo...no probelms! :) Plus it gave me an excuse to spoil my feet for a few days :).

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Another nursing student suggested a salt soak too, so i did that last night. One of my instructors suggested putting a piece of fatty bacon on it, apparently her grandmother used to do that. So, I did that today and kept it on for several hours until I got tired of smelling like bacon. :rotfl: That was okay, except the grease kept soaking through my sock and getting on the floor. :stone Anyways, after the bacon, I cleansed it really good with alcohol and sterilized a needle and my bandage scissors and got to work.

I did manage to get it out, at least I think I did. It was much bigger than I thought... no wonder it hurt so badly. I really think the bacon helped! So, I'm going to do what TriageRN did with the cream and the soaks for a day or so and see what happens, as it is still tender around the edges.

If it doesn't stop hurting very soon, I'm going to go to Urgent Care. I just hate to spend a few hours there when I have so much else I need to be doing right now. But I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here!

Anyway, thank you all for your advice! :p

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nurse_wannabe said:
Another nursing student suggested a salt soak too, so i did that last night. One of my instructors suggested putting a piece of fatty bacon on it, apparently her grandmother used to do that. So, I did that today and kept it on for several hours until I got tired of smelling like bacon. :rotfl: That was okay, except the grease kept soaking through my sock and getting on the floor. :stone Anyways, after the bacon, I cleansed it really good with alcohol and sterilized a needle and my bandage scissors and got to work.

I did manage to get it out, at least I think I did. It was much bigger than I thought... no wonder it hurt so badly. I really think the bacon helped! So, I'm going to do what TriageRN did with the cream and the soaks for a day or so and see what happens, as it is still tender around the edges.

If it doesn't stop hurting very soon, I'm going to go to Urgent Care. I just hate to spend a few hours there when I have so much else I need to be doing right now. But I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir here!

Anyway, thank you all for your advice! :p

What did you use to sterilize your bandage scissors with? And the needle? It sounds like you already had an infection in there to begin with. I definitely recommend that you see someone at Urgent Care and possibly get started on some antibiotics.

And remember to sterilize your bandage scissors again...........you don't want to give whatever you had in the wound to one of your patients........ ?

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