What Should People Do If They Have Blisters?

Those with diabetes can sometimes develop blisters on their skin, also known as diabetic bullae or bullous diabeticorum. Even though the blisters are not a pleasant sight, they are usually painless and will heal naturally, without leaving scars. Still, when it comes to the condition, it’s always better to treat wounds with quick and proper care. This is because ordinary foot sores or blisters in a person with the condition can sometimes turn into an ulcer which if not properly treated can lead to amputation. These blisters are a rare symptom of type 1, but sometimes they can even appear in those with type 2. According to the International Journal of Diabetes in Developing Countries, they appear only in 0.5% of U.S. patients. Also, men are more prone to this skin disorder than women.

Characteristics of the Blisters

The most common places where blisters due to the condition appear are feet, legs, and toes, but rarely can they show up on arms, hands, and fingers. Blisters usually look like those when we get a burn, except that they are painless. They can reach up to 6 inches, usually in clusters. They are itchy, and the skin around them is swollen or red. These blisters are filled with clear, sterile fluid and rarely appear as a single lesion.

Cause for the Blisters

Even though the exact reason for the development of these blisters is not known, a lot of scientists believe it’s the reduced ability of an organism to sustain an injury. Moreover, these people usually suffer from nephropathy and diabetic neuropathy. In some cases, the swelling caused by heart failure in those with the condition might be reason enough to cause their appearance. Also, patients who’ve experienced several complications from their condition over the course of several years might experience blisters. Another common cause of blisters is the fungal infection of candida Albicans and wearing tight shoes.

How to Prevent the Blisters

To avoid blisters, we should take proper care of our feet.

• We should examine our feet carefully every day, including our toes and the area in between. We can ask someone to do this for us in case we’re not able to check our entire feet ourselves.
• When seeing a new bruise, cut, blister, bleeding, or redness on our feet and don’t know what to do, it’s best to visit our podiatrist or doctor.
• A health professional should examine foot issues like verrucas, corns, and calluses, and not us. Also, we should not use acid plasters or chemicals to remove them.
• We should apply moisturizing cream or oil on our feet to prevent dry skin and cracking. But, we shouldn’t use it between the toes as too much moisture here can cause infection.
• The athlete’s foot causes cracks and flaky skin between the toes, leading to infection and soreness. So, if we have this skin condition, we should treat it with anti-fungal cream.

How to Treat the Blisters

Blisters usually heal on their own within 2-4 weeks if we keep the area clean. But we should also know some other things to take care of them properly so that they can heal faster and prevent infection.

• First, we should visit a dermatologist to prevent infection and ulceration from developing. Also, the skin specialist can rule out other more serious skin disorders.
• We should not puncture the blisters ourselves to prevent infection. Instead, a doctor can decide to puncture it if he needs to drain the sterile fluid in case of large
• We can use an antibiotic ointment or cream and bandage to treat our blisters and protect them from further injuries. If the itching is severe, our doctor might prescribe us a steroidal cream.
• The best way to prevent and accelerate their healing is to keep our blood sugar levels under control.

Therefore, those with the condition, regardless of type 1 or type 2, should take good care of their feet as a preventive measure when it comes to the blisters due to the condition. Source Health Line | Diabetes Daily