1. Prevent Friction Blisters
Wear shoes with plenty of room for the ball of your foot and to wiggle room for your toes. Feet swell throughout the day, so shop for shoes in the middle or end of the day to be assured of a comfortable fit. Pay attention to which socks you'll be wearing, whether both feet are comfortable in the same pair of shoes and whether there are any inside seams that may rub your skin. Wear clean, dry socks, use moleskin to pad the inside of your shoes and wear bandages to keep a new blister from getting worse or infected. When working with your hands in ways you're not used to, like yard work or continuous heavy lifting, wear protective gloves.
2. Beware of Mother Nature
There are many plants that cause blisters. Avoid plants like poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. These plants contain and oil called urushiol that causes the rash and blisters. Learn to identify these plants, and if you must have contact with them, wear heavy clothing, long pants and sleeves, gloves, hats, boots and skin-barrier creams, such as bentoquatam 5 percent. If contact has occurred, wash the area immediately with water to minimize the reaction. Know your spiders as well since some spider bites, such as those from the brown recluse spider, can cause blisters.
3. Avoid Burns
Too much exposure to heat, electricity or sunlight will cause burns that can develop blisters. Exposure to extremely cold temperatures can cause blisters from frostbite or trench foot. Prepare properly by wearing appropriate clothing, taking safety measures when handling electricity and using sunblock when needed.
Some household cleaners contain strong chemicals that cause irritation. Wear protective gloves and clothing, read labels, follow the directions closely and make sure you have plenty of ventilation.
4. Keep Your Distance From Infections
Some human infections cause blisters, so beware of anyone who has a viral illness, bacterial skin infection or mite infection. These include chickenpox, shingles, genital herpes, cold sores, impetigo and scabies.
