The upper layer of the skin can develop this condition and it is usually seen as a lump that contains fluids. Blister is usually filled with pus, blood along with plasma and serum. It can happen due to friction or when your skin gets burned due to excessive temperature. In some cases, even frostbite and other medical conditions can trigger blisters in many individuals. They do not cause any long-term damage and it is only painful and annoying to have them on your body. In most cases, they do not even need any treatment and it will go away on its own within a few days. Only when you notice abnormal blisters for no reason on your body, you should approach your doctor and look for some remedy.
Types of Blister
– Friction blister : These blisters are usually caused due to friction and this happens when your skin comes into rough contact with any other materials. You can usually notice such blisters on your feet when you use bad fitting shoes for long hours.
– Burns blister : These blisters happen when your skin is traumatized due to burns and it will have similar symptoms as friction blisters. They are not problematic and will usually go away within a few weeks without any complications.
– Chickenpox and shingles blister : These blisters are caused by medical conditions and they can easily spread to different areas of the body within a quick time. You need to take medication to control the symptoms and get rid of the infection at the earliest to avoid any problems.
In the same manner, there are many types of blisters that arise out of various medical conditions and treatment for them should be provided by controlling the infection or illness that is causing the blisters.
Symptoms of Blister
You can see a bubble on the surface of your skin and this has a clear liquid. In some cases, it can even have blood along with pus and other fluids. The size of the blister can vary depending on the cause and they can even become contagious in some conditions. When they are pinched, they usually ooze liquid that can be smelly and looks like a mixture of blood and pus. In some cases, they can cause a lot of pain and this again depends on the exact cause of blisters. On the other hand, some blisters can cause no pain while they become very itchy and cause a lot of discomforts. However, the common thing with most blisters is that they usually cause redness around the affected area. When the blister is due to burns or other external friction, it does not spread to other regions. When the blister is due to medical conditions, it can spread to different regions of the body.
Causes of Blister
– Allergic Eczema : It usually looks like a burn and it often affects the hands and forearm region. The skin can become itchy in this situation and redness can also be seen on the surface. The blisters will ooze liquid when it is full and then begin to dry on its own after a few days.
– Chickenpox : You can notice various itchy blisters in groups across the body and this can also lead to fever and body pain. It can be contagious and it will usually spread to different regions of the body. For this reason, you need to be very careful when you are suffering from this condition.
– Dermatitis Herpetiformis : When you are suffering from this problem, you are likely to get blisters on the scalp and other regions of the body. It usually happens due to gluten intolerance in many people and the blisters, in this case, look like pimples. Having a gluten-free diet is a good way to treat this condition.
– Pemphigoid : This autoimmune disorder can cause rashes all over the body and even lead to blisters. In the initial stages, it is seen as rashes and they later develop into blisters that are large in size and usually filled with blood. They are slightly sensitive and you will experience pain when you touch them.
– Dyshidrotic eczema : you are likely to develop blisters on the hands and feet due to this condition. It is usually red and has fluids inside the blisters. Many people suffer from this condition due to allergies.
– Shingles : Even this condition can cause blisters in many people and they emerge as rashes at various places on the body. It can also cause a headache and fever in many patients. These blisters can break easily and ooze fluids.
– Frostbite : This can cause blisters when you are exposed to extreme cold conditions. Usually, the fingers get affected a lot due to this condition and you need to take immediate treatment to get relief from this problem. You should treat this as an emergency and get the required medical help to reduce the symptoms. This can form blisters filled with blood at the affected area.
Diagnosis
– Physical examination : In most cases, a general physical examination is more than enough to diagnose this condition. It will be obviously visible as the symptoms show up easily and doctors will be able to determine the treatment based on the cause of the blisters. In many cases, you may not even need any treatment and the blisters will subside on their own without any external medication.
– Blood Test : however, there may be cases when the cause of blisters is due to medical reasons and this calls for a blood test. The reports will clearly indicate the cause of blisters on your body and you will be able to get further treatment for this condition.
– Biopsy : When the blisters are looking suspicious and expanding in size, your doctor may take a biopsy of the blister. This is to ensure that the blisters are regular ones and not cancerous cells that can damage your body. In this way, the chances of any further complications are ruled out and proper treatment can be given to the patients.
Prevention of Blister
– It is very easy to prevent friction blisters and you should pay attention to what is causing the blisters on your skin. In most cases, when you wear shoes that do not fit properly, blisters can happen within no time and this can cause a lot of discomforts.
– You should also understand that wearing the right socks that allow moisture to dissipate is essential to control the blisters. Remember that when the skin surface is moist, you are increasing the chances of getting blisters and you should allow proper air circulation in the affected area.
– You can use specially designed socks that allow sweat to dissipate easily and this will be very useful when you are involved in sports activities. In this situation, you will be using them for long hours and it is important to protect your feet from excessive moisture.
– In the same manner, you are likely to get blisters on your hands when you are using any hard tools. For this reason, you need to wear the right kind of gloves to protect your hands from this condition.
– Many sports professionals use such gloves and you can use them when you are involved in rigorous activities. It is also a good idea to use talcum powder as this reduces the friction to a certain extent and prevent blisters in the hands.
– Apart from these blisters, you may also get blisters due to medical conditions and it is not possible to avoid them in any manner. The only thing you can do in this situation is to prevent the illness or infection that is causing the blisters on your body.
Treatment for Blister
– To begin with, you need to understand that most blisters do not require any treatment and they will go away on their own after a few days. However, you should not poke the surface of the blister especially because it is itching as this can irritate the skin and cause complications. Remember that the liquid will not come outside due to the top skin layer and this prevents infection.
– When it comes to treating any blister, the first thing that has to be determined is the cause of the blister. Unless you know this, it becomes very difficult to treat the blisters as different blisters may need different treatments. In some cases, applying bandages will be the best solution and the fluids will get back into the tissues without any problems. After this stage is crossed, the blisters will disappear on their own within no time.
– If you are planning to treat a blister that has appeared due to burns or any other trauma, you should not worry too much as they do not require any treatment. They are the temporary reaction of your body and they will disappear within a few weeks without any hassles. However, you can avoid the things that are causing the blisters and provide some relief to the affected area. This will also prevent the further appearance of blisters in other areas of the body.
– When you are having any blisters due to infections, you need to treat them with medication. This will usually be prescribed to treat the symptoms and once you are cured of the infection, you will notice a reduction in blisters and this will disappear without any issues.
Complications
– In normal cases, blisters will go away without causing any serious complications. However, when you have blisters due to medical conditions, you should never neglect them as they can spread to other regions in quick time.
– This usually happens when you have blisters due to chickenpox or other infections. In this situation, the blisters can become contagious when they break out and easily spread across the body within no time. You need to be very careful and keep them as dry as possible to avoid the spreading of blisters all over the body. It can be very itchy and people are tempted to scratch them that leads to the opening of blisters and the oozing fluids can cause further infection.
– Many people open the blisters on their own and this can lead to complications with infections. You should never try to open a blister as this can cause infection and you should understand that the top layer of the skin prevents this infection by keeping the fluids in a safe place. Allow them to naturally dry up and this will happen within a few weeks.
– Many people suffering from foot blisters will have a tough time handling them as they cannot walk barefoot without using footwear. In this situation, the moisture in the legs can further encourage the blisters to open up and this can cause infections in the body. The only thing you can do in this situation is to keep the legs as dry as possible so that it speeds up the healing process.
Myths
Myth #1: Using cotton socks prevents blisters : It is a myth that wearing cotton socks will prevent blisters. In fact, it increases the chances of getting blisters as they attract moisture. They will increase the friction due to excess moisture and this will trigger blisters in many cases. For this reason, you should always wear specially designed socks that can dissipate sweat effectively when you are involved in sports activities.
Myth #2: Using powder prevents friction blisters : Many people believe that using powder will prevent blisters as it reduces friction. While this is true when you are thinking about using them as a temporary solution, it can create more damage in the long run when you use it for many hours. Remember that this attracts moisture and it increases friction at a later stage leading to increased chances of getting blisters.
Myth #3: Blisters are contagious : Most of the blisters that happen due to burns or friction are not contagious and they will not spread to other regions. Only the blisters that happen due to medical conditions like chicken pox are contagious and you need to take proper medication to treat them.
Conclusion
This can happen in any part of your body and you will notice common symptoms in most cases. The good thing about them is that they will usually go away on their own without too many complications. Only in cases when blisters occur due to medical conditions, you need to treat them with medication. Otherwise, there is no need to provide any specific treatment for this condition. It is not life threatening and will not cause any harm to your body in the long run.
