How to take care of a Blood Blister on your body: removal, treatments.

The origins of first aid are difficult to describe clearly, but historians believe it has been part of human culture since pre-historic times. Before we had modern science, villages or tribes had shamans. They taught their people how to respond to injuries and illness. While most always an online article will tell you to speak with your doctor about anything concerning you (and this one suggests that too), there are some ailments we are capable of handling ourselves.

Enter, the blood blister. It is kinda gross, totally annoying, but harmless in the grand scope of life. First aid is often sufficient in treating these spots.

What Causes Blood Blisters on Your Feet

The feet take the brunt of recurrent blisters. They support our entire body weight as we navigate the world. Show your tootsies some love by practicing preventative care.

Thwarting blisters start with proper footwear and basic habits. Professionals recommend:

Ergonomic fit. Don’t let ego convince you to buy the wrong size. Sizes will vary from brand to brand and nobody is going to know what you bought. The style matters too. Save the heels for special occasions and always splurge to find well-suited exercise shoes.
Break in newer shoes. Spanking new kicks need an adjustment period to your unique foot. If you have bunions or other abnormalities, take them to a cobbler to stretch them manually.
Use an antiperspirant. Moisture is a big culprit behind blisters. Cut off sweaty feet by using a spray or roll-on antiperspirant.
Utilize an anti-chafing product. Gels, creams, sticks, and ointments have been developed to minimize rubbing on troublesome parts of the body like feet, inner thighs, and under the boobs. These lubricate the area to reduce friction without adding moisture.

The Source of Blood Blisters on Your Hands

After the feet, the hands are the next most common place to get blisters. Quotidian sources for blood blisters on your hands include:

Manual labor
Ill fitting gloves
Weight lifting
Allergic reaction
Disease

Our hands are our first line of defense against all triggers. Injuries and blisters pop up here because we experience everything through our hands.

Diseases with Blisters as a Symptom

We have covered how to minimize blisters caused by friction, but it’s not just rubbing at fault. Blisters can also be a symptom of autoimmune disorders like:

Bullous pemphigoid. An autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks the skin causing large, itchy blisters.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis. Gluten intolerant people will sometimes develop blisters as a symptom of Celiacs.
Pemphigus vulgaris. This strain targets the proteins. Sufferers experience blisters and peeling skin.

How to Take Care of a Blood Blister Yourself

The hardest thing to do sometimes is nothing. That is doctors’ advice when it comes to healing a blood blister. Try this instead:

Resist the urge to pop it. If left alone, the body will regenerate cells underneath the blister and absorb the fluid. The top layer of skin protects against germs.

Wash regularly with gentle soap and water

Avoid additional friction. Swap shoes, stay off your feet, skip the gym for a few days. Whatever you need to do to rest the affected area.

How to Treat Blood Blisters with Medical Intervention

Friction-based blisters do not require medical attention unless they become problematic. How to treat blisters encouraged by disease or allergies is different. A doctor may prescribe an antibiotic or a steroid to reduce inflammation and stop the blisters.

Going gluten-free will help the percentage that suffer from Celiacs or intolerance. Visit a nutritionist to develop a plan of attack to change your diet.

Removal Options Available for Blood Blisters

Expert advice is to let the body run its course, but if you must you can pop a blister. Removal options should only be embraced if the blisters fullness is causing discomfort or there’s a sizeable risk that everyday activities will cause the blister to burst.

A safer method is to perform basic first aid.

Wash the area.
Sterilize a small needle or scalpel.
Create a tiny incision in the blister.
Let the fluid drain slowly. Fight the desire to squeeze the bump, you could cause further damage to the compromised skin cells and delay healing time.
Leave the skin intact and wash again.
Secure with a clean, soft bandage.

How to Remove without Surgery

Surgical interventions are overkill for blisters. There isn’t a foreign object to remove and risks associated with going under the knife fair outweigh the potential benefits of removing the blisters.

How to remove naturally is with rest, relaxation, and patience. Trust that your body knows best and enjoy the forced downtime. Spend it doing restful hobbies like catching up on Netflix, coloring, reading, or musical pursuits. You may find the blister was a blessing in disguise for your mental health.