Blisters on the Camino de Santiago: how to prevent and cure them

Camino de Santiago

Why do blisters appear when walking?

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The blisters are one of the most frequent evils with which the traveler will be, both expert and first-time, while traveling the Camino de Santiago. The blisters may appear on the feet of the pilgrim for several reasons listed below:

• Excessive moisture inside the boot caused by sweat. Especially in summer, it is normal that the temperature shoots up inside our footwear, causing the foot to transpire much more. This perspiration causes moisture, which causes the skin to wrinkle and increases the likelihood that blisters will appear with friction.

• It rubs continuously between the socks, the foot and the pilgrim's boot. In addition to the excessive perspiration of our feet, we may not have chosen our shoes correctly, we have not tied them correctly or they have generated wrinkles when we put on our socks. These factors can cause a continuous friction while walking, a perfect breeding ground for blisters.

What can we do to prevent its appearance?

These are just some tips for you to get ahead of the blisters and avoid their appearance. If you have already seen blisters along the Camino de Santiago, it may be more useful to go directly to the next section.

• Avoid brand new footwear on the Camino de Santiago. It is very important that you choose the shoe that best suits you, as well as taking into account the season of the year in which you travel the Jacobean route. But above all it is essential that you release it at least weeks before starting to walk. Walking the Camino de Santiago with new shoes is the most common mistake among inexperienced pilgrims, do not fall on the same stone.

• Use products such as creams, refreshing gel or Vaseline on the feet before each stage. In this way we will reduce the friction between the foot and the sock and also achieve - with some products - that the foot gets less warm while we walk.You must sink the product on the soles of the feet and between the toes. According to our own experience, it is one of the most effective ways to prevent blisters.

• Choose some suitable socks. It is important that you buy cotton socks, preferably models without seams and above all you should remember to avoid wrinkles when putting them before each stage to avoid blisters.

What do I do if a blister has already appeared?

Here are some tips to get out of the way, whether the blister has already appeared or is about to do so. The objective is that following them you can continue traveling the Camino de Santiago without major complications.

1. If the blister is about to appear

If we are going through a stage and we notice that a blister is forming (but still in process), it is best to stop and apply Vaseline to the area, so that it stops rubbing with the sock and shoes. We can also place in the area a patch type Compeed (careful not to everyone works the same) or a gauze fixed with tape, but the first option is recommended, to avoid wrinkles and chafing that worsen the blister.

2. If the blister has already appeared

• Never cut or tear the skin of the blister. It would only make things worse, leaving the area unprotected and at the expense of possible infections. Always wait for the skin to come off by itself after a few days.

• "Sew" the ampoule with thread to drain the liquid that will appear. But always do it in the right conditions, sterilizing the needle with a lighter and using betadyne to disinfect the area. With the sterilized needle you must puncture the ampoule to make the liquid come out. The next step is to introduce with the needle the thread impregnated with betadyne inside the ampoule to drain the liquid. Remember to repeat the same operation after each stage until the ampoule is cured.