Should you ever pop a blister on your foot? Here’s the answer

This is the most common question I get about blisters!

I'm a big fan of popping a foot blister, but only in certain circumstances.

Dealing with the pain of a foot blister, the inconvenience of blister treatment and the downtime in waiting for it to resolve is bad enough. But an infection is a whole different story. It makes my blister more sore, requires more of my attention and things can go nasty quickly. So what I need is medical help close at hand. And let's face it, while they're tucked away in your shoes, feet spend a lot of time in a dirty, dark, warm, moist environment that lends itself to bacterial infection. And when not in shoes, out feet are what connects us to the ground - a source of limitless germs. So foot blisters are particularly prone to infection.

Signs your blister is infected

• Pus
• Increasing pain, swelling, redness and warmth

An infected blister requires at least a topical antiseptic (like Betadine) and possibly oral antibiotics.

How to pop a blister on your foot

If you are going to lance your blister, you need to do it in a clean environment using clean techniques and sterile equipment.

• Clean your hands and foot (soap and water or antibacterial hand gel).
• Lance with a sterile implement (sterile scalpel blade or hypodermic needle) 
• Ideally, lance it in 2-3 places where gravity and foot function will help fluid escape
• Apply antiseptic (eg: Betadine) and dress with a sterile island dressing 
• Remove or deflect pressure.
• Reduce friction levels
• Then keep it clean and monitor over the coming days for signs of infection.