Those that are infected can take longer — like weeks or even months — but popping is likely to prolong the misery even more. Speaking of friction blisters, how can you tell whether you have one of those or something a little more serious? These are soft pockets filled with clear fluid that form when the top layer of skin gets irritated and damaged, like when you wear ill-fitting shoes for too long.
After a few days, the fluid drains on its own and the blistered skin peels away. These are friction blisters taken to the next level. Blood blisters are usually more painful too.
Minor burns, including sunburns, can cause blisters. These blisters are filled with fluid and usually accompanied by red, painful skin. Like friction blisters, blisters caused by minor burns will heal on their own if you let them.
Contact dermatitis — a reaction that happens when your skin comes in contact with an allergen or irritant — can cause allergy blisters.
These blisters are a little different from the rest. Caused by bacteria or viruses, they can vary in size and shape and might be crusty or pus-filled. Cold sores, which can form around your mouth, are sometimes called fever blisters. Popping infected blisters will probably make the problem worse. For instance, you might end up spreading the germs from the blister to the surrounding skin. Wash your hands and the blister.
Plain old soap and water is fine — just be sure to wash well. Rub the blister with iodine. This will help get the area even cleaner to reduce the risk of infection. FYI, never rub iodine on an open or popped blister. It should be used only on blisters that are fully closed. Sterilize your popping tool.
A sharp needle — like a sewing needle or the needle end of a safety pin — is your best bet. Give the needle a good wipe with rubbing alcohol. Puncture the blister and let it drain. Make a bunch of small pops around the edge of the blister and let the fluid flow out, gently pressing on the area. My whole shins are giant clear blisters or hundreds of tiny blisters. I tried putting aloe gel on it. What should I do? Blisters like the ones you have are a sign that a sunburn is serious.
The blisters don't always show up right away. They may develop hours after a sunburn or take longer to appear. If you have a fever, chills, nausea, or vomiting, severe blistering or pain, call your doctor's office or a health clinic.
Sunburns get better on their own, but they still affect your health. Each time you get a blistering sunburn, it damages skin cells and increases your chance of developing skin cancer.
That's especially true if you get sunburns as a kid or teen. So promise yourself you'll be sun smart from now on. And, if your sunburn is serious, see a doctor or nurse. Reapply it often if you're on the beach, at the pool, or anywhere you might swim or sweat it off. Dyshidrotic eczema is a common form of eczema that can cause itchy, dry skin and small, deep-seated blisters on the hands or feet. These blisters are usually itchy and painful. Eczema is a long-term condition for which there is no cure, and the symptoms tend to come and go over time.
Blisters can appear during a flare-up of symptoms, which stress or a rise in temperature can trigger. These small blisters usually clear up in 2—3 weeks.
They may burst on their own, but people should avoid popping them. Certain viral infections can cause blisters. These include infections with the varicella-zoster virus, which causes chickenpox and shingles , and the herpes simplex virus, which causes cold sores or fever blisters. Doctors will typically advise people to avoid scratching or breaking open chickenpox or shingles blisters as doing this can leave a scar. Instead, a person can try applying calamine lotion to the skin or adding baking soda or colloidal oatmeal to a cool bath to help reduce the itching.
Cold sores usually appear close to the mouth, often on or next to the lips. They may be in the form of a single blister or a cluster of blisters. Cold sore blisters will usually go away by themselves in a week or two.
It is important to avoid popping, scratching, or touching these blisters as this can spread the virus to other areas of skin, causing further outbreaks. According to the AAD , a person can follow these steps to drain a blister properly:. Using rubbing alcohol to sterilize the needle does not always prevent infection. People who are prone to getting infections may wish to ask a doctor to drain the blister for them in a more sterile environment.
If a person suspects that a blister has become infected, they should speak to a doctor. Prescription antibiotic tablets or a topical ointment or cream can help. Learn how to recognize and treat an infected blister here. People can usually treat mild friction or burn blisters at home by covering the blister with a loose bandage and raising the middle of the dressing slightly to allow the blister to move.
If the blister is in an area where things might rub on or break it, it is best to apply padding around the blister. A person can cut the padding into a circular shape with a hole in the middle, place this around the blister, and then cover it with a bandage. If a blister pops, a person can rub petroleum jelly around the area and cover the skin with a bandage until it heals.
The most important thing is to keep the area clean and dry. The person should change the dressing on burn or friction blisters frequently. If they can avoid popping the blister, that will also speed up the healing by helping prevent infection.
Blister pads, also called artificial blisters, can speed up healing by providing protective cushioning around the blister. These are available at drugstores and online. Non-aspirin medications, such as acetaminophen Tylenol , can help ease the symptoms of chickenpox in children. Antiviral ointments that speed up the healing of cold sores are available in most drugstores. Anyone who thinks that they may have shingles should speak to a doctor.
Antiviral medications can only reduce the length of the illness if the person takes them within 3 days of the rash appearing.
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