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Each month Mayo Clinic brings you helpful tips to improve your health.
| | | Health Tips: Blister care | Hello ,
When a water blister develops, the first step is to avoid what caused it. Then, it's a matter of protecting the blister until your skin heals. However, if you have a condition that makes wound healing difficult, see your doctor.
If the blister isn't too painful, leave the fluid-filled bubble intact. Unbroken skin over a blister is a natural barrier to infection. Protect an intact blister by covering it with a bandage. If more protection is needed, cut a piece of thicker, cushioned padding — such as moleskin — into a doughnut shape and place the pad so it encircles the blister. The pad can then be covered by a breathable bandage.
For a painful blister, you can drain the blister with these steps:
Clean — Wash your hands and the blister site with soap and warm water. Swab the blister area with rubbing alcohol or iodine, and sterilize a clean needle the same way. Puncture the blister — Using the sterilized needle, poke a few holes near the blister edge. Let the fluid drain, but keep the skin covering otherwise intact as a protective barrier. Protect the blister — Apply an ointment such as petroleum jelly or zinc oxide and cover the blister with a bandage. Keep an eye on things — Check the blister each day for signs of infection and seek medical care if an infection appears to be developing. You can usually cut away the dead skin after a few days using a pair of sterilized tweezers and scissors.
Yours in good health,
Daniel Roberts, M.D. Medical Editor, Mayo Clinic Health Letter | | |
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| Mayo Clinic Book of Home Remedies What do you do when fighting the flu, a fever, headaches or allergies? What about burns, blisters or bruises? We've got you covered with this comprehensive guide. This guide offers simple steps to treat or relieve symptoms of more than 100 common health problems right from home. |
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