Developing a foot blister is a very common and painful problem for all athletes. Several factors can cause athlete’s foot blisters with a combination of poorly fitted shoes and repetitive movement being the most frequent causes. It has been said that foot blisters can literally stop an army in their tracks. Read on for some tips on how to treat a foot blister and more importantly, how to prevent them in the first place.
What is a Foot Blister
The blister is actually the body’s effort to protect itself. A spot on your foot that is being rubbed by an unusual amount of friction is called a hot spot. These hot spots are an indicator that the sub-layers of your skin are rubbing together and that you are damaging them.
If you do not respond to the hot spot by ceasing the activity or at least doing something to relieve the friction, your body will respond by sending a rush of fluid to build a pad over the point of friction. That is how the blister is created. The pain does not come from the blister itself, it actually comes from the raw damaged tissue that is underneath.
Should a Foot Blister be Popped
The best foot blister care is to actually leave it alone. Your body created it for a reason and it is best to let it do its work. If you can cover it with a bandage, then you will help protect the area further. This may also keep the blister from breaking. If you keep it covered and don’t break it, you will find that in a few days the body has reabsorbed the fluid underneath it and that the pocket that it created will just grow out painlessly. If the blister breaks or if you have already drained it yourself, then cover the area liberally with antibiotic cream and cover it with a bandage to prevent infection.
Foot Blister Prevention
Avoiding blisters on feet all together is the best medicine, as they can be quite painful.
Always make sure that you break in a pair of running shoes slowly and never head out to run a marathon in a brand-new pair. You need to soften the friction points within the shoe, as well as allow your foot the opportunity to callous over in the appropriate places.
Make sure you wear a pair of socks that fits well. They tend to hold moisture when they get all bunched up in the toe box of the shoe. It is best to invest in a pair of moisture wicking socks for your athletic activities. These help draw moisture away from the foot and will go a long way in helping to prevent foot sores.
Many athletes also use a product like Body Glide to help reduce friction. You apply these products on places that you suspect may become hot spots before you begin athletic activity, and they work very well.
As with any other injury, prevention of a foot blister is always the best form of treatment.