Biking with a blister?

[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.

[VeloVT]

Ok, , I'm outnumbered by people who know more than I do!!!

But I do want to know: ladies (RNs), what should you do about a painful blister if taking time off is not an option? For running especially, an intact blister can make it pretty difficult to train. What's the best thing to do if it's very uncomfortable but you don't want to wait for it to go away on its own? Also, why is alcohol a bad disinfectant and what would be better?

Thanks!!!

Sorry if my last post sounded arrogant.

[Dianyla]

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional but I have had a lot of field experience with bad blisters.

What's the best thing to do if it's very uncomfortable but you don't want to wait for it to go away on its own?

Well, one thing you can do is just grin and bear it. Start slowly and go gradually, but eventually you will be able to adjust to the pain. Be aware that continuing to use the area with the blister may make the blister worse and it will certainly slow healing. The most important thing if you must walk/run with the blister in place is to avoid limping or altering your stride in any way to accommodate the blister - that will just cause you muscle and joint overuse problems because of poor stride and bad alignment.

Also, why is alcohol a bad disinfectant and what would be better?

Alcohol is very volatile and once it dries/evaporates you no longer have any antiseptic protection. Betadine (povidone iodide) continues to provide some protection even after it dries. If you choose to lance and drain a superficial blister, at least coat the entire area with betadine, moisten the needle with betadine, and keep it well covered. For infected blisters where you have opaque pus instead of clear lymph fluid, you can make two holes in the blister, one on each side. Inject betadine through one hole using a simple syringe, and let it rinse/wash through the exit hole. You can do this several times a day and keep the skin flap intact while the blister heals. As long as you can keep infection at bay, it's preferable to keep the outer skin intact if you must continue to use your feet.

Superficial blisters have a thin translucent layer of skin outside and you can clearly see the fluid squishing around inside. Deep blisters may not alter the appearance of the skin, or you will see a thick white layer of skin over the blister. You are better off just leaving deep blisters the hell alone until it heals. Perhaps consider some sort of cross training like swimming in the meantime?

My 'personal worst' blister was on the bottom of my pinkie toe. I attempted to lance and drain it daily for several weeks, using only alcohol and triple-antibiotic ointment on it. After the first few days, nothing more would drain out but the infection went deeper under thicker layers of skin. After 3 weeks of excruciating pain my entire toe was turning green and I was able to get to a health clinic to get antibiotics. I'm very lucky to still have all of my toes. Do not underestimate blisters! If anyone is interested, I have a photo gallery of scary pilgrim blisters that I experienced or witnessed personally. Note: this link is not for the squeamish!