A blister on the hand causes rather uncomfortable pain. This is usually a painful blister filled with fluid. Often it is formed due to activities that subject the hands to excessive friction; they can easily form after doing strenuous garden work, raking and shoveling. If you have a blister on your hand, there are several things you can do to get it to heal quickly.
Steps
Part 1 of 2: Treating the Bladder
Step 1. Don't break it unless it bothers you a lot
If you pop it, you cause a break in the skin and you are more prone to infections, because bacteria and dirt are more likely to enter the body. You can instead:
- Gently wash the area with warm soapy water. It is important to clean the bladder when it is open; doing so reduces the amount of debris and bacteria in the surrounding area that could infect it.
- Cover the bladder with a band-aid to reduce pain by protecting the injury from contact with other objects when using your hands.
Step 2. Disinfect the blister if you need to pop it
It is important that the surrounding skin is cleaned and disinfected before puncturing the blister to reduce the chances of infection. To do this:
- Wash your bladder with warm, soapy water. Don't rub it because you will irritate it; just put it under running tap water and wash it gently making sure you get rid of all traces of dirt, bacteria and sweat.
- Blot the area with iodine, hydrogen peroxide, or alcohol to kill any remaining bacteria. Use a cotton ball to clean the blister.
Step 3. Drain the bubble
The aim is to get rid of the fluid inside the bladder without introducing bacteria or creating an open wound. You can do this by using a sterilized sewing needle.
- Wash the needle with soap and water; then clean it with alcohol to kill any bacteria that may be present. To eliminate them, simply pour denatured alcohol on a cotton swab and rub the needle. Alcohol evaporates quickly.
- Slowly and carefully use the needle to make a small hole in the edge of the bubble. Make sure you puncture the layer of skin on top of the liquid so it will flow out.
- Do not peel the layer of skin off the surface of the blister, but leave it in place so that it can cover and protect the irritated skin just below.
Step 4. Clean and cover your bladder
After draining the fluid, the bubble is open and therefore exposed to bacteria and dirt that could enter the body. To minimize the risk of this happening:
- Wash the fluid out of the wound. Put your hand under warm running water and wash it gently with soap.
- Carefully smear petroleum jelly or antibiotic ointment on the blister you have drained. You can find both products at the pharmacy and no prescription is required.
- Put on a clean patch. Pay attention so that the sticky part does not adhere to the bubble; you must prevent the skin above the blister from tearing when you remove the patch.
- Choose the type of patches that have a square of gauze with adhesive on all four sides, rather than those with adhesive on only two sides. This protects the wound better, as all four sides of the dressing will be sealed.
Step 5. Put on a new patch every day
Gently peel off the old one, reapply the ointment and cover the bladder again with a clean dressing. The underlying skin should heal within a few days; You can then remove the flap of dead, punctured skin covering the wound surface. You can cut it very carefully using a pair of scissors sterilized in denatured alcohol. Whenever you change your patch you also need to pay attention to signs of infection. See your doctor if you notice the following troubling signs:
- Increased redness, swelling, warmth, or pain over time
- Pus oozing from the bladder (not the liquid that comes out of the bubble when you pop it).
Step 6. Apply a cold compress to a blister filled with blood
If the blister has blood in it and it hurts, you shouldn't squeeze it. You have to wait for it to heal naturally to avoid the risk of infections. However, you can relieve the discomfort by applying ice:
- Wrap a cold pack in a thin cloth and place it on your bladder for about 20 minutes.
- If you don't have an ice pack handy, you can wrap a bag of frozen peas or corn in a towel and use that.
Step 7. See your doctor if your bladder gets worse
Sometimes this type of blister can be the result of allergic reactions or infections. If you are concerned that yours may be caused by any of the following factors, see your doctor for a checkup:
- A burn, including a sunburn.
- An allergic reaction to drugs.
- An atopic dermatitis, also called eczema.
- An infection, such as chickenpox, shingles, herpes, and impetigo.
Part 2 of 2: Preventing Blisters
Step 1. Wear gloves when doing manual work
Gloves reduce friction and friction on your hands when doing demanding jobs such as:
- Rake the leaves.
- Shoveling the snow.
- Gardening work.
- Moving furniture or other strenuous work that involves lifting.
Step 2. Apply a donut bandage to the area when the blister begins to form
This is a good way to avoid putting pressure on an already irritated area. If you want to protect her even more, you can also wear gloves.
- Put on a skin patch or other type of soft pad that you can buy at the drugstore.
- Fold the patch you have decided to use in half.
- Cut a semicircle along the fold. The cut should be the diameter of the area you want to protect.
- Reopen the skin protector. In the center it should have a small, round hole the same size as the area where the blister is about to form.
- Secure the soft fabric to your hand so that the sensitive skin is exactly in the center of the hole. The surrounding padding prevents pressure from being applied to the skin and prevents blistering.
Step 3. Strengthen your hands slowly
If you do a sporting activity that puts a lot of friction on your hands, you should increase the effort gradually to allow the skin to form calluses. These are areas of thickened, hard skin that protect the more delicate underlying skin. If you notice that a blister is about to form, stop exercising and give your hands time to recover. When the skin is no longer sore, you can resume your normal duties. Sports that can easily cause blisters are:
- Boating.
- Gymnastics.
- Weightlifting.
- Equitation.
- Climbing.
