What Are Diabetic Blisters

As a type 1 diabetic for the past 9 years, I’m always trying to stay on top of the latest news and trends when it comes to diabetes complications. Did you know that every 30 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone loses a lower limb as a result of diabetes. That’s because diabetes and wounds are a dangerous combination.

If you have diabetes, there’s no such thing as a minor wound to the foot — even small blisters or foot sores can turn into an ulcer that, if not properly treated, can lead to amputation. The rate of amputation for people with diabetes is 10 times higher than for those who don’t have the disease.

There is no single known cause for diabetic blisters. Many of those who have diabetic blisters may also tend to suffer from neuropathy and nephropathy. Some researchers think that a decreased ability to sustain an injury may play a role. Also in people with heart failure, the swelling that can result from that condition may be enough to cause the blisters. Many people who develop the diabetic blisters have had diabetes for many years or have several complications from the disease.

What Is A Diabetic Blister:

Symptoms of diabetic blisters include intense itching and burning sensation of the skin. When the mucous membranes of the mouth are affected, it can cause pain, burning, peeling away of affected inner lining tissues, and sensitivity to acidic foods. Eating can be difficult, and involvement in the deeper areas of the throat can cause coughing. Involvement of the inner nose can cause nosebleeds. The disease typically worsens (exacerbates) and improves (remits) over time.

Treatment For Blisters:

In many cases, the blisters heal by themselves, within two to four weeks, and no treatment is needed other than keeping them clean.

On occasion, though, the blisters may burst. If this happens, your doctor may prescribe an antibiotic ointment or something to help dry the blister. If the blister becomes infected or develops an ulcer, it will be treated more like a wound. Antibiotics may be used. In very severe cases, skin may need to be removed to help the healing process.

Continuous, regular medical care is necessary for patients who develop diabetic blisters. Friction blisters and diabetic blisters do not generally require medications for treatment, unless a secondary infection develops. With fungal infections that cause blisters, however, an anti-fungal medication is necessary to get rid of the fungus. For people who suffer from nerve damage, proper diabetic foot care can prevent foot blisters.

Foot Care, Protect You Feet:

Research has shown that people with diabetes who take good care of their feet and protect their feet from injury, are much less likely to develop foot blisters.

Good foot care includes:

• Looking carefully at your feet each day, including between the toes. If you cannot do
  this yourself, you should get someone else to do it for you:Looking is particularly important if you have reduced sensation in your feet, as you may not notice anything wrong at first until you look.
• If you see anything new (such as a cut, bruise, blister, redness or bleeding) and don’t know what to do, see your doctor or podiatrist (chiropodist).
• Do not try to deal with corns, calluses, verrucas or other foot problems by yourself. They should be treated by a health professional such as a podiatrist. In particular, do not use chemicals or acid plasters to remove corns, etc.
• Use a moisturizing oil or cream for dry skin to prevent cracking. However, you should not apply it between the toes as this can cause the skin to become too moist which can lead to an infection developing.
• Look out for athlete’s foot (a common minor skin infection). It causes flaky skin and cracks between the toes, which can be sore and can become infected. If you get athlete’s foot, it should be treated with an anti-fungal cream.

So make sure you take care of those feet, keep them dry and make sure you check them daily!

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Thanks for Reading!

Chris