A blister is a fluid -fill sack that forms between the top layers of your skin surface. There are many reasons you can get blisters. Some of the common causes are contamination, friction, burning, and freezing. Blisters at times develop as symptoms of different ailments. A blister will begin to form on the uppermost layer of your skin also known as epidermis. The function of this layer of skin is to cushion the delicate layer below and in turn protects it from injury. The cause of the blister will determine its contents which include blood, pus, plasma and serum. A blister guards the sensitive skin beneath and gives it more healing time.
What Do I Need to Know About Blisters?
Fast facts on blisters
Inside blisters you will find different fluids; either blood, pus, plasma or serum. Different factors cause blister formation, such as chemical burns, friction, frostbite and varying medical complications. Blisters offer protection to the delicate layer beneath the epidermis which is the outer layer. If your daily activities include a lot of lifting or you're a professional sports player who uses hale tools like golf of tennis then you can leave your blisters to guard the inner softer tissues. Ensure your footwear fit you properly and you should as well stay away from chemicals that may cause blisters.
What Are the Causes of Blisters?
Reasons I Have Blisters?
There are different diseases or activities that can cause blisters. We have a list below on some of the common ways blisters develop on your skin: Blister as a result of constant rubbing surfaces for example your middle finger holding a pen or a pencil for long hours. The most common cause of blisters is too much friction due to consistent activities such as playing a stringed instrument like a harp or guitar. As long as you expose your skin to repetitive friction, get ready to have blisters.
Hands and Feet are Prone To Blisters
Your hands and feet are most prone to blistering because they're the skin surface that comes to contact with external surfaces. These situations include playing drums, walking, running and much more. Parts of the skin surface with thick protruding layer surrounding regions such as palms of hands and soles of the feet are more likely to suffer from blistering. Warm environments aggravate the formation of blisters. Moist surrounding also contributes to a blistering skin surface. Even though it's rare, blisters may lead to infection of your neighboring healthy skin if you don't monitor it properly.
Blisters Due To Extreme Temperature
The timing of blister formation assists in categorizing burns. Second-degree burns will blister immediately, but first-degree burns blister some days after it happens. The other extreme end is formation of blisters due to frostbite. For both cases, blistering occurs to offer protection for soft underlying tissues against further damage from extreme temperature.
Does Chemical Exposure Result In Blisters?
Chemical agents may lead to your skin blistering, this type of blisters is known as contact dermatitis. It can affect some individuals in contact with the following:
- solvents
- detergents
- cosmetics
- Balsam of Peru, a flavoring
- nickel sulfate, used in electroplating
- Crushing and pinching
- insect bites and stings
- chemical warfare products, like sulfur mustard
A blood blister forms when a tiny blood vessel next to the top skin surface tears and the blood leaks into the space between your skin tissues. This type of wound is termed as a blood blister.
Medical Conditions May Lead To Formation Of Blisters
Some medical conditions can result in blisters. These include:
- Eczema: Blistering may develop together with other numerous skin symptoms like flaking, cracking, and crusting.
- Chickenpox: This rash develops tiny blisters that turn into crusts.
- Herpes: The cold sores produced by the herpes simplex virus are clusters of blisters.
- Pemphigus: A unique group of autoimmune complications, it has an impact on your skin and mucous membranes. The immune system attacks a vital binding molecule present in the surface of your skin, detaching the epidermis layer from the surrounding layers of the skin.
- Dyshidrosis: A skin complication with a rapid occurrence of many small, clear blisters as a major symptom.
- Bullous pemphigoid: An autoimmune disease that affects the skin and results in blistering; this is most common in older patients.
- Bullous impetigo: Mostly evident among infants under the age of two, blisters may develop on the arms, legs, or torso.
- Dermatitis herpetiformis is a chronic blistering skin complication similar to herpes in appearance even though they're unrelated.
- Cutaneous radiation syndrome which comes about due to side effects of radiation exposure.
- Epidermolysis bullosa is a hereditary complication of the connective tissue that results in the formation of skin and mucous membrane.
Most individuals suffer from friction blister which normally form as a result of everyday stress between the rest of your body and the skin surface.
A blister Forms When Stratum Spinosum Tears Due To Friction
Stratum spinosum is the skin layer that is most prone to the sheer pressure. The moment this layer rips off the tissues underneath, a fluid resembling plasma leaks and starts to fill the empty space. This fluid activates fresh growth and As this layer tears away from the tissues below, a plasma-like fluid leaks from the cells and begins to fill the gap that forms. This fluid encourages new cell growth and restoration.
Cells at the bottom of the blisters begin to utilize nucleosides and amino acid (protein blocks and DNA) on average 6 hours after the formation of the blister. Within a day, division of cells goes up greatly. Fresh layers of skin over the stratum spinosum develop constantly. A fresh skin layer will form after about 2 days, and following 3 days the top new layer of skin is eminent. The moment fresh cells form, fluid reabsorption occurs and the inflammation goes down.
