As the largest organ in the body, your skin serves numerous purposes – from regulation of your body's temperature to shielding your internal organs. It consists of three layers: epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous layer. However, trauma to the outermost skin layer can cause various injuries, including blisters.
Blisters form to protect the deeper tissues from further damage by covering them with fluid which can either be clear (bodily serum), red (blood), or green (pus-filled infection). This article provides better knowledge on blisters and how to take care of them. Visit AFC Urgent Care Edgewater for blister treatment.
How Do Blisters Form?
Blisters are bubbly, small pockets of fluid-filled covering that form on the outer skin layer. It is a sign of skin damage and can appear anywhere on the body, however, it is often prevalent in the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Like many injuries, blisters are caused by forceful friction on the skin, causing it to tear apart. Blisters form due to the following:
Sharp Objects: When a sharp object pinches the skin's external layer, breaking the skin layer and vessels, blood pools on the surface of the damaged tissue, forming blood blisters.
Friction: Friction to the skin due to poor-fitting shoes, holding objects for a while, or scraping the skin are all common causes of blisters. Friction blisters often cause clear blisters, in which clear serum forms on the surface of the damaged tissue.
Heat, Ice, or Chemical Burns: Exposure to very hot or cold objects can cause clear blisters to appear on the skin. Holding hot pans without covering can scald the skin surface and touching cold objects can cause frostbite. Hence, scalds, chemical burns, and frostbite can cause blisters.
Although they do not usually require medical attention to heal, blisters can be painful. Depending on what kind of blister it is and what caused it, blisters may need medical attention to avoid infections forming. AFC Urgent Care Edgewater’s medical professionals are trained in cleaning and treating severe or infected blisters.
Treating infected blisters & when to seek medical attention
When a blister opens during healing, it can get infected. Here are common signs of infected blisters:
- Inflamed skin surrounding the blister (this is prevalent in lighter people.)
- Heightened pain when pressure is applied to the blister
- Swelling that gets worse as time passes
- Cloudy, yellow, or green fluid in the blister
- Bad odor from the blister
- Warmness of the skin
- Red streaks across the blister
- Experiencing fever or general fatigue.
If you experience the above-mentioned symptoms, there's a high chance that your blister is infected and you require medical attention. AFC Urgent Care Edgewater accepts walk-in’s to ensure you are able to get the care you need quickly.
If you have a blister, ensure you clean the wound with warm water and soap regularly to avoid infection. Soaking it in a saline solution and applying an antibiotic ointment also can help heal blisters.
Visit AFC Urgent Care Edgewater for Infected Blister Treatment near Edgewater, MD
Blisters are a very common injury, and usually can heal on their own if you can treat the underlying cause. However, blisters are very prone to infection and therefore sometimes require medical care. Visit AFC Urgent Care Edgewater for professional medical treatment without the long waits and high price associated with the emergency room. Walk-in today!
