Feeling like there's a cactus in my stomach

Look, I know this sounds totally out of left field, but there’s actually an issue here...

What happens if you get a cactus spine stuck under your skin and those little things just stay in there? Like, can it cause damage or leave some kind of lasting mess? And more importantly, how on earth am I supposed to get them all out?😁

Chloe Alvarez said:Look, I know this sounds totally random, but there's actually an issue here...

What happens if you get stuck by a cactus and some of those tiny spines stay lodged under your skin? Can they cause actual damage or long-term issues? And how do I even get them out?😁

Well, you won't die, but man, that spot is gonna hurt...

It’ll probably just get inflamed and start festering, and then that splinter will finally work its way out on its own.

Should someone actually go see a doctor for this, or just let it ride and hope for the best?

(Not that it’s my problem or anything... I'm just asking because someone I know keeps complaining about it)

Look, I remember this one time I had exactly one—and I mean just one—cactus spine stuck deep in my finger. It ended up getting infected, and once the swelling finally popped, the whole thing just worked its way out along with the pus. But again, that was a single tiny thorn. Now, it really all comes down to whoever you’re talking about; if they’ve got a bunch of these things embedded in them, they probably shouldn't be playing doctor and should just head to an urgent care clinic to have it professionally handled. At the end of the day, you're dealing with a foreign object under the skin, which is basically an open invitation for an infection. Where there's pus, there are bacteria, and while things might settle down on their own, you never really know what kind of mess you're inviting in. If someone is covered in these little splinters, they definitely shouldn't mess around waiting for them to just migrate out naturally, but if we're only talking about one or two, it’s likely not worth making a huge deal out of.

Well, a doctor can just pull it out, much like removing sea urchin spines at the beach. It’s better that way anyway, so you don't end up with an infection.