If you’ve just gotten a new pair of shoes, then your feet are in for a painful ride. Blisters are a painful commonality and they can really affect your movement. Here are some things you can do to treat blisters. However, it’s better to avoid doing anything without the consultation from a podiatrist. If they appeared after a fracture or a bone-related injury, check with your orthopedic surgeon as well.

Don’t Pop It

This might be tempting for a lot of people, but you shouldn’t give in to the urge of popping a blister. A blister tends to go away after a couple of days, but if you pop it, then there might be discharge or blood coming out from the protruded area.

It’s better to leave it be for some time and limit your movement until it goes away completely, otherwise, you’ll put yourself at risk of developing hideous infections, especially if you don’t take care of it after popping.

Wash The Area

If a blister has popped itself and a discharge or fluid is coming out of the area, then you don’t want to resort to using hydrogen peroxide or isopropyl alcohol for cleaning the wound, because it’s going to sting like crazy.

You want to use lukewarm water and a gentle soap and rub the wound with it. This is going to clean the wound effectively without inflicting a lot of pain and then you can cover the area up with gauze or a breathable bandage so that no infections can develop.

Cover It Loosely

Another important thing you want to do when treating blisters is to cover it up loosely. The main gist is to avoid putting a lot of pressure on the nodule because that can elevate the pain and you won’t be able to walk or move your foot either.

You should use a bandage that’s made out of cloth and is breathable and you want to wrap it loosely around your blister. This is just for protection purposes and to avoid your foot getting in contact with dirt, debris, or any other contaminant, because that can lead to infections as well, especially if the blister gets popped and is exposed.

Antibiotic Creams Are Godsend

If you want to disinfect the blister and treat it from the inside, then antibiotics are a lifesaver. You can use oral or cream-based antibiotics and they’re going to help in killing any germs and bacteria in the blister or wound and you won’t contract any other diseases or skin issues.

Antibiotic creams can be used a couple of times a day and some creams also have numbing agents in them, so you won’t feel a lot of pain after application and you can even walk freely for a bit, without putting too much pressure on the blister.

If there are many blisters and they are painful, get advice from a pain management doctor Woodbridge for pain relief.

Drain The Blister

A lot of the time, blisters can get extremely swollen and the only way to reduce the swelling and alleviate the pain, is to get it drained. You can do it by yourself at home as well and it’s not that hard.

First, you need to clean the area around the blister and the nodule itself with an alcohol pad. Next, you’ll need a small syringe and to be extra safe, you can also clean the needle. Inject the syringe into the highest area of the blister and drain out any liquid, blood, or discharge that might be inside.

You will instantly see that the blister will reduce in size and the swelling will disappear. You can release the syringe, pull it out and cover the skin with a gauze or bandage.

Don’t Put Pressure

Another thing that you don’t want to do is put pressure on the blister. This can actually cause compression inside and the blister might pop internally. This can lead to the discharge or fluid getting released in the body and that can be infectious and dangerous for you. Leave the blister be and let it drain or pop naturally.

Invest In Insoles

Blisters can happen if your shoes are not padded from the inside. This can be the case with older shoes, in which the insoles have worn out, or new ones that can poke you. It’s always a good idea to have a couple of padded insoles with you at all times, especially if you’re walking long distances regularly.

Insoles protect the pads of your feet and they also provide a barrier between the hard base of the shoe and the soles of your feet, so that you don’t get blisters and rashes every so often.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

This is more of a preventative tip than anything, but you want to shop for comfortable shoes. Blisters are the norm when getting new shoes, but sometimes, shoes are made from materials that are extremely hard and can damage your feet. You always want to choose shoes that are soft from the inside out and padded because the last thing you want is to spend money on an expensive pair of shoes and get your feet ruined.

Shoe shopping might seem like a piece of cake, but finding the perfect pair for your feet is nothing less than a challenge.

Use Petroleum Jelly

This is also a great hack for preventing blisters. For treating blisters, you can apply a dollop of petroleum jelly on the blister and the area surrounding it. This is going to reduce friction and you can easily wear shoes and walk for some time.

As far as prevention is concerned, if you’re worried about your new shoes causing blisters on your feet, then you can rub petroleum jelly on your heels, the back of your foot, and on your toes before wearing the uncomfortable shoes. You can also slather some petroleum jelly on the inside of the shoes so that it doesn’t bite your skin.

Avoid Allergens

New shoes and walking a lot aren’t the only two reasons that can cause blisters. There are certain shoe materials, and different products like lotions and creams that could trigger the formation of blisters. You need to figure out what types of things and chemicals are causing blisters on your feet and you need to stop using them altogether.

Sometimes, these things can also aggravate blisters, so you need to keep a close eye on the products that you’re using. If you’re allergic to fragranced lotions and creams, then you need to stop using them completely.

Use Topical Creams

You can use topical creams on your feet, because blisters can cause your skin to become dry. If you don’t rehydrate your skin, then it can tear up even more and it can cause wounds and infections. So, it’s best to consult a doctor in this case and have them prescribe you a neutral topical cream that can keep the moisture locked in your skin.

Using medicated creams and lotions, 3 to 4 times a day, will make a world of a difference in your feet and the blisters will disappear in no time too.

Conclusion

These treatments are not only going to help get rid of blisters for good, but you can prevent them further in the future as well. If you want to be careful, only perform the treatments that are suggested by a podiatrist Woodbridge.