Blisters – NHS

Blisters often heal on their own within a week. They can be painful while they heal, but you will not usually need to see a GP.

How you can treat a blister yourself

There are things you can do to protect a blister and help stop it getting infected.

Do

• cover blisters with a soft plaster or padded dressing

• wash your hands before touching a burst blister

• allow the fluid in a burst blister to drain before covering it with a plaster or dressing

Don’t

• do not burst a blister yourself

• do not peel the skin off a burst blister

• do not pick at the edges of the remaining skin

• do not wear the shoes or use the equipment that caused your blister until it heals

A pharmacist can help with blisters

To protect your blister from becoming infected, a pharmacist can recommend a plaster or dressing to cover it while it heals.

A hydrocolloid dressing (a moist dressing) can protect the blister, help reduce pain and speed up healing.

Check if you have a blister

Blisters are small pockets of clear fluid under a layer of skin.

Credit:

DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/157872/view

Blood blisters may look red or black and are filled with blood instead of clear fluid.

Credit:

DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/284441/view

An infected blister can be hot and filled with green or yellow pus. The surrounding skin may look red, but this can be hard to see on darker skin tones.

Credit:

DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/575658/view

Important

Do not ignore an infected blister. Without treatment it could lead to a skin or blood infection.

Non-urgent advice: See a GP if:

• a blister is very painful or keeps coming back
• the skin looks infected – it’s hot and the blister is filled with green or yellow pus
• the skin around the blister looks red, but this can be harder to see on darker skin tones
• a blister is in an unusual place – such as your eyelids, mouth or genitals
• several blisters have appeared for no reason
• a blister was caused by a burn or scald, sunburn, or an allergic reaction

Treatment from a GP

A GP might burst a large or painful blister using a sterilised needle. If your blister is infected, they may prescribe antibiotics.

They can also offer treatment and advice if blisters are caused by a medical condition.

Conditions that can cause blisters

• chickenpox – a childhood illness that causes itchy spots
• cold sores – small blisters that develop on the lips or around the mouth, caused by a virus
• genital herpes – a sexually transmitted infection (STI) that most commonly affects the groin
• bullous impetigo – a bacterial skin infection
• pompholyx – a type of eczema
• scabies – a skin condition caused by tiny mites
• hand, foot and mouth disease – a viral infection that usually affects young children

How to prevent blisters

Blisters develop to protect damaged skin and help it heal. They’re mostly caused by friction, burns and skin reactions, such as an allergic reaction.

Blood blisters appear when blood vessels in the skin have also been damaged. They’re often more painful than a regular blister.

If you often get friction blisters on your feet or hands:

• wear comfortable, well-fitting shoes
• wear new shoes for short periods of time, until they’re comfortable
• wear thick socks during exercise
• dust talcum powder in your socks if you get sweaty feet
• wear protective gloves when you exercise or if you use tools at work

Page last reviewed: 04 January 2021
Next review due: 04 January 2024

Malaria – NHS

Malaria is a serious infection spread by mosquitoes. If it’s not diagnosed and treated quickly, you can die from it.

Check if you’re at risk of malaria

Malaria is caused by being bitten by an infected mosquito. It can take just 1 bite to get it.

The infection is very common in certain parts of the world.

It’s found in tropical regions, including:

• large areas of Africa and Asia
• Central and South America
• Dominican Republic and Haiti
• parts of the Middle East
• some Pacific islands

Malaria is not found in the UK and you cannot catch it from another person.

Information:

Check before you travel

It’s important to check the malaria risk for the country you’re travelling to before you go.

You’re still at risk of getting malaria if you now live in the UK but were born or used to live in a high-risk country. You will not be immune to malaria anymore.

Find out more about the risk of malaria in specific countries on the Travel Health Pro website

How to avoid malaria

If you’re travelling to an area where malaria is found, get advice from a GP, nurse, pharmacist or travel clinic before you go.

It’s best to do this at least 4 to 6 weeks before you travel, but you can still get advice at the last minute if you need to.

