A blister is the painful and often annoying result of damaged body tissue due to friction. Blisters most commonly appear on the feet due to restricting or ill fitting shoes.
Luckily, if you do end up with a nasty blister after a few hours of trying to break in a new pair of kicks, there are ten effective ways to relieve the discomfort…
Give it Air
The first rule of blisters is to let that nasty sucker breathe. In fact, as much air exposure as possible will speed the healing process. If you do need to bandage it to walk, do so loosely by tenting your adhesive bandage at the sides so that the middle is slightly raised up to allow air flow.
Of course, the healthy treatment of any blister depends on whether the wound is intact or torn open. If the blister is intact, leave the skin overlying to protect the wound from possible infection. Simply clean it thoroughly, but leave the attached skin in place to shield the wound from further dirt and debris and also to decrease the pain associated with exposed nerve endings on an open wound.
Bandage that Blister
And while you’re at it pick an adhesive bandage with some gumption to cushion the injury and protect it from debris and infection from getting at the wound. This is also why, if there is skin attached and covering a portion of the blister, leave it attached to protect the area from infection.
Cleanliness is vital to also protect your blister from infection. Use a sterile gauze pad to gently urge any remaining fluid out of the blister and then cover the area with an antibiotic ointment. You can also cover the exposed blister with an air tight (occlusive) bandage to speed healing.
Topical Cream
After you clean any dirt or debris from the blister you’ll want to smear on an antibacterial ointment—such as Polysporin. A gel-style antiseptic cream might also be a good option if it offers cooling benefits. Just be sure to keep the area clean and sanitized to prevent the infection of the area and to also speed the healing.
Be gentle when dabbing on antibiotic ointment and be sure to apply it to a clean area. You can sterilize the area using a hygienic-wipe and prevent infection by covering the area with clean gauze, a bandage, or a gel dressing afterwards. I also often use tea-tree oil on the site of a blister once the area is lanced and drained as a natural way to speed healing and prevent infection.
Elevate, Elevate, Elevate
If you have a blister on your foot or heel, elevating it by putting up your legs will actually relieve inflammation, and pressure to the injured area, which will help ease pain and discomfort—at least temporarily.
If you are not walking on the area and remaining in a clean environment, clean the area thoroughly and leave the blister uncovered while waiting for it to heal. In addition, position your foot to elevate the blister as much as possible above waist height. This elevation will decrease pain, ensure proper drainage of all fluid by working with gravity, and promote fresh blood flow to the area in order to speed up healing.
Draining a Blister
The only remedy for a blister causing extreme pain and pressure (if it’s filled with fluid) is to pop that sucker. To avoid infection, wipe the blister down with water and antiseptic, gently pierce the edge using a sewing needle sterilized in alcohol to drain all fluid, but don’t remove the top skin as it acts as a protective layer against infection.
According to the experts at the Mayo Clinic, to safely and effectively drain a blister, wash and sanitize your hands thoroughly using soap and water. Ensure your hands are dried completely before cleaning the blister area with a antiseptic (i.e., rubbing alcohol or iodine). You can sterilize a clean needle by also whipping it down with iodine or rubbing alcohol. Make sure the needle is sharp for the best result. Puncture the blister with the needle along the blister’s edge. Let the fluid drain, don’t squeeze it out to prevent bruising. Be sure to leave the overlying skin intact to prevent the area from infection. Apply an antibiotic ointment and cover the area completely with a clean bandage or gauze pad. If the blister shows signs of infection, go to the doctor.
Cushion the Injury
In addition to a thick bandage, a particularly nasty blister on the sole of the heel may require some more padding to make walking comfortable. In this case, you can buy sheets of foamy adhesive pads and cut the shape of your required padding to fit and cushion the injury.
Air is important to urge healing. However, if you are not at home in a clean environment, the use of a clean bandage or gauze pad can prevent infection when out of the house. To prevent future blisters in the same area, wear padded athletic socks or cover chaffed areas with a padded bandage to protect the area prone to rubbing.
Soften the Area
Soaking a blister a few times daily in a saline solution, especially if you pop and drain a blister will speed the healing process and help buff away excess skin. It’s important to soften a blister prior to popping it. However, popping and draining an extremely painful blister can provide some pain relief by relieving pressure to the area.
To soften a blister, soak it in warm water or saline solution to properly clean it and prevent infection. Softening the blister will make popping it with a sanitized needle that much easier. Also, softening the area after it’s drained in warm, clean water will promotes speedier healing and putting less stress and pain on the area.
Avoid Infection
If you do pop a blister, be vigilant with cleaning, sanitizing, and covering it loosely with a bandage in order to prevent infection. If the area becomes red, inflamed even though drained, a pus-filled, it should be seen by a doctor immediately. Also, if you run or hike and are prone to blisters, don’t simply cover the area and hope it goes away.
Ignored blisters can quickly infected if they are not cleaned and drained. Particularly if you continue to stress out the area repeatedly, localized pain and rubbing can lead to infection and unhygienic blister ruptures. If the blister bursts and becomes infected, secondary cellulitis or impetigo (both severe skin infections) can take place. Eventually, if a blister is left infected and ignored, a long-term bacterial infection can enter the bloodstream and result in sepsis.
Moisturize the Area
Aloe Vera is a gentle, anti-inflammatory gel that can help moisturize and speed the healing of a blister. Apply the gel after cleaning the area and allow the area to dry before covering. Aloe will also cool to the blister and prevent inflammation. Blister prevention, if you are prone to blisters, is also very important for your safety.
For example, there are many steps you can take to prevent future blisters, such as wearing properly fitting shoes, breaking in shoes thoroughly before using them for sports, refraining from wearing cotton socks for exercise, and using socks with moisture wicking that keep moisture away from feet. Letting your shoes dry from perspiration following workouts is also wise.
Have Patience
It’s important to be patient with your blister, like any injury it will take a few days to a week (in the case of nasty blisters) to heal completely. As mentioned, take the time to properly drain, clean, and dress your blister. And if you can, leave the blister open to the air in a clean environment so that it speeds the healing process.
The dual effect of friction (or chaffing) and moisture will typically cause a blister to form. For instance, wearing ill fitting shoes without socks or wearing cotton socks that are prone to collect moisture will almost always result in a painful blister. Instead, look for synthetic socks with moisture wicking abilities that keep sweat away from the skin.
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