Treatment and prevention of blisters
Every runner has suffered from it, blisters. Blisters are often painful and can ensure that running does not go well anymore. It is therefore important to prevent them, but if they are there then the correct treatment of the blister is essential.
How do you get blisters?
Blisters arise as a result of a lot of friction between the foot and the sock or shoe. The friction on the skin creates a protective mechanism and creates a bag filled with fluids at the place of friction. This is intended to protect the skin in that spot against damage.
How to prevent blisters?
If your shoes are too big, too small, too narrow or too wide, this can cause problems. To prevent blisters, it is therefore important to wear the right shoes.
Wearing good sports socks also helps. Do not use cotton socks. Because these socks absorb a lot of sweat, the chance of a blister is than greater. Take a look at www.run2day.nl for a few good running socks or visit one of the shops for advice.
Do not forget the hygiene! Make sure you keep your feet and socks clean and keep your toenails cut short.
Still blisters? this is how to treat them?
A blister can be very painful. People therefore stop running, so that the blister can recover. What should you do with blisters?
- Sufficient recovery is important!
Do not continue running immediately, but adjust your schedule so that the skin can recover properly. Often one or two days of rest is enough.
- Ensure reduction of friction.
Can not you wait to train? Make sure that you protect the blister sufficiently by using special blister patches.
- Use vaseline
Are your blisters in the arch of your foot or on the tip of your toes? Lubricate the blister and the surrounding skin with vaseline, this will reduce the friction and the chance of new blisters!
Do not pop it!
An open blister has a great chance of infection. This can make your recovery time longer and possibly you will not be able to run for a longer period of time.
In general, it is advisable not to pop the blister! This is because the fluids in the blister contains nutrients that promote recovery. The fluids in the blister is also a protection against infections. So the first choice is always: do not pop!
However, many runners often can not wait to run again or the blister is so big that it really gets in the way. If you start running again it will probably pop by itself. Then popping it yourself is perhaps the best option.
How to pop a blister?
- Clean the foot well;
- Use a sterile needle;
- Do not remove the loose skin;
- Clean the skin with disinfectant before and afterwards.
After popping it is good to check daily for signs of infection. Redness, swelling, warmth of the blister, pus from the wound. If so, go to your doctor to have it checked.
Find the cause
Think about how the blister got there in the first place. Have you used other shoes or socks than normal? Have you walked on other surfaces or more in the hills? Try to remove the cause so that you do not get blistered again!