Symptoms of Blood Blisters - Causes Treatment and Prevention

Blood Blisters: Overview, Treatment, and Prevention

Blood Blisters

A blood blister is a blister that contains blood in the place of clear liquid. Blisters are nothing but small pockets of fluid under a layer of skin. The skin has three layers. The very top layer is called the epidermis, the middle layer is known as the dermis, and the bottom layer is the hypodermis. 

The blister forms under the epidermis layer. It does fill with clear liquid or blood, depending on the nature of the injury that broke your skin. Blood blisters occur whenever there is damage to blood vessels in your skin. The immune system reacts to that damage and inflammation results.

Blood blisters develop more on the feet, toes, hands and fingers. One might get them on bony areas like heels and balls of the feet and near the joints. In most cases, blood blisters on your skin heal on their own. 
Blood blisters inside the mouth and around it, for example, the inner lining of your cheek and on your lips, can arise from serious conditions. If at all possible, you should get to see your health provider when a blood blister appears anywhere in your mouth.

Causes of Blood Blisters

A blood blister can form anywhere on the body where the skin has been pinched but not broken open. Closing a drawer on a finger or holding onto heavy weights for too long can cause blood blisters.

Other factors can also involve:

• Décor or any other object that rubs against the skin time and again
• Shoes that fit poorly and pinch the skin
• Sweating feet that cause excessive friction
• A mild injury like pinching the skin between objects
• Severe frostbite

Blood blisters in the mouth are mostly symptoms of another disease or disorder. If one has a blood blister inside one's mouth, he or she should seek the attention of a doctor. The following are some of the possible reasons for blood blisters inside the mouth:

• mouth cancer
• nutritional deficiencies
• excessive consumption of alcohol
• allergies
• bleeding disorders

Symptoms of Blood Blister

Blood blisters are pouches of skin that are raised, similar to bruises or friction blisters. Since they fill with blood, they become red, purple, or black in color. It is light red in color initially and gradually darkens. Blood blisters come in different sizes.
The area of the blister may also be painful or sore, owing to the nature of the injury that has caused it. Sometimes, blood blisters are accompanied by itchiness.

Treatment for Blood Blister

Most of the time, there is nothing that an individual has to do for the treatment of a blood blister. The blister generally heals and dries out on its own.

Doctors often suggest that the blister should be left to heal on its own so that it does not get secondarily infected. Additional steps could be taken in order to ensure healing for blood blisters, especially on feet and toes. If a blister bursts, it is likely to get infected. Some general steps that can be taken are described below:

• Elevate and ice the blister
• Loosely wrap the blister to help avoid additional friction
• Keeping the pressure off the blister by removing shoes or wearing open-toe shoes.
• Cleansing gently and covering a popped blister
• Semi seeking medical help if necessary

There are also some things not to do for blood blisters, they are:

• Wear shoes that fit poorly
• Not pick off the skin as it heals because this could expose the wound to infection
• Do not pop the blister
• Generally, It is advisable to avoid popping a blood blister. It's usually safest to just let it heal by itself to avoid possible problems such as slowed healing and infection.
• Some also recommend various home remedies, such as skin creams and natural herbs, for healing blood blisters. How effective these really are is not very well studied or documented, however.

Prevention of Blood Blisters

Blood blisters normally develop because something has pinched your skin. This tends to happen on your hands and feet. The following are some steps to prevent blood blisters from developing:

• Be cautious with tools or other objects that may pinch your skin.
• Use gloves when operating with tools like pruners and pliers because they have the potential to pinch your skin.
• Wear socks and appropriate shoes to protect your feet and toes
• Putting drying powder inside the shoes to help absorb any moisture
• Adding padding to the shoes if you're feeling pressure

Conclusion

A blood blister is a raised pocket of skin that is quite similar to a friction blister in appearance. Blood blisters, however, are filled with blood in contrast to the clear fluid on friction blisters. They may also become red, purple, or black in colour. Blood blisters may occur due to pinching/hurting yourself, for example, pinching your finger. Blood blisters typically heal on their own and do not require treatment.