While the body may have a few aches and pains over the next few days we thought some blister advice for those who have suffered may be helpful.

A blister occurs in the upper layers of the skin as a small pocket of fluid. The fluid is commonly lymph, serum, plasma, blood or even exudate because of infection. Blisters are typically caused by friction but can also result from freezing, infection or burning skin.

If you are wearing ill-fitting footwear, this could result in blisters, making daily activity painful and uncomfortable.

Treatment: The best course of action when treating a blister is to keep the area clean and not pierce the blister to avoid infection.

If the blister is small (less than 5mm in diameter) with no signs of infection it can be covered with a protective padding to relieve pressure to prevent further abrasion. If shoes are the cause of your blistering, changing footwear to a better fitting pair will avoid recurrence.

When patients prevent with blistering, an assessment of the blister will determine whether it needs to be drained and the Podiatrist will provide appropriate dressing to avoid infection.

Long term, a Biomechanical Assessment will determine whether the way you walk and run could be causing blistering due to biomechanical abnormalities.

If you have a condition which affects your feet, such as diabetes it is important to seek professional assistance from a Podiatrist when blistering occurs to avoid other serious complications.