Rose Thorns and Infection: What Is It?
The name “rose thorn” comes from the fact that it looks like a rose. However, its actual appearance is not exactly like a rose. Its shape resembles a spike or prick. These spikes are usually red, but they may appear black if there is too much blood present. They may even look like small needles when seen under certain light conditions.
These spikes are actually tiny blood vessels which have been pierced by a thorn. If left untreated, these wounds will eventually become infected with bacteria and other pathogens.
The infection spreads rapidly and causes severe pain. The infection can spread through the bloodstream into vital organs such as the heart, lungs, liver, kidneys or brain.
Symptoms of Rose Thorns and Infection include:
Painful swelling of your fingers (pricking) due to a thorn piercing your skin.
Swelling of your face, hands, feet or legs.
Difficulty breathing.
Aching muscles and joints.
You can get a quick diagnosis by seeing a doctor right away! Your doctor will perform an X-ray scan to see what kind of thorn was used to pierce your skin.
A needle may also be inserted into the wound to drain out any pus that may be present inside the wound.
Getting the right treatment as soon as possible is important! The right treatment will help to ensure that you don’t develop any dangerous or life-threatening complications.
How To Treat Rose Thorns and Infection
Treating rose thorn disease is fairly straight-forward and involves several steps:
The first step is to thoroughly clean the wound using antiseptic to kill off any harmful bacteria which may be in the wound.
Antibiotic ointment will then be applied to your wound. This will help to prevent infection and speed up healing.
You may also have to take antibiotic tablets by mouth, which will be prescribed to you by your doctor, depending upon the results of any laboratory tests that may have been carried out.
Your doctor may also take a culture of your wound in order to identify the type of bacteria which are infecting it. This will help to ensure that the right antibiotics are used.
You may have to go for a tetnus shot, especially if you haven’t had one within the last ten years.
In some cases, minor surgery may be carried out in order to remove any foreign bodies such as pieces of glass or splinters which may have been forced deep into your wound by the thorn. This is only necessary in cases where the thorn has caused considerable bleeding and tissue damage.
Rose thorns and infection can be deadly if not treated correctly in a timely manner.
If you have been pricked by a rose thorn, you should seek immediate medical help. Your doctor will be able to determine the correct course of treatment after an examination of your wound.
Severe infections may cause serious complications so it is important to get treatment immediately. Delaying treatment could make the infection much worse and lead to permanent damage or even death.
Did You Know?
It is possible to develop an allergic reaction to the bacteria which are present in rose thorns. This can cause a rash or other skin problems. However, most people do not have any sort of reaction to these bacteria.
An infection will not usually form right after being pricked by a thorn. It usually takes several days for symptoms to start showing.
If you have been stuck by a rose thorn and feel unwell or begin to experience symptoms such as high fever, chills, nausea or vomiting, you should seek medical help immediately!
Sources & references used in this article:
Retained hawthorn fragment in a child’s foot complicated by infection: diagnosis and excision aided by localization with ultrasound by EJ Harris – The Journal of foot and ankle surgery, 2010 – Elsevier
The benefits of hepatitis C virus cure: every rose has thorns by D Salmon, MU Mondelli, M Maticic… – Journal of viral …, 2018 – Wiley Online Library
Infections with Mycobacterium marinum by HW Jolly, JH Seabury – Archives of Dermatology, 1972 – jamanetwork.com
Isolation of fungi from rose bush thorns. by DJ Flournoy, JB Mullins, RJ McNeal – The Journal of the Oklahoma …, 2000 – ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
