Treat all type of Skin Blisters
Edited by Witz Taluban, Batkingnz, Eng, Olivia and 4 others
6 Parts:
Have you ever experienced blisters on your feet because of new shoes? Have you noticed itchy, small blisters on your lips after riding on your motorcycle in the cold? There are many ways that you can develop a blister. Before you think about trying to pop them, you need to read on and understand which ones are safe to treat on your own, and which ones need a doctor's intervention.
Blisters are swollen lumps on the skin that can be caused by friction, burns or pinches. They're like small balloons attached to your skin. Anyone can have them because they can be caused by illness, as well as daily life activities.
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Where Do Skin Blisters Come From?
- 1Some women are likely very familiar with this particular problem. When your shoes are too tight, the friction of the skin against the shoe material causes it to swell. Because there's no air to dry the swelling (while your foot is inside the shoe), it develops a blister.Wearing tight-fitting shoes all day.
Advertisement - 2You can also get blisters from accidentally burning your finger on a hot pan. You can also get it from getting off of a motorcycle and accidentally stepping or hitting your leg on the hot muffler. This is a very painful type of blister.Burns.
Advertisement - 3This is another type of burn, but this time, it's caused by extremely cold temperatures. When you stay out in the cold for too long without any protection, this is one bad thing that can happen, aside from other symptoms that you may also experience.Frostbite.
- 4Getting your skin forcefully pinched in a drawer, door or cabinet. A pool of blood usually forms inside this kind of blister.Blood Blister.
- 5Infections like contact dermatitis, scabies, shingles, impetigo, and chickenpox can also cause the skin to form blisters. This is just a manifestation of the illness and is caused by the reaction of the virus or bacteria inside the body.Skin Infections.
Ways to Treat a Blister
- 1Use a prescribed burn ointment for burn blisters. It is not advisable to use toothpaste or another kind of cream to relieve the burnt skin, especially if it is categorized as a second or third degree. If a blister pops and develops into a raw wound, apply a prescribed anti-bacterial topical medicine. Make sure to clean the wound with soap and water before applying topical treatment. Blisters caused by the sun should be treated the same way.Burns.Advertisement
- 2Take the individual to a warm room immediately. This is applicable for frostbite victims. Warm him up wrapping him in blankets or a jacket – whatever you have available. The frostbite is usually relieved by immersing the affected area in warm water. When a frostbite blister ruptures, it may feel raw and painful. It needs to be dressed and bandaged up to avoid infection.Extreme Cold.
- 3Lukewarm baths are usually helpful for relieving the itchiness of chickenpox blisters. A prescribed anti-itch lotion can also be applied to help the individual achieve some comfort. The individual should also be dressed in soft and lightweight clothes. This should be done in conjunction with prescribed anti-viral treatment from the doctor.Chickenpox.
- 4Regular blisters from tight shoes and blood blisters.
- Wrapping the blister in a bandage. This can prevent the blister from being scratched accidentally. It will also prevent accidental puncture of the blister, thus preventing possible infection. Do not wrap the bandage too tight or this could also cause the blister to rupture.
- Apply a Band-Aid. Using a Band-Aid on the blister will also prevent friction of the skin and the inside of the shoes. This will prevent rupture of the blister. When the blister is subjected to friction, it may cause it to rupture prematurely and will cause a raw wound, thus preventing you from wearing shoes until the wound heals.
- Puncture and Drain. This is only advisable to do with blisters from getting pinched by a drawer or blisters from wearing shoes. It is also advisable when you notice that there's pus forming inside the blister. However, you must be very careful when you decide to do this procedure, in order to avoid infection.
- Prepare the materials that you will need:
- Sterile needle.
- Cotton balls.
- Sterile small scissors or forceps
- Gauze or bandage, and wound tape.
- Directions:
- Sterilize scissors or forceps by boiling two cups of water, then immersing the equipment in it for about five minutes. Let it cool before using.
- Wash the blister with soap and water. Pat it dry, and with the use of a sterile needle, puncture the blister. Drain the pus from the blister by carefully pressing on it.
- When you see that the pus has all been drained out, try to remove the flap of skin with the use of the sterile scissor or forceps. You will then have an open wound after removal of the flap of skin.
- Apply antiseptic solution and let it dry. Cover loosely with gauze or a bandage, and secure with dressing tapes.
- Sterilize scissors or forceps by boiling two cups of water, then immersing the equipment in it for about five minutes. Let it cool before using.
- Prepare the materials that you will need:
How to Prevent Blisters from Shoes
- 1The blisters will heal without any complications. However, if you keep on wearing ill-fitting shoes, the blisters will form again and again. When you buy shoes, try them on and walk a couple of steps in them before finally buying them. This way, you will get to feel how it is to walk or run in them. If there is too much friction inside the shoes, try a bigger size. Furthermore, you should shop for shoes after work. This is the ideal time because by then, your feet may have swollen from walking and running all day. By doing so, you will get a better-fitting pair.Buy and wear shoes that fit your feet perfectly.Advertisement
- 2What's good about leather shoes is that they become softer as you continue to wear them. As such, the possibility of blisters is minimal when wearing leather.Buy leather footwear.
- 3Excess heat will cause too much sweating inside the shoes. The friction and moisture can predispose the feet to form blisters. Taping the feet before exercise can also help to eliminate blister formation when you need to exercise for long periods of time.Don't exercise in high temperatures.
- 4These are your heels and the joints of your toes.Use an anti-blister gel for blister prone areas.
- 5People don't often consider socks too much after choosing color and style, but good quality socks help to prevent blister formation on your feet. Foot powder also helps to prevent blisters by absorbing the moisture.Wear socks and use foot powder.
General Guidelines for Caring for Blisters
- 1When you puncture a blister, especially one that was caused by an infection, the bacteria inside the blister will cause the surrounding skin to become infected. This may bring about itchiness and additional skin problems. In addition, it may cause another infection to the surrounding skin.Do not puncture blisters that are caused by an illness like chickenpox, shingles or dermatitis.
- 2This may cause infection and other complications.Do not apply oil, butter or egg to the blister.Advertisement
Referencing this Article
If you need to reference this article in your work, you can copy-paste the following depending on your required format:
APA (American Psychological Association)
Treat Blisters in 14 Ways. (2014). In VisiHow. Retrieved May 29, 2017, from http://visihow.com/Treat_Blisters_in_14_Ways
MLA (Modern Language Association) "Treat Blisters in 14 Ways." VisiHow, visihow.com/Treat_Blisters_in_14_Ways Accessed 29 May 2017.
Chicago / Turabian VisiHow.com. "Treat Blisters in 14 Ways." Accessed May 29, 2017. http://visihow.com/Treat_Blisters_in_14_Ways.
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Categories : Health & Wellness
Recent edits by: Nuance, Lynn, Doug Collins
