Spending our free time outdoors is a remedy for our soul, as we love to use our holiday time replacing a concrete jungle with green forests to recover our minds and body. Many of us like to run away from the reality of life and spend time bonding with nature.
Days spent camping or hiking with our friends and family recharge our batteries and motivate us to keep on pushing hard when we go back to work after a vacation spent like that.
However, a field trip might not be all laughs and giggles, as you would always be at risk of getting hurt surrounded by nature’s unpredicted rules. A first aid kit is an essential part of any field trip you should always have somewhere nearby.
As one of the most common mishaps out in nature, splinters can ruin anyone’s day, and dealing with them sometimes requires a run to the hospital to prevent serious consequences.
Here’s why a DIY splinter removal kit should always be a part of your first aid box.
What are splinters?
Splinters are small sharp pieces of wood that get stuck under your skin and cause pain. Even though splinters are primarily wooden, they can also be metal or glass. Because they’re small in size and have a sharp pointy tip, splinters penetrate your skin and get stuck deep inside, often inaccessible.
Anyone that already had issues with splinters knows how annoying the feeling can be, and removing it can be challenging if it’s stuck deep. In some cases, you can remove a splinter simply by using a pair of tweezers if it’s still visible and accessible.
Other serious cases require a removal kit if you had any luck taking it out by yourself. Alternatively, if you had trouble removing a splinter, you would have to go to the nearest doctor to get it removed as soon as possible.
Because splinters often happen on the palms of our hands, you’ll probably need another pair of hands to help you use a splinter removal kit, as some of them are a 3-piece set that requires steady hands.
The complications
Even though splinters seem like a laughable matter, they’re pretty serious and can cause skin infections. If you can’t remove a splinter by simply using a pair of tweezers or a removal kit, your priority should be going to the nearest medical facility to get it out as soon as possible.
The most dangerous situation is when you get a splinter under your nail. Besides being the most painful, it’s also a perfect breeding ground for an infection that can cause serious complications if not treated the correct way.
In cases where a splinter is not visible to a trained eye, you would have to go through a phase of testing with ultrasound, MRI, or CT scan. A foreign body stuck in your body can cause you horrible pain and ruin your vacation period.
Buying the removal kit
If your first aid box doesn’t have a splinter removing kit already, you can always check your local pharmacy for solutions. A well-supplied pharmacy should always have such kits stocked, and you shouldn’t have an issue finding it whatsoever.
Alternatively, if you would rather order such a DIY kit to your home address, a well-supplied online shop like Amazon and others should always have them in stock. Besides popular webshops, some pharmacies offer deliveries of their products, and you can always check the availability of their stocks by browsing their site.
DIY kits are individually packed removal kits designed for one use only. Splinter removal kits go through a sterilization process before packaging and reusing the same one might cause an infection. These kits are not expensive, and you should never try to save money by reusing them.
Preventions
Either you plan an outdoors trip, or you’re doing something around the house, only with proper preparation you reduce the risks of getting splinters. Only a fraction of a second is enough to ruin your day if you don’t wear protective gear while in a hostile area.
To reduce the risks of getting splinters stuck well under your skin, we recommend using safety boots for your feet and protective gloves for your palms wherever you’re gardening, out on a field trip, or doing chores in your garage.
Additionally, you should always wear protective eyeglasses whenever you do wood or metalworking around the house or your workplace. Getting a splinter stuck in your eye is one of the most dangerous things that could happen to you, and it could lead to a serious eye infection.
The best advice is to practice caution whenever you’re out on a field trip or doing chores around the house to reduce the risk of getting a splinter.
Conclusion
Don’t let such a small thing ruin your day or a holiday trip, and check your first aid kit if you already own a splinter removal kit. If not, we recommend visiting your local pharmacy or check online for solutions.
These kits should always be an essential part of your first aid box, especially if you plan an outdoor trip with your kids. Restless kids can catch a splinter in a second, and you should always have a solution nearby.
