Blisters: Pictures, Causes, and Outlook (original) (raw)

Some lifestyle factors, like wearing tight shoes, may cause blisters. But certain medical conditions can also cause blisters, such as burns and infections like chickenpox, shingles, and impetigo.

Blisters (vesicles) are raised parts of skin filled with fluid.

Blisters are usually caused by repetitive friction between the skin and an abrasive object. For instance, you may get a blister on your heel from wearing tight shoes or on the palm of your hand from gardening without gloves.

Although they can be annoying and painful, most of them will heal on their own within 1 week.

However, unexplained blistering may be a symptom of an underlying medical condition that should be evaluated by a doctor for possible treatment.

Read on for 13 other possible causes of blisters.

The herpes simplex virus causes painful blisters that occur alone or in clusters, weep clear yellow fluid, and then crust over.

On the mouth, it’s known as a cold sore. It’s most commonly caused by the HSV-1 virus, but may also be caused by HSV-2.

On the genitals, it’s known as genital herpes. It’s most commonly a sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by the HSV-2 virus, but HSV-1 can also cause genital herpes.

Recurrent outbreaks of blisters may be triggered by stress, menstruation, illness, or sun exposure. The site of infection often starts to itch or tingle before blisters appear.

Impetigo is a common bacterial infection in babies and children. It causes an irritating rash and fluid-filled blisters that pop easily and form a honey-colored crust.

The rash is often located in the area around the mouth, chin, and nose.

Burn severity is classified by depth: first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree. Blisters usually form if it’s a second-degree or third-degree burn.

Most second-degree burns can be treated in the urgent care unit of a hospital.

Third-degree and any second-degree or higher-degree burns that affect the face, hands, or genitals are considered a medical emergency and require immediate medical treatment.

Contact dermatitis is a condition that causes the skin to become itchy, discolored, scaly, or raw after it comes into contact with an allergen or irritant. Blisters can also form, which weep, ooze, or become crusty.

Symptoms of contact dermatitis usually appear minutes to days after an area of skin has been in contact with an irritant or allergen.

Some common irritants include poison ivy, poison oak, laundry detergents, nickel, and some clothing materials.

Aphthous stomatitis, also known as a canker sore, can be triggered by an infection, injury, stress, or other diseases.

These mouth ulcers are round or oval with a red, inflamed border and a yellow or white center.

Although they may appear like blisters, mouth ulcers are shallow ulcers, rather than blisters.

Frostbite is caused by extreme cold and can affect the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks, or chin.

The symptoms include numbness and discoloration of the skin, along with blisters filled with fluid or blood in severe cases.

In some cases, mild frostbite may require urgent care. For severe frostbite or concern of accompanying hypothermia (low body temperature), emergency medical attention is required.

Shingles is caused by the varicella-zoster virus, which also causes chickenpox.

It’s a very painful rash of fluid-filled blisters that typically appears in a linear stripe pattern on one side of the body. The rash is often accompanied by low fever, chills, headache, or fatigue.

In chickenpox, clusters of itchy, discolored, fluid-filled blisters appear in various stages of healing all over the body.

The rash is accompanied by fever, body aches, sore throat, and loss of appetite. Chickenpox remains contagious until all blisters have crusted over.

The varicella vaccine is available to help lower the risk of developing chickenpox and shingles.

Dyshidrotic eczema is a condition that causes itchy blisters to form, most often on the hands, fingers, or feet.

The cause is unknown, but it may be related to allergies. Symptoms include dry, discolored, scaly skin and deep cracks.

Pemphigoid is a rare autoimmune disorder that causes a skin rash and blisters on various parts of the body.

There are various types of pemphigoid, and these may affect different parts of the body:

A discolored rash is often the first sign of pemphigoid. Later, thick and large blisters form, containing clear fluid or blood. If they burst, they typically hurt.

Pemphigus vulgaris is a rare autoimmune disease that affects the skin and mucous membranes of various body parts, including the face, genitals, throat, and windpipe.

It causes painful, itchy blisters that break and bleed easily, and can cause pain when eating or swallowing.

Erysipelas is a bacterial infection in the upper layer of the skin.

It’s usually caused by the group A Streptococcus bacterium (GAS). Symptoms can include fever and chills, swelling on the skin, and blisters on the affected area.

The symptoms include extremely itchy bumps filled with clear liquid that form and heal in waxing and waning cycles.

Most blisters require no treatment. If you leave them alone, they’ll usually disappear within 1 week.

However, consider speaking with a healthcare professional if:

A healthcare professional can examine your symptoms and ask you about your medical history to provide a proper diagnosis and develop an appropriate treatment plan.

Treatment will depend on the underlying cause, but may include oral medications like antibiotics or topical ointments like steroid creams.

It’s important never to puncture a blister, as the skin over the fluid protects you from infection. You may also wish to consider covering the skin where there are active lesions if your blisters are caused by an infection like shingles.

Blisters are parts of the skin that are raised and filled with fluid.

In many cases, they’re caused by friction with an object, such as tight shoes. However, medical conditions like eczema, chickenpox, shingles, and burns may also cause blisters.

Speak with a doctor if you have a single or cluster of blisters that don’t improve or appear for no apparent reason. They can diagnose the condition and develop an appropriate treatment plan.