Blisters - Treatment Options for Curing Skin Blisters

You just couldn’t resist a bargain. Those shoes looked great with your new outfit, even if they didn’t feel so great on your feet. “They’ll stretch out,” you told yourself, and then patted yourself on the back for getting such a good deal. Unfortunately, you got more than you bargained for-namely, painful blisters to go with your new shoes.

Blisters are tender spots that fill up with fluid released by tiny blood vessels in an area where delicate skin tissues have been burned, pinched, or just plain irritated. Virtually everyone has experienced friction blisters, the kind caused by hot, sweaty, or ill-fitting shoes. If you have one now, read on to find out how to take care of it. Then continue reading to learn how you can help protect your tender tootsies in the future.

Treatment for Blisters

A blister is your body’s way of telling you that skin and tissues are being injured. So while you take steps to relieve the discomfort, you also need to protect the injured area.

Make a tent. Instead of simply placing an adhesive bandage right on top of the blister, “tent” the bandage by bringing in its sides so the padding in the middle of the bandage raises up a bit. “This will not only protect the blister but allow air to circulate, which will aid in healing,” says Nelson Lee Novick, M.D., associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

Use a double-duty bandage. Another type of bandage, available in pharmacies, contains a gel and antiseptic to cushion and “clean” the blister, says Wilma Bergfeld, M.D., head of clinical research in the Department of Dermatology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. Ask your pharmacist about it.

Let it breathe. Some physicians believe that a blister should not be covered at all for maximum aeration. Jerome Z. Litt, M.D., assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, is one such doctor. He even suggests slipping your shoe off while you sit at your desk at work in order to give your blister some air.

Smear on an ointment. Whether you decide to cover your blister or not, you should apply an antibacterial/antibiotic ointment to it. Doctors generally recommend Bacitracin or Polysporin, which may be less likely to cause an allergic reaction or sensitivity than other over-the-counter ointments.

Pad it. When a blister is in a particularly annoying spot, like the bottom of the foot, padding might provide more of a cushion than just a bandage would, advises Bergfeld. She suggests using the circular pads made of foam adhesive found in the foot-care aisle of drug- and beauty-aid stores. “Pharmacies also carry sheets of padding that you can cut to size for a more exact fit,” says Bergfeld. Cut the padding in the shape of a donut, and place it on the skin surrounding the blister so that the blister fits in the hole in the opening of the donut. Then gently cover the blister with an antibacterial ointment and bandage.

Put it up. Elevating the blistered area can help relieve the pressure, advises Bergfeld.
Be patient. Expect it to take about a week to ten days for the blister’s fluid to be reabsorbed by the body.

Drain it. While some doctors believe that a blister should never be popped because of the risk of infection, most agree that a blister causing extreme pressure-such as one on a finger or toe or under a nail-is a candidate for draining.

If you should decide to pop it, first wipe the blister and a sewing needle with alcohol. “Never sterilize a needle over a flame,” says Novick. “It can create soot on the tip of the needle, which can ‘tattoo,’ or dirty, the blister.” Prick the blister once or twice near its edging; then slowly and gently press out the fluid.

Keep the roof on it. Once you have popped the blister and drained the fluid, do not remove the deflated top skin. This skin, called the blister’s roof, protects the blister from infection and forms a “bridge” for new cells to migrate across on their journey to heal the site.

Soak fIrst. To drain a blister on a tough-skinned area, such as the sole of the foot, Litt suggests first soaking the blister in Burow’s solution, available from pharmacies in packets or tablets (follow the directions on the package). He recommends soaking the blister for 15 minutes, three to four times a day. A day or two of this will soften the blister and make draining easier.

Watch for signs of infection. Redness, red streaks, or pus in an intact or a “popped” blister should be treated by a doctor.

Preventing Blisters

Here are ways to prevent friction blisters, according to Glenn B. Gastwirth, D.P.M., Deputy Executive Director of the American Podiatric Medical Association in Bethesda, Maryland:

Look for leather. Unlike nonporous vinyl and plastic materials, leather has microscopic pores that allow air to circulate, keeping the foot drier. II the same way, so do the clusters of perforated hole primarily found on many styles of sports footwear, A dry foot is less likely to develop blisters.

Don’t exercise at midday. The heat of midday, especially in the summer, can make the feet perspire more, making them more blister-prone.

Never wear wet shoes. The wetness can cause morl “dragging” between the foot and shoe and can result in blisters. If you jog twice a day, for instance, you may want to buy a second pair of running shoes for your second run each day.

Protect “hot spots.” If you have a chronic “hot spot,” or place where blisters tend to develop, apply petroleum jelly to it, then slip on your sock) Foam or felt pads, used alone, can also absorb thl friction and protect a hot spot. For best results, make sure the padding covers more area than you think a blister would take up, since the neighboring areas can become irritated, too.

Wear the right socks. Specially made sport socks with extra padding in hot spots can help prevent blisters. Natural fibers such as cotton and wool tend to keep the feet dry by absorbing moisture. However, according to Gastwirth, recent researcl suggests that acrylic fibers may, through a wickir action, actually move moisture away from the fOI keeping it drier and making it less prone to blistering. Your best bet? Try them both and see which type of fiber keeps your feet drier and more comfortable. In addition, make sure the sock fits your foot, so there is less chance of it bunching up inside the shoe and causing a blister.

Try a sprinkle. Foot powders may aid in keepin the foot dry and preventing painful blisters from forming.

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Filed under: Skin Disorders