If you tend to go barefoot outside or even around the house, you might be familiar with the unwelcome surprise of stepping on glass pieces.
Ouch! You see the splinter protruding from the skin and the sharp pain is unbearable. Now, you can’t figure out a proper way to get the glass pieces out of your foot.
Fear not, as you’re about to come across four easy steps to remove the pesky glass splinters from your foot painlessly. Not to mention, you’ll also know when to contact your healthcare provider and what you can expect at the doctor’s office.
So, get your splinter-removal tools ready, settle in, and read the steps to remove glass splinters at home safely.
Should You Remove The Glass Out Of Your Foot Or Leave It?
The decision to remove or leave the glass depends on the type of injury, the wound, and how deep the glass is embedded. If it’s protruding from the skin and can be safely removed at home, it’s best to do so carefully.
However, if a tiny shard of glass is under the skin and the wound isn’t bleeding, causing irritation or pain, you can try soaking your foot in warm water. This softens the skin and the shard may make its way out naturally.
But if it doesn’t come on the surface on its own, you should consult a healthcare professional to avoid infection or complications.
Four Easy Steps To Get A Piece Of Glass Out Of Foot Painlessly
1. Sterilize Your Hands And Injured Foot
Firstly, wash your hands with soap and water and gently clean the area around the glass splinter with an antiseptic or alcohol. After delicately cleaning your hands and injured foot, pat the surface dry carefully.
Following that, it is time to disinfect the tweezer or needle with which you’ll remove the glass splinter. Cleaning the tools is essential because they can carry bacteria, fungi, or microorganisms, causing infection in the exposed area.
To clean the tweezer and needle, you can toss them in boiling water for five minutes. Alternatively, you can also take a cotton wool or cloth, pour some alcohol on it, and clean the tools properly.
Just a quick heads-up! Keep those tweezers and needles off the counter or floor to prevent the bacteria and germs from hitching a ride on your splinter-removing tools.
2. Soak Your Foot In Warm Water
This step applies if the splintered glass is too small and is not causing any pain or discomfort, you can soak your foot in warm water.
Why, you ask? The warmth helps soften the hard skin, opens up the pores, and makes the pesky splinter come out easily.
All you need to do is pour hot water into a plastic water tub and then add two to three tablespoons of regular salt to it to make diluted normal saline water.
If the splinter is small and painless, repeatedly soaking your foot for 20 minutes a day might remove the foreign object from your foot.
However, it’s not guaranteed that every splinter will naturally come out just by soaking. If the splinter is deeply embedded or if it doesn’t emerge on its own after soaking, it’s time to take some action.
3. Remove A Piece Of Glass Or Splintered Glass Using Tweezers
If the glass piece is near the surface of the skin or protruding from the surface, it’s time to remove the fiery glass piece of your foot!
First, notice the angle with which the glass piece is snuck into your foot. Take the sterilized tweezers and firmly seize the exposed part of the glass splinter. Now, pull the glass out slowly at the same angle as it is inside.
Be careful, as pulling the glass from a different angle could break it inside, causing pain and irritation.
Nevertheless, if a major part of the glass is embedded inside the skin, then you might need a sterilized needle.
Gently lift and remove the skin that is covering the glass splinter using a needle. Once you see a large portion of it exposed, grab your trusty tweezers and carefully remove the splinter.
4. Aftercare Of The Wound
Now that you’ve successfully removed the glass splinter tap the area and feel any discomfort or sharp pain. If you do not feel any discomfort, then clean the area with an antiseptic to remove any lingering bacteria or germs.
If the splinter is embedded inside the skin without damaging the blood vessels, then you can simply cover it with a sterile bandage.
On the flip side, if the blood vessels were damaged due to splintered glass, then there is a chance of getting an infection. Therefore, clean the wound first and then apply an antibiotic ointment before covering it with a bandage.
