We’ve all ended up with a foreign body embedded in our feet at some point in our lives. Whether it was a sliver from walking barefoot on the wood deck or a tiny piece of glass from a broken bottle, getting a sharp object stuck in our feet can be quite painful.
Oftentimes you can soak your feet and carefully remove the small object with the help of a tweezers, but what should you do if you can’t safely remove the object? In today’s blog, we explain what you should do if you have a foreign object stuck in your foot.
Something Is Stuck In My Foot
Because we take thousands of steps each day, it’s not uncommon for an object to embed itself in our feet, especially if we’re walking around barefoot. Splinters, thorns, glass and nails are all things we’ve seen and helped remove from a patient’s foot. But when exactly should you visit a specialist, and when can you take care of the problem on your own?
The answer is actually pretty simple. If the object is very small can be removed without much effort using disinfected tools like a tweezers, you should be able to handle the problem on your own. Some people find it easier to soak their foot in the bath tub for 10-15 minutes so that the skin is softer and more easily manipulated. This is standard procedure for removing splinters, thorns and small bits of glass that are not deeply embedded in the foot. After they have been removed, disinfect the area and cover it with a small bandage to reduce the likelihood of an infection.
However, if any of the following factors are present, you’ll want to have the issue taken care of by a foot specialist or an emergency room physician:
- You can’t remove it after a couple of tries
- The object has created a wide opening in your foot
- The object is embedded deep into your skin
- The area is extremely painful
- You’re unable to walk on the foot
- You have diabetes
Obviously continuing to walk on the foot can be problematic, because aside from pain, it can also force the object deeper into your foot, making extraction harder. Also, just because you could remove it on your own, doesn’t mean you should. Many people have the capability of yanking a screw or a nail out of their foot, but doing so could cause irreparable harm to the nerves and soft tissues in your feet. That’s why if any of the above factors are present, you should seek expert assistance in getting the object removed.
So if you stepped on some glass from a broken light bulb or you ended up with a thorn embedded deep in your foot, pick up the phone and call Dr. Silverman or a foot specialist in your area. If treated incorrectly, the object could lead to tissue damage or the development of an infection, so have the object removed swiftly and safely with the help of a professional.