I Have Many Little Pieces of Broken Glass in My Hands and Feet, Help?
Yesterday I dropped an old glass lampshade, and it smashed. I tried to pick up the pices, and in doing so, I got many little tiny peices in in the palms of my hands and fingers. I apparently didn’t sweep up all of the pieces because I keep feeling small sharp things in the soles of my feet.
I tried cutting open the skin to get them out, but they are too deep. I can feel them when I move my hands, or when I walk.
Can old glass poison you? (at least 40 years)
Would it be okay (in reference to my health) to just leave it alone and pretend they aren’t there? Can they hurt me or will they jsut stay in place? I can’t even count how many pieces I can feel.
They will be painful and over the next few days will become reddened and maybe discharge.
You can buy very tiny needles from the chemist, an insulin sryinge works well, to get the glass out. Soak the hands in slimy soapy water, you could add some glycerin to the solution or even baby oil. This will help the glass to come out.
I dont know about glass being poisonous. Maybe lead crystal but I doubt glass.
If they are below the skins surface then the tape wont work unfortunately.
If you have more than a dozen you may have to take a visit to the Dr to have them removed if they are painful.
Your body will work them out in time as they are a foreign body. That is part of the swelling/redness/discharge as well. Keep up the antibacterial washes for the next few days whilst the initial entry points are open to infection.
good luck,
Jo
The best way to remove it is to use duct tape, wrap it tightly and then it will pull the small shards of glass out. We use this technique in the ER often.
After you remove it, wash very well with warm water and soap, then be sure to use polysporin or neosporin antibiotic ointment on your hands for the next 3 days to prevent infections.