Burn Blister???

INDYFIGHTER

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My friend burnt her heel on the exhaust pipe of her friends bike. She has a nice round blister on her heel. I always take a sterile needle and let the fluid out and then use neosporin on it. Is it good to do that? Or do you just let it break on it's own?
 

bydand

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I always do the same as you do, but the wife (an ER nurse) gives me grief about it.
 

Aikironin

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using a needle generally not a good idea, as the draining fluid will tend to clog the same hole that it is draining from. Some people advocate taking a sterile knife and making a small slice along the side of the blister enabling larger drain so to speak. And still some say just cover it up and let it take care of itself. When I was road marching a lot in the military I used to blister like you wouldn't even believe, so I always sliced, drained and bandaged.
 
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INDYFIGHTER

INDYFIGHTER

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using a needle generally not a good idea, as the draining fluid will tend to clog the same hole that it is draining from. Some people advocate taking a sterile knife and making a small slice along the side of the blister enabling larger drain so to speak. And still some say just cover it up and let it take care of itself. When I was road marching a lot in the military I used to blister like you wouldn't even believe, so I always sliced, drained and bandaged.

I've always drained them just so I can get my shoes back on but she wears sandles (which led to the blister) so if it's better to let it run it's coarse then I'll just tell her to leave it be.
 

Lisa

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So she says to let it pop on it's own?

Sometimes the body will reabsorb the fluid back in. Popping it runs you a great risk of infection, neosporin or not, you are making an opening into the undersurface of the skin to a compromised area.
 

Carol

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I'm not a nurse, but I've burned myself more than I care to mention (unfortunate side effect of electrical engineering work).

In my experience, the blisters that I've had have healed quickest by bandaging them up and trying to keep the blisters from popping.
 

bydand

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So she says to let it pop on it's own?

:idunno: As bad as it is to say, I couldn't tell you what she says to do with a blister. Never really paid attention to the advice, if she reads this I am dead meat you know.
 

Ceicei

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:idunno: As bad as it is to say, I couldn't tell you what she says to do with a blister. Never really paid attention to the advice, if she reads this I am dead meat you know.

You brought this up, so spit it out! What did she say....

- Ceicei
 

bydand

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I know, there is a special place for me in hell for tuning out the wife. Let me just shovel on another scoop or two of coal, for these posts.
 

Lisa

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:idunno: As bad as it is to say, I couldn't tell you what she says to do with a blister. Never really paid attention to the advice, if she reads this I am dead meat you know.

to stop me from phoning your wife, you can send a certified cheque or money order to:.....:D
 

terryl965

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to stop me from phoning your wife, you can send a certified cheque or money order to:.....:D


what Lisa said....
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shesulsa

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Friction blisters and burn blisters are different and can affect different layers of the skin depending upon the severity of either.

I would recommend not popping a blister unless it were full of pus and even then, having it lanced professionally under sterile conditions.

Burns from fire which blistered on me and that I popped wound up stinging even more - it actually felt like the burn was reactivated; same with chemical burns. I don't know if it's necessarily any better or worse, but the chance for infection is clearly higher if the blister is popped.

And :p to you for not listening to your wife.
 
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INDYFIGHTER

INDYFIGHTER

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Well, she left it alone and in a few days the fluid drained without having to pop it. Now it just itches and looks bad but I think it would of hurt alot more had she drained it herself. Just wanted to say thanks for the replies!
 
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