Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffCareful wound care and good nutrition are essential to your or your child's health. If blisters are left intact, they can enlarge, which creates a bigger wound when they finally break. Talk to your doctor about safe ways for you to break and drain blisters before they get too large. Your doctor can also recommend products to use to keep the affected areas moist to promote healing, such as gauze that contains a moisturizing agent, and prevent infection.
When tending to your child's wounds:
- Always wash your hands before touching your child's blisters.
- If a soiled dressing sticks, don't pull it off. Soak the area in warm water until the dressing loosens.
If oral or esophageal blisters are inhibiting your child's ability to eat, here are some suggestions:
- If drinking from breast or bottle causes your infant to develop blisters, try using nipples designed for premature infants or infants with cleft palate or a facial birth defect, or use a syringe or eyedropper.
- For older children, puree foods with extra liquid, such as broth or milk, to make them softer.
- Serve soft, nutritious foods such as vegetable soups and fruit smoothies.
References
- Epidermolysis bullosa. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Epidermolysis_Bullosa/default.asp. Accessed June 9, 2011.
- Fine JD, et al. The classification of inherited epidermolysis bullosa (EB): Report of the third international consensus meeting on diagnosis and classification of EB. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. 2008;58:931.
- Fine JD. Inherited epidermolysis bullosa: Recent basic and clinical advances. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2010;22:453.
- Habif TP. Vesicular and bullous diseases. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Edinburgh, U.K.; New York, N.Y.: Mosby Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00025-0--s0780&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&uniqId=240601062-5#4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00025-0--s0780. Accessed June 8, 2011.
- About EB. Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association. http://www.debra.org/abouteb. Accessed June 10, 2011.
- Progress in epidermolysis bullosa research: Toward treatment and cure. The Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2010;130:1778.
- Healthcare problems. Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa Research Association. http://www.debra.org/healthcare. Accessed June 10, 2011.
- Hand JL (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 15, 2011.
Find Mayo Clinic on