PODIATRIST DISCUSSES BLISTER CARE

What should you do when you get a blister? It’s the fluid trapped within the blister exerting pressure on your skin that leads to the pain you feel, podiatrist Robert Eckles, DPM, MPH, an associate professor in the department of orthopedics at the New York College of Podiatric Medicine, tells SELF. This leads to one of the biggest questions with blisters: to pop or not to pop?

 

Dr. Robert Eckles

 

Unfortunately, there’s no clear-cut answer, says Dr. Eckles—there are experts on both sides of the issue. In fact, while the American Academy of Dermatology recommends against popping a blister in most cases to avoid infection, it does also recognize that if the blister is large and very painful, it may be necessary to drain it. If you have diabetes or poor circulation, you should always check with a doctor before self-treating any blister, as it may rapidly progress to infection and ulceration, says Dr. Eckles.

 

Source: Emily Shiffer, SELF [1/24/20]

Courtesy of Barry Block, editor of PM News.