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The Doctors Book of Home Remedies II: Blisters

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Blisters

You've heard of body language? Well, consider blisters more like body profanity--the skin's response to getting too much friction. Don't believe it? Just try to break in a new pair of shoes and you'll end up with an (expletive deleted) friction blister on your heel. Or spend too much time raking leaves and you'll curse the fat blisters that show up on the palms of your hands.

But since there will always be new shoes to break in and lawns in need of care, there will always be blisters--unless you take some precautions. So here's how to banish that blister before it articulates new meanings for the nastiest four-letter word of all--pain. Let's start with the most prevalent kind--foot blisters.

Give your feet a lube job. "Blisters are the result of too much friction. To avoid some of that friction and prevent a blister, liberally rub Vaseline over your feet," says Robert Diamond, D.P.M., a Pennsylvania podiatrist affiliated with Muhlenberg Hospital Center in Bethlehem and Allentown Osteopathic Hospital. "If the shoe doesn't fit correctly and your foot is slipping, you'll have better glide, so there's less friction-and therefore less chance of developing a friction blister."

Quit the cotton. Sorry, but much-ballyhooed cotton sweat socks don't offer the best protection against blisters. In fact, sports podiatrists say that manmade acrylic socks are best for preventing blisters. "Cotton fiber becomes abrasive with repeated use, and it also compresses and loses its shape and 'cushion' when wet," says Douglas Richie, Jr., D.P.M., clinical instructor of podiatry at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles. According to Dr. Richie, "The shape of the sock is critical when it's inside a shoe." So a sock that loses its shape is just what your blister-vulnerable foot doesn't need.

Silken your skin. "Wearing a silk undersock can help prevent foot blisters and relieve the pain once you get them, since silk is less damaging to the skin than other fabrics," says Nicholas J. Lowe, M.D., clinical professor of dermatology at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Medicine and director of the Skin Research Foundation of California in Santa Monica.

Use powder power. Rubbing baby powder on your feet before any blister-promoting activity is another good preventer. "Make powdering part of your daily routine," says Richard Cowin, D.P.M., director of Cowin Foot Clinic of Orlando, Florida. Reason: Like petroleum jelly, it helps reduce friction and eases glide.

Put new footwear in your handbag. "Probably the biggest cause of foot blisters in women comes from trying to break in a new pair of shoes," says dermatologist Joseph Bark, M.D., past chairman of the Department of Dermatology at St. Joseph's Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. "My advice to women who get a new pair of shoes? Wear them for only 30 minutes at a time. It's all right to wear the shoes several times a day, but only for 30 minutes--at least for the first few days." (So carry an extra pair of broken-in shoes in your handbag and trade off a few times during the day.)

Pad it with moleskin. A moleskin pad (available at most drugstores) is the best preventive measure for the blister-prone, and it's also great for relieving pain once the blister forms. Cut the moleskin into a doughnut shape and place it over the blister (or the area where you're prone to get it). "Leave the central area open over the blister," advises Suzanne Tanner, M.D., assistant professor of orthopedics at the University of Colorado Sportsmedicine Center in Denver. The surrounding moleskin will absorb the shock and friction that cause or aggravate blisters.

The Right Way to "Pop" Blisters

Some doctors say that leaving a blister alone will reduce the risk of secondary infection. Others say that if a blister hurts, you should prick it with a pin to drain the water or blood that builds up under the "roof" of the skin. Draining it, they say, will ease the pain.

Since blisters usually hurt, most folks vote to pop--but often do it wrong and risk infection. Here's the proper procedure.

"One of the biggest mistakes people make is to pull off the skin from the top of the blister," says Rodney Basler, M.D., a dermatologist and assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. Instead, he suggests a specific procedure that has been proven to be most effective: After pushing the fluid to one end of the "bubble," prick the blister on the side containing the fluid, using a pin that's been sterilized with alcohol, a lighted match or boiling water. The pin should prick the blister horizontally, just above the skin. Dr. Basler suggests doing it three times--when you first see the blister, again 12 hours later and then 12 hours after that.

The buildup of fluid does cause pain, and by removing all the fluid, you reduce the pain. But remember: To avoid infection, always sterilize the needle with a flame, alcohol or boiling water before lancing your blister, says Dr. Basler.

Try a heel lift. Blisters on the back of the foot? They could be blamed on the heel counter--the tough shoe leather that covers your heel. If the counter rubs the wrong area of your foot, you'll have blister trouble fast. The fix? "All you usually have to do is put in a heel lift," says Dr. Cowin. Make sure to use the same size heel lift in both shoes unless advised differently by your doctor, even if only one heel is blistering.

Use an insole. To avoid blisters on the heel and other parts of the foot, many doctors recommend a Spenco insole. These store-bought inserts cut down on friction to prevent new blisters and help ease the pain of existing ones, says Dr. Diamond.

Soak 'em in Epsom. "If you perspire too much, you're more prone to getting blisters," adds Dr. Diamond. "If that's your problem, soaking feet in Epsom salts can help dry excessive sweating." Dissolve Epsom salts in warm water and soak your feet for about five minutes at the end of the day. Then dry, thoroughly.

Give a double dose of healing gel. Research shows that triple antibiotic ointments can eliminate bacterial contamination after two applications. Neosporin and other nonprescription antibiotic ointments are sold in all drugstores. Avoid old standbys such as iodine and camphor-phenol, because they delay healing. After applying the antibiotic, you should cover the area with a gauze pad--but change that covering each time it gets wet to avoid contamination.

For hands--try a combination play. If your problem is hand blisters rather than foot blisters, the Epsom salts relief can be a big help. Also, wear heavy-duty work gloves whenever you have yard work to do. Another way to prevent blisters on your hands: Follow the advice of Dr. Cowin and rub some baby powder on your hands.

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