Blisters are Brutal

Blisters on feet have a way of causing significant pain due to the pressure built within them. Our podiatrist, Dr. Joel S. Segalman, DPM at the Performance Foot & Ankle Specialists, LLC, can help to treat your blisters and give your feet a good chance of overcoming this condition. Please call or visit us at our Waterbury 203-755-0489 & Newtown 203-270-6724, Connecticut locations today.

Blisters on the feet generally happen to athletes, people who hike or those in the military. They are painful and may cause an infection or worse complications such as sepsis if not treated sensibly. This condition forms when the top three layers of the skin tear and a split occurs that fills with fluid because of the resulting pressure. Trauma to feet damages the skin, and fluid pools underneath it to give a softening effect which promotes healing. However, the collected fluid is what’s known as the blister. Blisters are usually caused by:

·Friction

·Infections

·Burns, sunburns or extreme heat (second-degree burns blister right away)

·Cold weather can cause tissue damage such as frostbite (blood vessels contract and push blood away, which leads to the damage)

·Chemicals

·Medical conditions such as chicken pox, herpes or cold sores can cause blistering on the feet

New shoes may cause discomfort and friction that could lead to blistering. If this is the case, the shoe should be stretched or not worn again until any blistering present on the foot heals. They should thereafter be broken in by wearing them intermittently and not all day.

To treat blisters, they should be cleaned with antiseptic, then punctured with a disinfected needle tip. This will allow for the fluid contained within the blister to drain. Ointment should thereafter be applied to the wound that has antibacterial properties. The blister should then be covered with a bandage and kept clean daily. The blister should be covered until it heals. Due to the painful and long standing effects that blisters on the feet can have, please contact us when you can to avoid an unnecessary infection and to receive the proper attention that they need.