Best way to make blisters comfortable?!
Question: I've got major blisters on both feet, and not wearing shoes is out of the question. I have to wear the same shoes (cleats) that gave me blisters, so I need some way to make them more comfortable.
What should I do/put on my blisters to prevent them from getting irritated whilst wearing shoes. I've tried those cushion rings, but they don't seem to work.
Any suggestions?
Answers: I've got major blisters on both feet, and not wearing shoes is out of the question. I have to wear the same shoes (cleats) that gave me blisters, so I need some way to make them more comfortable.
What should I do/put on my blisters to prevent them from getting irritated whilst wearing shoes. I've tried those cushion rings, but they don't seem to work.
Any suggestions?
blisters and their treatment
Blisters are a very common cause of foot pain symptoms. They occur frequently on the bottom of the feet but can also be seen on the top and side of the foot. In the foot at least, the primary cause is friction. The most common cause is a poor fitting shoe combined with an activity that creates excessive friction on a certain part of the foot. You can also get foot blisters from eczema and athletes foot. In addition they can occur from burns and situations where the feet are too moist thus increasing friction.
From the excessive friction the upper layer of skin, the epidermis, separates from the middle layer of skin, the dermis. Fluid fills in and the blister is formed. Initially the lesion is formed to actually protect an area but more often than not on the foot the blister will begin to hurt.
Note the blisters on the toes in the picture below.
In most instances the lesions contain harmless fluid. However, it is not uncommon for some blisters to contain pus (infected) and others to contain blood.
A typical scenario that plays out in my practice is an athlete such as a runner or tennis player that has been doing a lot of his sport in hot sticky weather. The excess friction of the sport combined with the wetness of the foot allows easy formation of the blisters. Generally the size and location of the blisters will determine the amount of pain.
In a normal healthy individual who has good circulation and is not diabetic blister formation is a minor problem. The key to treating foot blisters and blisters anywhere else that are going to be further subjected to friction is to drain the blister without removing the top portion of it.
The best way to do this is to clean a needle with alcohol, then pierce the blister in at least two places. Put pressure on the cap of the blister to squeeze out the fluid. Once drained it is important to not remove the cap as this acts as a protective barrier against the raw skin that is on the bottom of the blister. Instead put an antiseptic such as Neosporin or bacitracin ointment on the wound and then cover it with a dressing under compression so that the blister does not re-form. Do this for a few days. The cap will dry out and the raw skin will harden. At that point you may cut away the dead dry skin and the underlying skin should be fine.
If during these few days you start to notice an increase in pain and the surrounding area appears to be getting more red in color, there is a good chance the area is infected. At this point you should see a foot specialist for further treatment.
Generally blisters are a minor problem. However, this can change in certain circumstances. If you happen to be diabetic, have poor circulation or suffer from any major debilitating disease you must be careful. In these instances the prudent move would be to see a foot specialist and let he or she take care of it.
Additionally, most friction blisters occur as one or possibly two lesions. If you find yourself developing multiple blisters for no explainable reason; if these blisters itch and there is scaling in the area, more than likely you have a fungal infection or eczema. In these instances a visit to a foot specialist is warranted as it will require professional treatment.
For those of you prone to forming friction blisters there are a few things you can do. The first is obvious; make sure your shoes are not too tight. Even if they seem to fit fine check the inside of the shoe for stitching that may aggravate certain parts of the foot.
If the blisters routinely form on the bottom of the foot sometimes adding an orthotic with a Spenco topcover will reduce the friction. For more information on blisters and orthotics, click here.
Other tricks for blisters include wearing two pair of thin cotton socks with a little powder between them. This too will reduce the friction on the bottom of the feet.
Lastly, sometimes toughening up the skin in a certain blister prone area will reduce recurrence. This can be accomplished by applying tincture of benzoin liquid (not the spray; too messy) to the area, let it dry for a minute or so. It will become