Your feet have blisters. Your skin is burned. Your body aches. As you travel home, taking care of your body and health needs will be very important. Here are a few recommendations to help relieve your discomfort.
For skin blisters like on your feet, The Mayo Clinic recommends the following:
To relieve blister-related pain, drain the fluid while leaving the overlying skin intact. Here is how:
- Wash your hands and the blister with soap and warm water.
- Swab the blister with iodine.
- Sterilize a clean, sharp needle by wiping it with rubbing alcohol.
- Use the needle to puncture the blister. Aim for several spots near the blister’s edge. Let the fluid drain, but leave the overlying skin in place.
- Apply an ointment such as petroleum jelly to the blister and cover it with a nonstick gauze bandage. If a rash appears, stop using the ointment.
Follow-up care: Check the area every day for infection. After several days, cut away all the dead skin, using a tweezers and scissors sterilized with rubbing alcohol. Apply more ointment and a bandage.
For sunburn relief, the Mayo Clinic recommends these steps:
- Cool the skin. Apply to the affected skin a clean towel dampened with cool tap water. Or take a cool bath.
- Apply a moisturizer, lotion or gel. An aloe vera lotion or gel or calamine lotion may be soothing.
- Drink water to prevent dehydration.
- Do not break small blisters (no bigger than your little fingernail). If blisters break, gently clean the area with mild soap and water, apply an antibiotic ointment, and cover the wound with a nonstick gauze bandage. If a rash develops, stop using the ointment and seek medical care.
- Take a pain reliever such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) to help with the discomfort and swelling of sunburn. Some sunburn relief medications are gels.
- Avoid more sun exposure while your skin heals from the sunburn.
- Apply an over-the-counter Hydrocortisone cream if your sunburn is severe.
For your body aches and general exhaustion, rest and sleep is just what the doctor ordered! Returning home to your own comfortable bed often has a positive impact. This author once slept for 27 hours straight after returning from a Scouting event. I challenge you to beat my record. Please have a safe and positive trip home! We are all very glad that you were able to join us for this remarkable experience!