Diagnosis
The diagnosis results from the patient survey and the typical appearance. The best therapy is prophylaxis. This includes the wearing of working or sports gloves.
Jewellery, e.g. rings, should generally be taken off during sports. Suitable, comfortable footwear including stockings made of skin-friendly and breathable material, which should not be too tight and leave enough room for the toes. The feet should be kept dry.
If you have a strong tendency to perspire, it is recommended to use powder or creams. Likewise, to prevent blisters, calluses and corns, deer sebum can be applied to the skin. Deer sebum makes the skin more elastic and thus more resistant.
Calluses or corns should be softened, preferably with special tinctures or ointments (salicylic acid, e.g. Verrucid®, Verrumal®), and removed with a pumice stone. Patients with diabetes mellitus or circulatory disorders of the legs should not treat themselves. These patients must consult a doctor or a podiatrist (medical chiropodist) if they develop blisters, calluses or corns.
All others suffering from blisters, calluses and corns should consult a doctor if they have inflammation or open sores with discharge of yellowish, purulent secretions and severe pain. Even if no improvement is seen after one week due to self-treatment and in the case of corns larger than 5mm, the doctor should be consulted. Blisters are a reaction of the body to an unusual pressure or friction on the skin.
Blisters are painful and can restrict movement. They often occur when wearing new shoes or during unusually long walks. Warm and humid climates favour the development of blisters.
In addition, blisters also often develop after heat, for example in sunburn or burns. Here the injury often extends beyond the superficial skin level and one should in any case refrain from piercing or opening the blisters due to the risk of infection! Germs can very easily penetrate the open wound and become infected.
Smaller blisters should not be punctured either, because the intact skin (the roof of the blister) protects the sensitive area underneath from infection. It can be additionally covered with blister plasters. Already opened blisters can be treated with a disinfectant ointment.
Then it is essential to avoid further pressure. Pharmacies sell specially padded plasters (e.g. Guttaplast ® or Compeed ®). With these plasters it is sometimes possible to continue the sport with an existing bladder.
These plasters are also very suitable as prophylaxis for known endangered areas. Large superficial blisters that are tight can also be punctured. Some precautions must be taken to prevent the sensitive area from becoming infected.
Only use clean, previously disinfected thin needles to pierce the blister. There are various techniques. Particularly large blisters can be relieved through two holes at each pole.
The liquid should now drain away. After drying, the affected area must be covered with a plaster. The skin above the blister should not be removed as protection against infection.
The patch can be removed overnight to speed up the healing process. Of course, friction and pressure should still be avoided. In general, blisters do not necessarily need to be treated by a doctor. However, the discharge of yellowish fluid and very slow healing are warning signs and should be clarified. Especially diabetics should show smaller injuries on the feet to the treating doctor: Due to poorer wound healing they are dependent on thorough foot care.
