SEA URCHINS IN FOOT

[Girlgrom]

Has anyone discovered sea urchins spines in their foot 4 pr 5 days after the icnisdent occured? I have just discvered some from last saturday's rock jump... and they are now covered over in skin and are all red underneath and i cant get them out - i'm too much of a wuss.

i just heard that they are poisonous too..?

[tallguy]

Don't worry too much, but they might become infected so keep an eye on them.

If it is anything like when i had them, your skin will end up pushing them out.

Also if you can dig a little hole in your foot then wee on them, I know that sounds bad but it will help kill the infection. (you could use some antiseptic cream but i could never find the stuff when i needed it).

have fun

[cambo]

Sea urchin spines are extremely brittle and often break off inside the wound. A sea urchin picker tool can be effective in removing spines. Do not dig around in the skin to fish them out - this risks crushing the spines and making them more difficult to remove. Do not intentionally crush the spines.

Purple or black markings in the skin that appear immediately after a sea urchin encounter do not necessarily indicate the presence of a retained spine fragment. Such discolouration is more likely dye leached from the surface of a spine, commonly from a black urchin. The dye will be absorbed over 24 to 48 hours, and the discolouration will disappear.

If there are still black markings after 48 to 72 hours, then a spine fragment is likely present. - Seek medical assistance if spines have been retained and become infected, and monitor casualty’s condition.

Most spine fragments are absorbed or removed by the body within 3 weeks

The sea urchin picker is kinda like a very tight fishing hook.

I'd go see a doctor and get them taken out. Ask for Morphine

[The Oracle]

Yeah my bro got one stuck in his foot recently walking around the pool at Mona. If you can't dig it out yourself then go see a doc, best to get it out and avoid any worry and once it's gone no need to worry about creams etc.

[Kunji]

You can do it yourself. All you need to do is go to the Chemist and get a little splinter set from there. They come with tiny hooks and tiny sharp blades. Also buy the drawing ointment as Salty mentioned.

Cut a small incision above the urchin and then put the drawing ointment in it. Then start picking away. Make sure to get it all out, they are poisonous. Rub some Betadine or something similar on afterwards and cover with a bandaid.

Remember to have fun! Self operation can be extremely satisfying for some reason. Some primal pleasure perhaps?

[Merry Prankster]

I got a real bad one a few years ago had a dig at it and was getting kinda worried. My mate suggested that I wear the same sock a few days in a row. That sock got a little festery and on the third night I came home took my shoe off and the thing just popped out.

Not sure if this is sound medical advice but it worked for me

[Natho]

I have 3 urchin spines that have been in the side of my foot for the past 2 years .

I highly recommend gettin them out ASAP, otherwise if your an idiot like me the skin will grow over em and you then face the Dr's knife if you want to get em out.

[Girlgrom]

thanks everyone, some of teh skin has already closed up. i assumed i would have felt them before. i was telling everyone how lucky i wasto not have any and then i looked this morning and there are black things everywhere...

[ric_vidal]

Magnoplasm...

and it wouldn’t suck the skin off a custard... tried and failed.

Have a dig, don’t worry if it gets infected it can be a blessing, your body will expel it when it’s good and ready.

[Nick-W]

Black things everywhere?

Could be the plague...

[Raker]

Black things everywhere?

Could be the plague...

Racist

[Trev]

Many, many, many years ago I got both feet full of them at Norah Head. Being a poor ignorant Queenslander on holidays, I didn't even know what they were. Ambos at The Entrance didn't want to know, so I ended up at Gosford hospital (we're talking 1967 here). Over three hours on the operating table and yes, thank God for morphine (and a wonderful nurse who held my hand while the doc dug them out). Some of them were in over a quarter of an inch and if I remember rightly there were more than 60 spikes. The doc was really impressed and waaayy too cheerful about for my liking.
Not a good thing. I've been wary of them ever since but luckily, despite many years now surfing in Sydney I've not been stuck again (yet).

[Kunji]

Black things everywhere?

Could be the plague...

Racist

[ric_vidal]

Ric, I think as Coops pointed out, you have a good dig so that there's a hole for the spine to pass through first, then add Magno.... cover and simmer for a couple of days. Presto!

Did all that Salteen, had the scalpel out, tweazers, nurse in skimpy outfit, alcohol (for me, not the foot). Soaked the foot in a bucket for yonks... soak, dig, cut, so it was still open. This sucker was deep and straight in and twanging on a nerve when I tried to get it so I wimped out eventually.

Used to step on it occasionally when it was healed over and hit the effn’roof.

Over the next 1-2 months it became a bit infected around it, had another dig and to use your vernacular - presto! 7mm long.

How dare you doubt me, Salty! Where’s my black book.

[greenundies]

I got about 30 of the little buggers in my foot surfing during a typhoon in Japan. Got out of the water and a mate said to piss on them. Easier said than done with the typhoon howling around you. Went to the doctor who wouldn't have been a day under 75. He got about 25 over about two excruciating hours. I couldn't take it any longer and bolted. The other 5 came out slowly by themselves over the next two months.

[kreepykrawly]

Soak feet in hydrochloric acid for 5 minutes. This will help get rid of the pain of the sea urchins.

[still here]

Old remedy but a goody ,
Basically you have to piss on them or piss in a bucket and soak your foot in the yellow stuff . The longer the better .
If you can get someone to then suck them out you're in luck (or get into yoga in a big way so you can be self relient ) .

This will work ....and you can even wash the urine before starting the sucking .

(there are so many reasons to avoid urchins )

[Raker]

Old remedy but a goody ,
Basically you have to piss on them or piss in a bucket and soak your foot in the yellow stuff . The longer the better .
If you can get someone to then suck them out you're in luck (or get into yoga in a big way so you can be self relient ) .

This will work ....and you can even wash the urine before starting the sucking .

(there are so many reasons to avoid urchins )

I would rather have urchins in my foot for the rest of my life,
rather than soaking my foot in piss and sucking on it.