Blisters are small sacs of skin filled with fluid, often caused by friction, extreme temperatures, infections, and allergic reactions. They can also form from broken blood vessels. Prevention measures include wearing well-fitting shoes and sunscreen, keeping skin clean and dry, and avoiding contact with allergens.
A blister is a small sac of skin filled with fluid. This fluid is usually blood serum, a watery substance that is basically blood with no blood cells or proteins that cause clotting in it, but it can also be blood or, in the case of an infected bladder, pus. Some of the most common causes of blisters are friction and rubbing, intense heat or intense cold that lead to skin burns or frostbite, viral infections such as chicken pox, and allergic reactions. Wet or clammy skin is also more likely to blister than dry skin.
One of the most common causes of blisters is friction against the skin, such as that caused by wearing a new pair of shoes that are still stiff and not yet broken. Friction-induced blisters typically appear on the hands and feet, which receive more wear and tear than other parts of the body. These blisters form because the body is trying to protect the deeper layers of skin from injury, so it forms a protective cushion filled with fluid in the upper layers of the dermis. You can take preventative measures to avoid blisters like this, such as wearing shoes that fit well and keeping your feet clean and dry.
Extreme temperatures are another common cause of blisters. Skin exposed to heat, whether from the sun or another source, often begins to blister. In fact, the severity of blisters and how quickly they occur are often used to measure the severity of a burn. First-degree burns, like sunburn, can take a day or more to start blistering, while second- or third-degree burns usually start to blister almost immediately. Wearing sunscreen and keeping exposed skin to a minimum can help prevent burn blisters from developing.
Another of the more common causes of blisters is infection. The herpes simplex virus typically causes an infected person to develop a rash of small, fluid-filled blisters. The blisters associated with the herpes simplex virus are itchy and painful and can leave deep scars if they burst prematurely. Often, the herpes simplex virus goes dormant in the body for many years but can reemerge as painful blisters around the mouth that are often called fever blisters.
Allergic reactions are another of the most common causes of blisters. Allergies can cause a skin reaction called contact dermatitis, which is often characterized by the outbreak of an itchy, blistering rash. Many people develop painful blisters after coming into contact with plants such as poison ivy or poison oak.
Blood blisters typically develop when an area of skin is aggravated by pinching, squeezing, squeezing, or other aggressive touch. When the skin is touched in this way, it can cause small blood vessels to rupture. These broken blood vessels can begin to seep blood between the layers of skin, where it becomes trapped. The skin surrounding the trapped fluid forms a protective pocket around the blood.
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