Those shoes were cute, but you had to walk farther than you had estimated. Now painful blisters vex you! What to do…

Resist the urge to pop a blister (yuck!) because you run the risk of infection. An intact blister is still painful, so soak your blister in regular cold milk (whole milk works best) for a half hour or so to reduce the pain and swelling. You can also apply a cold compress (for 10 minutes at a time) to relieve the inflammation.

If the blister is open and not infected, cover it with an adhesive bandage during the day and take off the bandage when you go to bed to let the wound dry out. If the blister is open and oozing (double yuck!), apply antibiotic ointment and cover with a bandage. Get professional help if it gets worse—that means it’s probably infected.

More help for foot pain…