Blisters are fluid-filled growths that appear on the skin due to friction. They can form on the feet after walking for a long time with shoes that are too tight or on the hands after spending a day shoveling in the garden. If you notice a blister, learn how to treat it yourself so it can heal quickly and don't develop an infection. However, if it swells too much or becomes infected, you should see your doctor.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Treating Small Blisters at Home
Step 1. Wash the area with soap and water
If a blister has formed, it is important to keep the area clean no matter how small the lesion is. This way, you can be sure that an infection won't develop if it accidentally rips apart.
Step 2. Get some air
If the bladder is small and intact, it will disappear spontaneously within a few days. You don't have to break it or bind it. Just let it breathe as much as possible.
- If she's on your foot, put on a pair of sandals or loose slippers when you're home to give her time to heal.
- If it's on your hand, don't cover it with gloves or bandage it, unless you have to use your hands to do something that could break it and infect it.
Step 3. Protect it
When you leave the house, protect your bladder to prevent it from accidentally tearing. Apply a not too tight bandage or a corn patch (with the hole in the center).
You can buy corn patches at the pharmacy. They will help you create a protective barrier around your bladder, letting it breathe
Method 2 of 4: Treating Larger Blisters at Home
Step 1. Gently wash the area
Clean your bladder and surrounding area with warm, soapy water. Make sure your hands are clean too, as this type of injury can easily develop an infection.
Do not rub vigorously. Try to keep it intact until you decide to break it properly
Step 2. Drain the fluid if the bladder is torn
Press it with your finger. The liquid should start flowing out of the opening. Keep pressing until it is completely empty. Use a cotton ball to absorb it.
- This will ensure that the injury heals faster and relieve the pain caused by the swelling, all with the utmost respect for hygiene.
- If it doesn't break on its own despite being large, you should see your doctor.
Step 3. Do not remove the skin flap
Once the fluid has been drained, a flap of skin will remain on the surface to protect the underlying skin layer from any infections. There is no need to tear or cut it.
Step 4. Apply an ointment
Use a cotton swab to spread a polymyxin B ointment or bacitracin antibiotic cream over the affected area. It will prevent the wound from becoming infected and the bandage from sticking to the skin.
Some people are allergic to antibiotic ointments. In these cases, it is preferable to cover the area with petroleum jelly
Step 5. Bandage the bladder you ruptured
Protect her so she doesn't develop an infection. Use a bandage or gauze to gently cover it. Make sure the patch does not touch the lesion.
- Change the bandage once a day or when it gets wet or dirty.
- If the blister is on the foot, use comfortable socks and shoes. Don't irritate her further by walking in the same shoes that favored her appearance.
- If it's on your hand, put on a pair of gloves to protect it during everyday activities, like washing dishes or cooking. Do not expose it to the same movements that led to its formation.
Method 3 of 4: See Your Doctor
Step 1. See your doctor if it is large
Doctors can treat larger, painful blisters that are in hard-to-reach places. It has the right tools, as well as sterile, to break them and drain the liquid. This way, the area will be cleaned and disinfected throughout the process.
Step 2. See your doctor if you get infected
An infected bladder could create more serious problems, so you may want to have a medical check-up to find out what treatment to follow. Your doctor will clean and bandage the affected area, but will also prescribe an antibiotic. Symptoms of an infection include:
- Redness, itching, swelling of the skin near the affected area
- Yellow secretions coming out of the skin flap of the torn bladder;
- An increase in temperature around the infected area (hot to the touch);
- Red streaks starting from the infected area.
Step 3. Get immediate treatment if you experience severe symptoms
In rare cases, an infected blister can lead to more serious health problems because the infection spreads throughout the body. Seek medical help right away if you have these symptoms:
- High fever;
- Chills;
- He retched;
- Diarrhea.
Method 4 of 4: Preventing Blisters From Appearing
Step 1. Wear gloves when using your hands
Blisters are commonly caused by repetitive motions that produce friction. However, if you wear gloves before starting a manual job, the friction created by these movements will be reduced and you can prevent blisters from appearing.
For example, prolonged use of the shovel can result in continuous skin rubbing. In these cases, gloves help protect the hands and prevent blisters
Step 2. Bring appropriate footwear
Newly bought or poorly fitting shoes can cause blisters, especially on the toes and behind the heel. To avoid this problem, make sure they fit you perfectly. Enlarge them if they are new by wearing them often, but only for short periods of time. With this trick they will become more comfortable without the risk of tearing the skin and promoting the appearance of blisters.
Step 3. Protect skin areas exposed to continuous rubbing
If you know that a pair of shoes or manual labor can cause blisters, protect yourself appropriately. Padding system on the areas of the body subjected to continuous friction in order to prevent the problem.
- For example, apply a bandage to the place on your hand that is most exposed to rubbing from repetitive work or movement.
- If the problem is with your feet, wear two pairs of socks to protect them better.
- At the pharmacy, you can also find special blister plasters made to cushion the rubbing of the feet in shoes. Generally, they stick to the skin.
Step 4. Reduce skin friction
Apply creams, talcum powder and petroleum jelly to the body to reduce the friction between two areas of skin that continually rub against each other. For example, if it comes to the legs, prevent the appearance of blisters by spreading a little petroleum jelly on the inner thigh so that the contact does not create friction and heat.