Painful Blisters are a Result of Deep Tissue Tearing
Painful blisters on the palm of the hands or soles of the feet are often caused by When deep tissue tears, it results in painful blistering on your hand palm and your feet soles. The deep tissue layers are next to nerve endings which results in increased pain.
How Can I Prevent Blisters From Forming?
Prevention of Blisters
The best way to stop friction blisters from forming is eliminating the cause of blisters and the most effective methods are:
- Avoiding feet blisters
- Put on comfortable footwear and socks with good padding. High heels, stiff shoes and wrongly-fitting footwear make you prone to blister formation. Wear well-fitted, comfortable footwear and clean socks. Wrongly fitted or stiff shoes, such as high heels, carry a higher risk of blistering.
- Moist skin are highly susceptible to skin blistering, you need to get use socks that control the moisture level such as heavy socks.
- When you're exercising or playing sports, you need to use unique socks that will minimize the level of sweat around your feet.
- You can take breaks when you're on a long walk to reduce the pressure that leads to blisters.
- Using tape, moleskin or pads can assist in preventing blisters formation. Another option is friction-management patches that are placed in the shoe interior. These patches are more reliable because they last as long as your shoes can fit you.
- Avoiding blisters on the hands
- Wear gloves when you're doing heavy lifting frequently or you play sports that require you to hold equipment such as golf, cricket and tennis will help you in avoiding blistering.
How Do Blisters Form?
How Do Blisters Appear On My Skin?
Within a number of sport activities such as weightlifting, gymnastics, and rowing you can tape up your hands to protect them from blistering. Talcum powder is a substance you may use either on its own or in conjunction with tapes and gloves. The only disadvantage of using a Talcum powder is its moisture absorption property which means you cannot use it when you're working for a long while. Although blisters maybe painfully annoying, they're not a symptom of medical disorders. If you follow the rules above, then you can prevent skin blistering.
Blister treatment
Most blisters heal without medical intervention. As the new skin forms beneath the blister, the fluid will slowly disappear, and the skin will naturally dry and peel off. If a blister is from a spider, chicken pox, cold sores, or persistent health conditions, you might require special treatment.
Treatment for a blister that has not popped
- Do not pop or drain it
- Do not cover it or cover it loosely with a bandage
- Do not pressure the blister. If the blister is a pressure region such as the bottom of the foot, put a mole skin on it.
Treatment for a blister that has popped
- Wash the area with warm water and gentle soap. Do not use alcohol, iodine, or hydrogen peroxide.
- Smooth down the skin flap that remains
- Apply antibiotic ointment to the area
- Cover the region loosely with a sterile bandage or gauze
Medical care
Management of friction blisters includes sterile drainage of the site while leaving the blister roof intact to serve as a dressing. This will help relieve some discomfort and protects the site from superinfection. You can also apply donut moleskin to reduce additional trauma to the blister and to relieve discomfort. In case the blister roof is already fully or partially removed, treat the site as an open wound with right antiseptic and surgical bandage application.
Hydrocolloid dressings have also been proven to reduce discomfort and promote healing. Some recommend debridement of the skin of the blister, the use of a topical containing nitrofurazone, and the application of a bandage.
Plastering a blister
Applying a blister plaster will assist in treating a blister without puncturing it. The plaster can:
- Help prevent additional pressure from shoes on to the blister
- Protect the sensitive protective layer of skin on top of the blister until the blister is ready to drain by itself
- Protect an open blister from being infected and external influences such as water, dirt, and bacteria getting in contact with the blister
Before using a plaster, always read the label. Use only as directed by a plaster. If symptoms persist, contact your healthcare practitioner. A blister needs patience, and there are several measures you can take to prevent pain and to guarantee fast healing. As soon as you realize a blister developing, apply a plaster. A plaster will cushion the affected region and protect even an open blister from infection and dirt. It will also aid to take off the pressure-induced pain and help the healing process. Do not change the plaster wait until it comes off by itself. Give the blister time to heal.
You can use Elastoplast blister plaster with hydrocolloid technology to create an optimal moist wound healing environment that allows the wound to heal faster. So as not to inhibit the healing process, leave the plaster in place for several days and only change in case it starts to come off by itself.
Always read the label of the plaster and use it as directed. If symptoms persist, contact your healthcare provider. Blister wounds heal best in a humid environment. This is medically proven. In a protected environment, a blister will heal off best and all by itself without medical intervention. With a blister, breaking its protective surface of skin enables bacteria to enter the wound, which is medically regarded as an open wound. However, if this does happen, you should disinfect the punctured blister (for example with an antiseptic spray) and cover it with a blister plaster. It will protect the affected area from further pressure, friction, and other harmful external influences.”
