Pads, Patches and Dressings

Do you have shoes you don’t wear because of a fear of chafing? Do bothersome issues with your feet stop you from enjoying everyday life?

There is no particular age for feet chafing. We all suffer from this pain, which many times produces calluses or hard skin. Unfortunately, these problems prevent us from enjoying everyday life in optimal conditions.

If the skin is exposed to friction and constant pressure, many times caused by shoes that are too tight, an outer layer ends up forming which can sometimes lead to very painful and bothersome corns.

Our pads, patches and bandages offer a number of benefits against all of these problems: they soften blows and chafing, offer protection, rest and comfort, prevent the formation of calluses and alleviate pain and pressure.

On the other hand, we also offer hydrocolloid dressings – moist bandages comprised of particles that swell and convert to a gel that absorbs and retains bacteria and toxins.

These highly-demanded bandages foster cellular regeneration and speed up the wound healing process in addition to alleviating pain.

 

What’s a blister on the foot?

Foot blisters are a very annoying and painful problem. They come in the form of a small bag containing fluid. This fluid is called plasma or serum and is usually light-colored. However, the ampoule can fill with blood, the liquid being red. The ampoules can also warn us of an infection when the serum is greenish and yellowish: the ampoule contains pus.

 

Blisters are more common on the hands and feet, and can affect both phalanges at the same time. They occur in all type of people and at any age. Although they are very annoying, these rashes appear when the body detects a skin problem. It is a defense and protection mechanism that our organism uses to keep us protected. These vesicles are normally more than 5 millimeters in size and the damaged skin remains in the outermost layer. The blood system then carries the necessary nutrients to the affected area to create a new healthy layer. If we have healed properly, the ampoule will finally disappear and we will obtain freshly regenerated and healthy skin.

There are several ways to call blisters. A “vesicle” is usually used for smaller blisters and a “bulla” for larger ones.

 

How to cure a burst blister: is it good to explode blisters?

Since the rubbing of shoes or other clothing in the ampoule is so annoying, the first thing that comes through our heads is to explode the ampoule and let all that liquid out. However, as noted above, this liquid helps to create a new healthy layer on our skin and protects us from infection in the process. Although it depends on the size and location of the ampoule, it is generally advisable not to exploit them.

Special caution must be taken if we suffer from heart problems or diabetes, as this population group is more likely to suffer an added complication if we present a burst blister.

On the other hand, it is true that blisters tend to explode very easily (even more so when they appear on the hands or feet), so it is advisable to keep them always clean and covered by bands to prevent the blister exploding by itself.

There are situations in which it is best to release the liquid: usually when the blisters are large on the sole of the foot. In this case, we will use a needle previously sterilized with alcohol. We will gently prick the wound and remove the serum, never the covering. Next we expose the steps to follow to cure a burst ampoule:

1. Wash the area with soap and water
2. Disinfects the wound with chlorhexidine (preferable to hydrogen peroxide, Betadine or alcohol)
3. Prick the ampoule with a sterilized needle and empty the liquid using gauze.
4. Repeat the second step and disinfect the area again.
5. Apply a hydrocolloid dressing to moisturize the ampoule