Blisters

Blisters are a common problem for people worldwide. The lack of breaking into new shoes is one of the common reasons people get blisters on their heels. But what exactly is a blister? And how does this form?

A blister is a particular area of skin that is raised due to friction or constant rubbing between the skin and a particular surface. In the case of foot blisters caused by new shoes, the skin would be the heel and the surface would be the shoe itself. Because of the constant rubbing going on between the heel and the shoe, the layers of the skin inevitably separate from each other. These layers are the epidermis, which is the outermost layer, and the dermis, which is the layer next to the epidermis. Once separation occurs, plasma, which is the liquid part of the blood, diffuses into the space that has been created. Thus, a blister is formed.

But skin blisters don’t solely form on the foot. In fact, skin blisters can form just about anywhere! They can form on your hands and feet, and on any part that is covered by the skin. But skin blisters are commonly formed on hands and feet, because these are the organs that are most exposed to events that involve friction.

So, how do you avoid blisters? Simple! By wearing the appropriate protective gear, you can avoid getting blisters any day. For instance, you can use gloves when you do your gardening. The gloves help avoid friction between your hands and whatever tools you’re handling. Thus, skin blisters would be avoided.

As mentioned, break into new shoes is one of the common causes of foot blisters. Here is an interesting bit on how to avoid these. When buying shoes, it would be better to do this during the latter part of the day. Believe it or not, your feet are actually at their biggest during this time! So, you would be able to choose the largest possible size for your feet to hold! This can very well help you avoid getting foot blisters.

Blisters heal on their own and in due time. This goes even for the tiny blisters you might get. Just give it time to heal, and it very well will on its own. But this does not mean that you cannot do anything about ensuring proper blister care and blister treatment. For starters, you should not do anything to make the blister burst. This can actually worsen the condition, and can even lead to secondary infections. This is because your dermis would now be exposed to whatever elements. Thus, you should do everything to keep your blister protected from the elements. Cover it with bandage or a band-aid. Keep it dry at all times as well. Covering the blister with bandage is very appropriate, especially with proper foot blister care. This is because if you do not cover your blister, then it just might burst when rubbed against your shoe. And that would bring twice the trouble, not to mention the pain, for you.

Draining blisters is not really advisable, although this may make blister treatment faster. But if you really have no choice in the matter, due to job demands for instance, then draining would seem the best option. The first thing to do is to clean the blister with alcohol. Next is to sterilize the needle you’d need for puncturing the blister. After it’s sterilized, choose a particular side of the blister to puncture a small hole. Drain the blister of the plasma collected. Be sure that it is indeed drained completely. Once drained, apply antibiotic ointment onto the wound, and carefully bandage it.

If you don’t think you’re up to puncturing yourself, then you can ask your physician for assistance on this. Just make sure you have your antibiotic ointment handy.