Note: Your progress in watching these videos WILL NOT be tracked. These training videos are the same videos you will experience when you take the full Family First Aid Level 2 (VTQ) program. You may begin the training for free at any time to start officially tracking your progress toward your certificate of completion.

  1. Blister Care

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Dealing with Blisters: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention

Understanding Blisters

Discover the origins of blisters and their various causes.

Causes of Blisters

Explore the factors that lead to blister formation:

  • Friction: Learn how poorly fitting shoes and physical activities can trigger friction blisters.
  • Skin Reactions: Understand how exposure to heat, burns, sunburn, and certain chemicals can cause skin reaction blisters.
  • Medical Conditions: Discover medical conditions like chickenpox, cold sores, and hand, foot, and mouth disease that may result in blisters.

Treating Blisters

Learn effective methods for blister treatment:

Protect and Preserve

Key steps to safeguard and aid the healing process:

  • Use of Plaster or Blister Dressing: Shield the blister without bursting it to prevent infection and further damage.
  • Avoid Bursting: Understand the importance of keeping the blister intact as it serves to protect the skin.
  • Natural Healing: Allow the blister to gradually reduce as the body absorbs the fluid and the top skin naturally sheds.
  • Handling Burst Blisters: Proper care when a blister has burst, including washing with water and applying a sterile dressing.

Seeking Medical Attention

Instances when it's necessary to consult a Doctor or Nurse:

  • Severe Pain: When blisters become extremely painful.
  • Infection: Cases where blisters get infected.
  • Recurring Blisters: When new blisters keep appearing.
  • Specific Causes: Blisters resulting from sunburn, burns, scalds, or allergic reactions.

In some cases, antibiotics may be prescribed for treating infections.

Blood Blisters

Tips for managing blood blisters:

If a blood blister is painful, applying an ice pack for 10-30 minutes may provide relief, but use caution to avoid skin damage due to extreme cold.

Preventing Blisters

Proactive measures to reduce the risk of blister development:

  • Foot Care: Keep feet dry and choose well-fitting shoes.
  • Sports and Exercise: Wear thicker wool socks and avoid new, unbroken-in shoes.
  • Hand Protection: Use gloves to shield hands from potential blisters.