Should you pop a blister?

Question

When I'm home running or on a day hike, I prefer to pierce the skin as soon as a blister forms and drain all fluid from a blister to reduce the pain and further irritation/inflammation. In this case, I know I can get antibacterials and a thorough wash to ward off infection as well as stronger measures if the blister does become infected.

Of course hiking with a tube of neosporin and some tape, moleskin, whatever you prefer is ideal, but I'm wondering what people feel is best for blister care when you are going to keep walking for a few days or more when you discover a nice blister has already formed.

Are you a "pop it now" person, or a strict "let it pop itself" person?

Does not having anti-bacterial cream change your stance?

Answer 1

I will share what they told me when I was on a one month group-organised trek through the Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria. This is what the leader / group medic did.

If you are going to end the trek soon, don't bother the blister. However, if you know that you will need to abuse that part of the body over the next days, and you know the blister is going to pop, do the following, to avoid popping the blister.

Get a clean sewing needle and several centimeters of sewing thread. Pierce the blister, put away the needle, but leave the thread in. This way you can squeeze out the liquid from inside, and the thread keeps the wholes from healing and more liquid from accumulating. The idea is to have no liquid in the blister. Why - because this way it can't pop.

I haven't tried this.

Answer 2

If you are running long distances over multiple days with boots, packs etc., and you must complete the distance you should plan to pop a blister at the end of day, but then you need to be sure you add some sort of padding to replace the protection the blister is giving you. You also need it cleaned and sealed, so antibacterial cleaner, then compeed, fakeskin or similar.

For shorter distances, like the day hike you mention, just leave it - plan to wear more padding around it for a few days and it will go down nicely.

One exception - if you get a big blister under a toenail, get rid of it as quickly as you can or you may end up with the nail bed permanently damaged. This happened to me after one marathon and I ended up needing a lot of surgery and cauterisation to remove a nail bed that had become canted up at a 30 degree angle. Not fun!

Answer 3

My mother, who is a doctor, has always told me to let blisters be. Keeping them unpopped keeps them clean and sterile, and (if I recall correctly) the fluid in them actually helps them heal faster. If you're in the wilderness, you really don't want to pop them and risk infection. Even if you have antibacterials, a popped blister is likely to contact dirt and pathogens through use, you can't be putting antibacterial on it all the time.

And I never really thought a popped blister felt any better anyway.

Answer 4

I wouldn't burst it, especially if I was going to be hiking for a few more days - if it does end up getting infected then this could end up making things a lot worse - and it's more likely to happen in the wild!

Instead, I'd advise reducing the irritation as much as possible by wearing multiple / thicker socks, and use blister plasters if you have them. If it's really unbearable then look at shortening your hike if possible, there's no point continuing if it's going to make things worse and just put you in more discomfort.