Got Poked By Cactus. Face Is Swollen Around Eye. Took Benadryl And Applied Ant Histamine. What To Do?

Posted on Mon, 11 Nov 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 11 Nov 2013 Answered on

Mon, 9 Dec 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : got poked by a catus while cutting it down and now my husbands face is swollen around the left eye, took benadryl and iced it and put ant histamine cream on it .. seems helpful . any other suggestions ??

Answered by Dr. Vivek Chail (50 minutes later)

Brief Answer: Look for any cactus spines and remove that Detailed Answer: Hi, Thanks for writing in to us. I have read through your query in detail. You have taken the right steps in treating the cactus wound on your husband. I would like to add just a few suggestions to what you have already done. Remove any visible spines from the skin. This should be done very slowly and care must be taken not to get close to the eyes. Also apply a small piece of duct tape over the skin where the cactus has poked and be careful not to put it over the eyes, subsequently remove the tape very gently. This will remove any small spines. If there is any small XXXXXXX which is bleeding, allow a few drops to come out and this will reduce the chances of infection. If you are unable at trying to get spines out or unsure about spines remaining in the wound area, please consult your doctor who will do it for you. Application of ice pack and antihistamine cream with intake of Benadryl seems fine. Hope our query is answered. Do write back if you have any doubts. Regards, Dr.Vivek

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar