Are Blisters Part of My EDS?

Wow, did summer sure decide to turn on its furnace overnight here in Virginia. A day ago, it was in the mid-70s and perfect, and today it was 92 F and humid. Let me tell you, I am not a heat or summer person despite having lived most of my life in the South.

While I’d rather not have either temperature extreme, if I had to choose, I’d always choose cold. You can add more layers of clothing, keep moving, have a hot drink, and have a pile of hand warmers at the ready. When it’s hotter than 90 F with stifling humidity and often little or no breeze, it’s sticky, hot, and miserable.

I think part of the reason I don’t like the heat is that my skin tends to be sensitive, thanks to my Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). For as long as I can remember, trying to find shoes that fit has been incredibly difficult. Not only do I have the trademark EDS flat feet, but I also get blisters easily. I know immediately with most shoes I try on that they will give me blisters.

If I find a pair I think will be OK, I buy them and hope they actually stay comfortable. It’s common for me to ask my mom, who wears the same size, to break in a pair of shoes for me that I thought would be comfortable but that started to give me blisters. Sometimes it works, and other times my mom ends up with a new pair of shoes.

I found one brand of riding boots I can wear right out the box and they have never given me blisters. I’ve seen other boot companies put out new models and have tried a few on, but none have been comfortable. I spend a lot of time on my feet while living on a farm and tending to horses, so comfort is paramount. I can’t have my feet blistered and painful while I’m trying to get chores done! Thankfully, I’ve found a boot that works for me no matter how long I have them on.

While I know that fragile skin is a common EDS trait, I’m not sure if the tendency toward blisters is just me or more of a widespread issue among those who have EDS. It makes sense to me, but I’m not sure I’ve seen anything about it in research. I guess I’ve always just assumed it was another part of managing EDS.

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