Blisters

Category: Team Trainer

NOTE: This is provided for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

Blisters are common for soccer players, especially on the feet. You’ll just have to accept the fact that you’ll get one sooner or later! There are things you can do to help avoid them or decrease the pain and potential for infection if you already have one.

Blisters typically develop due to friction on the skin. Over time, continued friction can cause the top layer of skin to separate from the second layer of skin.

Redness and warmth on the skin is a sure sign that a blister is about to develop. Fluid will then fill the space between the top two layers of skin. This is to provide protection from continued rubbing. At this point, you will see a blister. They look like a little bubble on the skin.

The most common place to get blisters is on the heels and soles of the feet. This is because they rub up against your footwear. Of course, your feet are probably sweating from a long hard game. So between the friction and moisture, you have the ingredients to make a blister.

So how can you prevent blisters? Well, you’ll have to minimize the friction on the skin. Make sure you buy footwear that fits appropriately! There are also socks you can buy that help reduce friction and moisture. Another method that’s used, especially with runners, is to tape the areas that are prone to blisters to help prevent them from developing.

How should you treat a blister if you already have one? You need to keep the blister from getting bigger or getting infected. Pus draining from the blister is a sure sign of infection. Small unbroken blisters that aren’t really painful can be left alone. They will heal on their own.

But with large, painful blisters you can drain them, as long as you keep the top layer of skin intact and covering the blister. Basically, don’t rip off the top layer of skin from the blister! Just poke a hole in the side of the blister, using a sterile needle of course, and apply a small amount of pressure. Finally, place some antibiotic creme and cover it with a band-aid.