You may be prescribed antimalarial tablets to reduce the risk of getting malaria and told how you can prevent mosquito bites.

Do

• take any antimalarial medicine you’re prescribed – you usually need to start taking it a few days or weeks before you go, until a few weeks after you get back

• use insect repellent on your skin – make sure it’s 50% DEET-based

• sleep under mosquito nets treated with insecticide

• wear long-sleeved clothing and trousers to cover your arms and legs in the evening, when mosquitos are most active

Information:

Who’s most at risk

It’s especially important to get advice before you travel if you’re at higher risk of getting seriously ill from malaria.

This includes:

• if you’re pregnant
• young children
• people aged over 65
• if you have a weak immune system
• if you have no spleen

You may be prescribed antimalarial medicine even if you’re travelling to a low-risk area.

Symptoms of malaria

Malaria can be hard to spot, but symptoms include:

• a high temperature, sweats and chills
• headaches and feeling confused
• feeling very tired and sleepy (especially in children)
• feeling and being sick, tummy pain and diarrhoea
• loss of appetite
• muscle pains
• yellow skin or whites of the eyes
• a sore throat, cough and difficulty breathing

These symptoms usually appear between 7 and 18 days after you’ve been bitten by an infected mosquito.

But sometimes you may not have symptoms for months after travel, and rarely years.

Urgent advice: Ask for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:

• you have travelled to a country where malaria is found and have malaria symptoms

You should also tell anyone you travelled with to get help straight away.

You can call 111 or get help from 111 online.

Get medical advice quickly if you have malaria symptoms while you’re travelling.

Treatments for malaria

Malaria is an emergency and needs to be treated quickly.

It’s treated with antimalarial medicines.

Some people will stay in hospital to have specialist care and treatment.

Malaria can sometimes come back and will need to be treated again if this happens.

Page last reviewed: 18 February 2022
Next review due: 18 February 2025

Prevention of insect bites and after bites

Insect bites are unpleasant and sometimes dangerous. In the warm season, when insects are especially active, the risk of being bitten increases greatly.

Why are insect bites dangerous and how to recognize them?

First of all, we note that stinging insects (wasps, bees, bumblebees, hornets), blood-sucking insects (mosquitoes, gadflies, midges, flies), as well as ants, most often bite.

The most dangerous are multiple bites of stinging insects, since a critical amount of toxic substances enters the blood, which can cause general poisoning of the body and even death. Just as dangerous is individual intolerance to toxic substances that come in even with a single bite due to the threat of anaphylactic shock. Dangerous bites in the area of ​​​​the tongue due to possible edema of the larynx, which can lead to asphyxia and death.

Most often, after a bite, local swelling and redness of the bitten place, severe pain and itching are observed, severe allergic reactions, general weakness, nausea or even vomiting are possible. More rarely, more severe reactions requiring immediate medical attention are observed: wheezing, chest pain, shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing or speaking, dizziness and weakness, shortness of breath, infection.

What to do if bitten by a stinging insect?

If the sting remains in the wound, it must be removed. Then treat the wound with a disinfectant, apply ice to relieve swelling, drink antihistamines, apply anti-allergic ointment from insect bites to the wound to relieve itching. In no case should wet earth be applied to the bite site, so as not to infect the wound! You can not drink anything alcoholic, so as not to increase the edema. Allergy sufferers need to know and have on hand drugs that should be urgently administered when a strong reaction develops.

In normal cases, this is quite sufficient, but the total number of bites and individual tolerance of the poison are of strategic importance. In these cases, urgent medical attention is needed.

Why are blood-sucking insect bites dangerous and how to recognize them?

Multiple bites from horseflies, mosquitoes, mosquitoes, gadflies, midges or midges can lead to severe and life-threatening allergic reactions. In addition, blood-sucking insects are carriers of dangerous infections: leishmaniasis, tularemia, intestinal infections, in warm countries – sleeping sickness, malaria, dengue fever.

