Do’s and Don’ts for Preventing Blisters

At Pasco-Hernando Foot & Ankle, we encourage our Nature Coast patients to walk for fitness and exercise. Nothing can put the brakes on walking, however, faster than a painful blister. Blisters form when an upper layer of skin experiences friction or pressure from rubbing against a deeper layer of skin. The bubble filled with fluid that forms on the surface is a way of protecting the injured area. Causes of blisters range from poorly fitting shoes to sweaty feet. Fortunately, there are ways to head off blisters before they form. Follow the do’s and don’ts below to protect your feet from these small, but painful nuisances.

Do: Wear the right size shoes. By some estimates, 9 out of 10 people are wearing shoes that are too small for their feet. The best way to avoid this is to get your foot professionally measured.

Don’t: Keep walking if your feet feel moist. Sweat increases friction and the likelihood of a blister developing. Change your socks as soon as you notice they feel damp. This will also lower your risk for athlete’s foot.

Don’t: Wear all-cotton socks. These absorb sweat, but stay damp and keep that moisture up against your skin. Look for blends of nylon, Teflon, merino wool, and other materials that wick the sweat off your skin and through the socks.

Do: walk around your house in a new pair of shoes for several hours before wearing them out of the house.

Do: choose orthotic material carefully. Plastic orthotics tend to slide around more than inserts made of gel or foam. If our podiatrist, Dr. Lawrence J. Kales, has prescribed a custom orthotic, alert him if you have had blister issues in the past and get recommendations on how to best use your orthotic without this consequence.

Do: carry a small piece of moleskin with you so that you can apply it to any spot on your foot that feels like it is starting to hurt and form a blister.

Don’t: pop blisters. This opens the doorway for bacteria and infection. If a blister has a foul smell or has pus, or other non-clear fluid coming out of it, contact our Spring Hill (352 683-5799) or Hudson (727-868-2128) office as soon as possible to get it examined and treated.