The Star City Striders are a local group of runners who promote active living in the Roanoke Valley community. If you are a beginning runner who is joining the Striders, you need to be aware that you might develop blisters in the early going. When this happens, it is important to understand basic blister care.
The Star City Striders are a local group of runners who promote active living in the Roanoke Valley community. If you are a beginning runner who is joining the Striders, you need to be aware that you might develop blisters in the early going. When this happens, it is important to understand basic blister care.
When it comes to treating blisters, the first thing you need to take into consideration is whether or not you have diabetes. If you are living with this disease, do not attempt to pop it, since doing so means risking infection. On the other hand, it could burst on its own. Given these two contradictory situations, schedule an appointment with our office and let our professionals handle it for you.
If you do not have diabetes, the approach you take depends on how serious it is. If it is not excessively large and does not cause pain, you’re best off simply letting it run its natural course. In time, the fluid contained inside the bubble will be reabsorbed by your body, and the outer layer of skin will dry up and fall off on its own. To protect your blister, you may opt to cover it with a bandage, but make sure you do so loosely.
If you develop one that is painful, large, or appears in an awkward area, take the following steps to safely drain it:
- Wash the entire area around it with antibacterial soap and then dry it off.
- Use rubbing alcohol to sterilize a needle.
- Make a small hole with the needle at the edge of your blister. Gently push against the opposite side to drain out the fluid.
- Being careful not to remove the flap of skin, wash the area again and gently pat it dry.
- Flatten the skin flap.
- Reduce the risk of infection by applying antibiotic ointment.
- Cover it loosely with a sterile, fresh bandage or gauze.
As we mentioned, our office is always here to assist you with any blister care that you need. Give us a call at (540) 904-1458 for our Roanoke, VA office. You can also use our online form to contact us and request an appointment today.
Photo Credit: satit_srihin via FreeDigitialPhotos.net
When it comes to treating blisters, the first thing you need to take into consideration is whether or not you have diabetes. If you are living with this disease, do not attempt to pop it, since doing so means risking infection. On the other hand, it could burst on its own. Given these two contradictory situations, schedule an appointment with our office and let our professionals handle it for you.
If you do not have diabetes, the approach you take depends on how serious it is. If it is not excessively large and does not cause pain, you’re best off simply letting it run its natural course. In time, the fluid contained inside the bubble will be reabsorbed by your body, and the outer layer of skin will dry up and fall off on its own. To protect your blister, you may opt to cover it with a bandage, but make sure you do so loosely.
If you develop one that is painful, large, or appears in an awkward area, take the following steps to safely drain it:
- Wash the entire area around it with antibacterial soap and then dry it off.
- Use rubbing alcohol to sterilize a needle.
- Make a small hole with the needle at the edge of your blister. Gently push against the opposite side to drain out the fluid.
- Being careful not to remove the flap of skin, wash the area again and gently pat it dry.
- Flatten the skin flap.
- Reduce the risk of infection by applying antibiotic ointment.
- Cover it loosely with a sterile, fresh bandage or gauze.
As we mentioned, our office is always here to assist you with any blister care that you need. Give us a call at (540) 904-1458 for our Roanoke, VA office. You can also use our online form to contact us and request an appointment today.
Photo Credit: satit_srihin via FreeDigitialPhotos.net