Biking with a blister?

[mimitabby]

go to any drugstore and ask for moleskin. you cut a piece out as big as you need to cover the sore spot/blister and put it on.

[RolliePollie]

Ouch! That sounds really painful!

How about soaking your foot in cool water and then trying the moleskin suggested by mimi and giving it a day to heal up. My experience with blisters, although I've never had one where yours is, is that they go away pretty quickly if you can leave them alone. Of course, I usually mess with them until they pop If it does pop, I'd do some major antibacterial cleansing and Neosporin ointment. You may be amazed at how much better it is by morning. I'll send your blister positive healing vibes.

[VeloVT]

Having done two seasons of marathon training (nope -- haven't run in a marathon yet -- two long stories...), I've had my share of blisters, including blisters on the balls of my feet. Once they've gotten to the point yours is at, they'll heal fastest if you drain them. Use a needle sterilized in lots of alcohol, and bathe the blister liberally in alcohol after draining it (you may need to use the needle in more than one place), and don't peel away the skin. If you're going to be at home/barefoot or wearing sandals, use antibiotic ointment and a bandaid. If you're going for or a run or ride and wearing socks, there's no way a bandaid will stay there, so just try to keep the blister clean, and clean/cover it afterwards.

It's definitely possible to run or otherwise be active with a blister on the bottom of your foot if you drain it as necessary.

Moleskin isn't really useful before a blister has popped -- you cut it in a donut shape to go around the blister, and what it does is create a raised area around the blister so fabric/shoes/bandaids etc theoretically don't touch the blister -- a new blister will be higher than the moleskin, so it doesn't do anything. Generally I find moleskin to be more trouble than it's worth -- the friction/pounding of running and possibly riding still means that fabric/bandaid/etc will be pushed past the moleskin into the blister, especially if it's on the bottom of your foot. But every person is an experiment of one, so...

[sundial]

Have you tried Blister Block by Band-Aid? These band-aids take a lot of abuse and are water resistent and flexible. Be sure and clean the area first before applying and I have found that if I use rubbing alcohol on the skin around the blister to remove all the oil, the band-aid will adhere better and last almost a week.

[amymisk]

As an RN and spending lots of time researching wounds, I would never reccomend draining a blister.

First, a blister is a pressure sore. When it is intact, it maintains some protective elements for the underlying involved tissue.

Keep friction at a minimum on the affected area. If it is intact still, you can cover it with a clear tranparent dressing like tegaderm. This dressing will minimize friction and sheer allowing the area to slide decreasing the likelyhood of reinjury.

Stop wearing the offending flip flops.

Take a couple of days off riding, a few days will not affect your fitness level. Blisters will generally reabsorb in a few days.

Good luck!

[VeloVT]

While I absolutely respect Amyminsk's position as an RN, as an athlete, I think sometimes you have to drain a blister. If you have no reason compelling you to keep training, sure, take a few days off until the blister goes down. But having been in situations before where a blister really isn't a good enough reason to take a few days off, if that is the case, you really have to drain them -- if you don't, it will pop anyway while you're running (or riding, or whatever) and you'll end up having to endure a lot more discomfort or pain until that happens, and when it happens. So draining it certainly makes it more comfortable, and in my experience doesn't have a negative impact on healing time.

[La Victoria]

I, too, am an RN and I agree with my colleague above. I would not drain a blister, especially a deep one. Blisters are the body's response to friction and trauma and intact skin is always your best defense against infection. Leave it alone and get rid of the flip flops and you'll be fine. If you find you're having a problem with it then go see a physician.

Oh, and as any OR nurse will tell you, you'll never sterilize anything with alcohol.