Do not forget to keep an eye on redness, swelling, or pain in the inflicted area and contact your healthcare provider immediately if you notice any signs of infection.
Some Red-flags To Contact Your Healthcare Provider
In some cases, you may need to visit a nearby healthcare provider or an urgent care clinic to remove a glass from your foot.
Here are some red flags telling you to visit your doctor now,
- You notice that the splinter is too large, or it penetrates deeply under your skin.
- If the glass piece or shard is in or near your eye.
- You can see redness, swelling, excessive pus, or warmth around the injured area.
- If the glass splinter breaks inside while removing it.
- You’re not confident or comfortable to remove the glass piece yourself
- If you have diabetes, diseased blood vessels, or you’re taking blood thinner medications.
A Word Of Caution: If the glass is embedded deep and there is continuous bleeding, you must be taken to a nearby emergency care facility.
However, if there is no severe bleeding and the wound doesn’t need an emergency unit, you can visit a nearby urgent care clinic for first aid. Before visiting your healthcare provider, remember to cover your wound with gauze or sterilized cotton and lightly wrap your foot with a cloth. This will prevent further invasion of bacteria within the wound.
How Do You Know That There’s An Infection In Your Foot?
If a glass piece remains in the foot for a longer period, it is much more likely to cause a bacterial infection. Some troubling signs and symptoms of infection are:
- Redness and swelling in the injured area
- Sharp pain in your foot
- Presence of pus or a fluid draining from the wound
- A foul odor coming from the infected site
As soon as you notice the signs and symptoms mentioned earlier, you’ll need to contact your healthcare practitioner or visit a nearby urgent care clinic to get a complete treatment.
What Can You Expect At Your Doctor’s Office?
Your doctor has all the tools ready to remove the glass from your foot in no time. In some cases, the provider may also perform minimal procedures to get the glass out,
- If the glass is deeply embedded and has caused an infection inside, your doctor might inject a local anesthetic to numb the area.
- To ensure that the infection doesn’t spread further, your provider might prescribe you some antibiotics.
- You may also need an X-ray if the doctor suspects any remaining pieces of glass inside the body.
- Lastly, your wound is carefully covered with a sterilized gauze and bandage.
Note: If you have not received your tetanus vaccination for 5 years, you may also get a tetanus shot to prevent bacterial infection.
What Happens If You Leave A Glass Piece In Your Foot?
So, you’ve removed the glass piece out of your foot, but what if a teeny shard remains inside? It seems risky, right? Firstly, it is likely to cause you sharp, persistent pain, especially on hard surfaces.
Secondly, leaving it inside for weeks or months can lead to foot infections, causing redness, swelling, and pus buildup. And if you have diabetes, then this infection can lead to further complications.
Well, there’s no need to hit the panic button! You’re in a safe zone when you contact your doctor right away and get your first aid treatment as soon as possible.
You can also visit our urgent care clinic in Lincoln Park, Schererville, or West Rogers Park. When it comes to providing immediate medical attention, we’ve got your back!
To find out more about our clinic, visit our urgent care’s website homepage.
Takeaway
All in all, removing a glass out of your foot easily at home might seem like a solo mission, but in some cases, you might need an expert doctor’s attention. It’s crucial to recognize that you need to take all the precautionary steps to clean the wound properly after removing the glass piece to minimize infection.
Need Medical Attention? Family Urgent Care Is Here To Help!
Whether it’s an unexpected splinter, a minor injury, or any health concern that needs a medical expert’s attention, our dedicated team at Family Urgent Care is here to provide professional and immediate care to you and your family.
Family Urgent Care prioritizes creating a safe and comfortable environment, ensuring that every patient has a hassle-free journey at our clinic.
You can visit our clinics in Lincoln Park, Schererville, or Rogers Park, where we prioritize creating a comfortable and secure environment for every patient.
If you can’t visit us physically, then you can also book a same-day virtual urgent care appointment to get immediate medical attention from our board-certified experts.
