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Lifestyle and home remedies

By Mayo Clinic staff

Here are steps you can take to improve your skin and overall health:

  • Minimize trauma to your skin. Avoid situations in which your skin could be touched or bumped, such as contact sports.
  • Ask your doctor for wound care instructions. Taking good care of your wounds can help prevent infection and scarring.
  • Use talcum powder. Generously sprinkling talcum powder on your sheets may help keep oozing skin from sticking.
  • Use lotions or dressings. To ease discomfort, treat sores and blisters with soothing or drying lotions or wet dressings. But, check with your doctor before using lotions or wet dressings for the first time.
  • Avoid spicy or acidic foods, as well as those containing garlic, onions or leeks. These foods can irritate or even trigger blisters.
  • Minimize sun exposure. Ultraviolet light can trigger new blisters.
  • Talk with your dentist about maintaining good oral health. If you have blisters in your mouth, it may be difficult to brush your teeth properly. Ask your dentist what you can do to protect your oral health.
  • Ask your doctor if you need calcium and vitamin D supplements. Corticosteroids can affect your calcium and vitamin D needs, so ask your doctor if you need a calcium supplement or any other additional nutrients.
References
  1. Goldstein BG. Pemphigus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 6, 2010.
  2. Berger TG. Dermatologic disorders. In: McPhee SJ, et al. Current Medical Diagnosis and Treatment. 49th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2009. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=747. Accessed April 5, 2010.
  3. Stanley JR. Pemphigus. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2970595. Accessed April 5, 2010.
  4. Pemphigus vulgaris. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec10/ch112/ch112f.html. Accessed April 5, 2009.
  5. Pemphigus. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Pemphigus/default.asp. Accessed April 5, 2010.
  6. Baroni A. Vesicular and bullous disorders: Pemphigus. Dermatologic Clinics. 2007;25:597.
  7. Gibson LE (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester. April 9, 2010.
DS00749 May 15, 2010

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