Self-surgery! How to remove a splinter

[sycamore54321]

I’m abroad, alone, and have no idea how to find minor medical care here. When I put on my shoe yesterday, I felt a sharp pain when I stood. There was a small cut in my foot and it feels like a splinter in there. I can’t really see anything but there is a slight glint/shiny look so perhaps a splinter of glass?

I’ve tried poking and prodding, squeezing, soaking in water. I’ve tried rooting around with tweezers but since I can’t actually see what I’m looking for, it seems to be making it worse.

It’s moderately painful when I walk and obviously I want to avoid an infection so I need it out!

Any ideas or tips? The only way I can access medical care appears to be a trip to A&E in the major hospital, there doesn’t seem to be any intermediate level of minor injury care.

Are there any pharmacys about? Magnesium Sulphate paste (I think that's the name anyway) can be used to draw things out.

Depending on how well you speak the language you can chat to the pharmacist/maybe show them your foot. They are bound to have some good ideas.

Stick a blister plaster on and it will draw it out. You can leave it on for four or five days at a time.
Works brilliantly and is fool proof 😀

Have you tried using an old calpol syringe, pressed tightly over the splinter, to suck the splinter out?

I have also had great success with immersing the foot in very salty water, as hot as you can bear, for 10-20 minutes. The water must be saturated with salt, so that no more will dissolve. This is very good for wooden splinters but could work for glass too.

Magnesium sulphate is the same thing as epsom salts, so if you can get hold of them, you can make your own paste.

Agree with asking a friendly-looking pharmacist though - they will probably have solutions. Even a ring-shaped corn cushion might help so it's easier to walk, while you put something on it and wait for it to draw out.