Blood-sucking insects do not have a poisonous gland, and when they bite, they only inject a special substance that prevents blood clotting. It is on him that allergic reactions usually occur, as a rule, not dangerous.
Most often, a bitten person has: itching, redness of the skin and pain at the site of bites, allergic reactions on the skin in the form of a small red rash.

What to do if bitten by a blood-sucking insect?

Treat bites with a disinfectant, prevent scratching of the wound, as this is fraught with great itching and prolonged healing, apply an insect bite agent that can reduce itching and irritation. In case of allergic reactions, take antihistamines.

Seek medical attention in the following situations:

– If atypical symptoms are observed in the form of fever, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath.

– If an insect lodged in the ear or under the eyelid causes swelling and severe irritation, and in rare cases, suppuration.

– With the development of atypical allergic reactions (rash, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, convulsions). When the bite site is infected, suppuration.

What are the measures to prevent insect bites?

Wooded, shrubby, and flowering areas should be avoided, and medications and other means should be available in case of an insect bite and medical attention is needed.

At risk of being bitten by stinging insects:

– Do not approach apiaries without special clothing.

– Do not use sweet and floral perfumes.

– If possible, avoid bright clothes.

– Do not make sudden movements that may be perceived by the insect as an act of aggression.

– When choosing a place for a picnic or an overnight stay, you should make sure that there is no anthill nearby.

At risk of being bitten by blood-sucking insects:

– Use repellents and clothing that covers the whole body, wear a hat.

– Mosquitoes do not like strong odors. Therefore, you can apply water solutions of vanilla, citrus, mint prepared at home on clothes.

– Stay away from dams, ponds, swamps and other places with stagnant water, which are a favorite habitat for mosquitoes and midges.

– Use fumigators in rooms and mosquito nets on windows.

Gel-balm after insect bites for children with free home delivery from VkusVill

VkusVill

Gel-balm after insect bites is designed specifically for children from 1 year old and is intended for face and body skin care. Gel-balm effectively cares for baby’s skin after being bitten by mosquitoes, horseflies, flies and other insects, alleviates the effects of sunburn and after contact with nettles and jellyfish. The composition of the gel-balm includes biologically active components – panthenol, allantoin, betaine and herbal extracts, which have a pleasant cooling and healing effect. Convenient form – the roller allows you to quickly and accurately apply the gel-balm to the bites and burns. How to use: apply a thin layer of gel on the irritated area. Reapply as needed.

Gel-balm after insect bites for children

VkusVill

90 rub/piece 90.00 90.00

Description

Gel-balm after insect bites is designed specifically for children from 1 year old and is designed to care for the skin of the face and body. Gel-balm effectively cares for baby’s skin after being bitten by mosquitoes, horseflies, flies and other insects, alleviates the effects of sunburn and after contact with nettles and jellyfish.
The composition of the gel-balm includes biologically active components – panthenol, allantoin, betaine and herbal extracts, which have a pleasant cooling and healing effect.
Convenient shape – the roller allows you to quickly and accurately apply the gel-balm to the places of bites and burns.
How to use: Apply a thin layer of gel to the irritated area. Reapply as needed.

Expiration date

36 months

W/V

12 g

Composition

Aqua, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Glycerin, D-Panthenol, Propylene Glycol, Betain, Aloe barbadensis Extract, Plantago Major (Plantain Leaf ) Extract , Calendula Officinalis Flower Extract, Bidens tripartita Extract , Chamomilla recutita Extract, Menthyl lactate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Allantoin, Benzyl alcohol/methylchloroisothiazolinone / methylisothiazolinone, 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, Parfum, Acrylates/c10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, D-limonene, Geraniol, Hexyl cinnamal, Linalool.

Ingredients: Water, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil, glycerin, panthenol (provitamin B5), propylene glycol, betaine, Aloe Vera extract, psyllium extract, calendula extract, marigold extract, chamomile extract, menthyl lactate, vitamin E, allantoin, preservative (Benzyl Alcohol / Methylchloroisothiazolinone / Methylisothiazolinone), Aminomethylpropanol, Perfume, Carbomer, D-Limonene, Geraniol, Hexyl Cinnamal, Linalool.