Itchy blistering skin rash: Blisters: Pictures, Causes, and Outlook

17.09.202309.07.2023 by alexxlab

Blisters: Pictures, Causes, and Outlook

Warning: Graphic images ahead.

1. Herpes simplex

The herpes virus causes painful blisters that occur alone or in clusters, weep clear yellow fluid, and then crust over. On the mouth, it is known as a cold sore. On the genitals, it is known as genital herpes and is a sexually transmitted infection (STI).

Most often, the viruses HSV-1 and HSV-2 cause oral and genital lesions, respectively. Less commonly, HSV-1 can also cause genital herpes.

The blisters may be triggered by stress, menstruation, illness, or sun exposure. The infected site often starts to itch or tingle before the actual appearance of blisters.

Learn more about cold sores and genital herpes.

2. Impetigo

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.

3. Burns

This condition is considered a medical emergency. Urgent care may be required.

Burn severity is classified by depth and size: first-degree, second-degree, and third-degree. The blisters will usually form if it is a second-degree burn.

4. Contact dermatitis

Contact dermatitis appears hours to days after an area of skin has been in contact with an allergen or irritant.

The skin becomes itchy, red, scaly, or raw. Blisters can form, which weep, ooze, or become crusty.

5. Aphthous stomatitis

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

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

6. Frostbite

This condition is considered a medical emergency. Urgent care may be required.

Frostbite is caused by extreme cold and can affect 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.

7. Shingles

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

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

8. Chickenpox

In chickenpox, clusters of itchy, red, fluid-filled blisters 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.

9. Dyshidrotic eczema

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

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

10. Pemphigoid

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

There are various types of pemphigoid that are based on where and when the blistering occurs.

A red 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.

11. Pemphigus vulgaris

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

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

12. Erysipelas

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.

13. Dermatitis herpetiformis

Dermatitis herpetiformis is an itchy, blistering, burning skin rash that’s associated with celiac disease.

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

Read more about dermatitis herpetiformis.

Most blisters require no treatment. If you leave them alone, they’ll disappear, and the top skin layers prevent infection. You can cover a skin lesion if it’s contagious, such as shingles, when there are active lesions.

Don’t puncture a blister unless it’s very painful, as the skin over the fluid protects you from infection. If the cause is friction, chemicals, or allergens, the best treatment is to avoid what’s causing your skin to blister.

Blisters caused by infections should be evaluated by a doctor. In addition to medication for the infection, they may be able to give you something to treat the symptoms.

Some conditions that can cause blisters, such as pemphigus vulgaris, don’t have a cure and can only be managed with medications. This may include steroid creams to relieve skin rashes or antibiotics to cure skin infections.

For the most common blisters — those caused by friction on the skin of your feet — you can make changes such as wearing well-fitting shoes and thickly cushioned socks. Have a bandage on hand in case they start to form.

Read this article in Spanish.

Blisters on Feet: Causes and Treatments

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Medically reviewed by Sarah Taylor, M. D., FAAD — By Valencia Higuera — Updated on February 2, 2023

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Blisters – Treatment. (2015).
nhs.uk/Conditions/Blisters/Pages/Treatment.aspx
Causes of blisters. (n.d.).
ipfh.org/foot-conditions/foot-conditions-a-z/blisters/causes-of-blisters
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2015). Blisters: First aid.
mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-blisters/basics/art-20056691

Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space, and we update our articles when new information becomes available.

Current Version

Feb 2, 2023

Written By

Valencia Higuera

Edited By

Stella Miranda

May 18, 2017

Medically Reviewed By

Sarah Taylor, M.D., FAAD

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Medically reviewed by Sarah Taylor, M.D., FAAD — By Valencia Higuera — Updated on February 2, 2023

Blisters

responsible medical portal

Eruptions in the form of bubbles

Vesicle (synonym – vesicle) is the primary element of skin rashes that appears on intact skin due to various reasons. It is a cavity bounded by a lid and bottom, and rises above the skin surface. It is located in the epidermis – the surface layer of the skin. The vesicle is filled with transparent, sometimes turbid (serous) or mixed with blood (serous-hemorrhagic) contents. Size – more often up to 0.5 cm in diameter. There are single and multi-chamber bubbles. Sometimes they open, the contents expire, erosions form at this place, which, after healing (epithelialization), leave no traces. Large, more than 0.5 cm in diameter, elements similar in structure are called bubbles (or bullae).

Causes of blisters:

prickly heat – a pathological condition of the skin, accompanied by the appearance of many blisters with transparent contents on closed areas of the body and in natural skin folds. The disease develops due to excessive overheating and sweating. Vesicles are scattered or grouped (more often in the folds of the skin – inguinal, intergluteal; in the armpits, under the mammary glands). Sometimes the contents of the bubbles become cloudy and suppurate, the elements are surrounded by a zone of redness; in severe cases, they can merge and form weeping foci.
herpes simplex – viral disease affects the area of the lips, nasolabial folds, another part of the face, can be located in the oral cavity. Vesicles have cloudy contents and are surrounded by a reddish corolla (a zone of hyperemia). Swelling and redness visits the patient even before they appear. Rashes bring pain and discomfort in the affected area, may be merged. After some time, they dry out, crusts form on the surface, sometimes small ulcers. The disease may be accompanied by a rise in temperature.
chicken pox (or shingles) – a disease of a viral nature (causative agent – herpes zoster virus). The rash is staged: first papules appear (raised reddish-pink skin densities), and then they are converted into vesicles, first with a transparent, and then cloudy content. These elements subsequently dry out with the formation of brown crusts. It is localized throughout the body, occurs on the scalp, mucous membranes of the mouth, eyes and genitals. Rashes have a wave-like character, which corresponds to a surge in temperature reaction. The rash passes without a trace if it is not injured by scratching, otherwise scars may remain.
felinosis or cat-scratch disease – parasitic disease, vector – domestic cats. At the site of a scratch inflicted by a pet or its bite, two weeks later (incubation period), a small papule (a seal that rises above the skin surface) is formed with a zone of redness, which then transforms into a vesicle or pustule (abscess), followed by the formation of a crust. A characteristic feature of the clinic is regional lymphadenitis (damage to the lymph nodes) two weeks after the rash; axillary and ulnar are more often involved in the process, less often – cervical and inguinal. The temperature reaction is expressed.
scabies – a contagious disease caused by the scabies mite. The way of transmission is contact. Clinic – more often in the skin between the fingers, on the wrist, genitals, the tick makes moves; at the affected sites, a rash appears in the form of papules with a reddish corolla, which can transform into vesicles and be accompanied by itching. Scratching the affected areas can lead to infection of the rash.
allergic reaction (contact and food allergy) – manifests itself in the form of contact dermatitis. Rashes may look like bubbles with transparent contents, redness and swelling around; accompanied by severe itching, while, as a rule, the general condition of the patient is not disturbed. When an allergen is identified, eliminated, or antihistamines are taken, the rash is neutralized.
autoimmune diseases (pemphigus, bullous pemphigoid, dermatitis herpetiformis) is a pathology in which the body’s immune system fights its own healthy cells, as well as body tissues. Rashes affect both the skin and mucous membranes. Bubbles and bullae (bubbles) form, which are very itchy and itchy. In severe cases, internal organs are involved in the process.
insect bites (bugs, fleas, wasps, bees, bumblebees, mosquitoes). The rash has the character of vesicles or papules with a bite mark in the center. They are located asymmetrically on the body, and are accompanied by severe itching.

Which specialists should you contact if you have blistering rashes:

dermatologist;
allergist.

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