Does putting ice on a blister do anything?
I was playing the autoharp for not even 10 minutes and I got this massive blister on my finger (which makes typing this very difficult).
My first instinct was to put ice on it, but that doesn’t seem to be doing anything. Is this the proper treatment for blisters? What should I be doing?
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Yes. For one, it will numb the area, relieving pain. But you’re far better off soaking it with warm water. That will relieve pain and soften the skin up, as well as being clean.
Put some ointment on it and cover it to prevent it breaking. Right now it’s filled with serum, separated from your blood. Soon the white blood cells will go to work repairing the damage. At some point the serum will reabsorb into your blood stream, the blister skin will grow thinner and slough off,leaving shiny, pink new tissue beneath it. Ice will numb it a bit, but will be of no real benefit.
Ice doesn’t hurt, and it may help prevent further injury.
You should probably cover it with a loose gauze dressing if you are worried about it breaking. Or if it is rubbed/bumped a lot. An antiseptic cream or ointment on the gauze will help prevent infection if it does break.
Alright, I’ve got a bandage on it now with some antiseptic. Thanks.
I like @Trillian s answer. There are better ways to alleviate the pain than ice and it might hinder the healing process. The blister wasn’t caused by a burn, so there is no heat to take out of it. Just keep it covered to keep it from breaking open. The natural healing process will contribute to a callous on the finger that will prevent further blisters. I’ve had the same thing happen from my intermittant guitar playing.
it’ll do something, but it won’t do much
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