The splinter is seen as a living foreign body and we're designed to reject that. A splinter of inert, non-living material like metal or glass is less likely to trigger an immune reaction, Dr Sheridan says. While anything that pierces the skin can create a point of entry for microbes from outside the body, organic splinters are themselves likely to be carrying bacteria and fungi that can cause infections. The result can be pain, swelling and redness - or sometimes worse. Rose thorns, for instance, may be coated with a fungus called Sporothrix and many a gardener has discovered the pitfalls of pruning the popular flower.
The lumps occur in a pattern known as sporotrichoid spread, which follows the line of vessels in your body's lymphatic system, which has a role in fighting infection. These sores do not heal unless they are treated with anti-fungal medicine. They may last for years and can sometimes drain small amounts of pus. Splinters from plants are also more likely to carry bacteria like Staphylococcus aureus or golden staph, Dr Sheridan says.
If this is the case, a splinter in the foot might result in a visible red streak up the leg around 24 hours later — again a result of inflammation in the lymph vessels. If you develop fever and chills, that's likely a sign of a severe bacterial infection. Leave a thorn or splinter of wood in your body for a few months, and it's likely to disintegrate and further stimulate your body's immune response. And any infection left untreated can spread and cause septicaemia or blood poisoning.
While it's hard to be definitive, Dr Sheridan's general rule of thumb is that if a splinter is easy to get out, you should get it out, regardless of what it's made of. But if it's in the surface, and you can get it out fairly easily without breaking it up, "go for it". If you can't get it out, it's in deep, or you think the splinter is vegetable matter, Dr Sheridan advises seeing your GP — ideally within 48 to 72 hours, before any infection has time to take hold.
You can probably be a bit more relaxed if you think the splinter is a bit of glass, metal or plastic, Dr Sheridan says, but it's a good idea to keep an eye on it. If the splinter isn't removed, the body probably won't absorb the invader or break it down. Rather, the body will likely try to push the splinter out, Biehler said.
The splinter may cause an inflammatory reaction, which could mean swelling and redness in that area. What's more, pockets of pus may form to help expel the splinter. If the inflammatory response continues for a number of days or weeks, the area can sometimes develop a somewhat permanent bump or what's called a "granuloma," Jones added.
This is kind of a protective bubble of immune cells that surround the foreign object the body wasn't able to oust. Sometimes the body can naturally expel a splinter from the skin without causing an inflammatory response, Biehler said.
Other times, the splinter may stay in the skin forever. First Aid Guide Self-care measures to remove a splinter are as follows:. Note: If the splinter is embedded in the skin under the nail, you can cut a V-shaped notch in the nail to improve access to the area. Splinters are very common and affect all people. Those who are exposed to unfinished wood or machines that produce slivers of wood or metal are most prone to splinters. Splinters appear as an often small sliver of a foreign object, either fully or partially embedded into a person's skin.
Splinters can be small, large, smooth, jagged, deeply embedded, or only partially embedded. If the sliver is large or jagged, there may be bleeding and redness of the affected area.
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