A blood blister in mouth can be uncomfortable and unpleasant. Moreover, this happens due to an injury to the tissues inside the mouth. However, there might be other causes, mainly if it is frequent and does not heal quickly.
A person with a blood blister in mouth can follow few steps, which will help heal faster and relieve the symptoms.
Table of Contents
What is a blood blister in mouth?
A blood blister can be either a sore area inside your mouth or a raised area in your skin infused with blood and different fluids. Often, blood blister in the mouth occurs when blood vessels below that skin area are ruptured.
Hence, blood gets trapped in that area which causes blood blister.
Is it possible to have a painless blood blister in mouth?
Blood blisters happen when the blood vessels in your skin are damaged. Hence, they are painful and, most of the time, more painful than other blisters.
Signs of blood blister in mouth
It can happen anywhere inside the mouth. However, mostly it is seen on soft areas such as the tongue, lips, and on your cheeks. Most of the time, you can see the blisters in your mouth, or you can feel them with your tongue. Also, you have one or a lot of them at the same time.
If you do not know what a blood blister looks like or confuse it with other blisters, then there are a lot of pictures of blood blisters in mouth on the internet. This will help you to identify whether it is a blood blister or not.
Furthermore, blood blister in mouth can be of different colors like purple or deep red, and they are extremely painful to touch until you pop them. The blood blisters will make it uncomfortable to brush your teeth or chew your foods if it is inside your mouth.
Blood blister in mouth COVID
Even though we know the sites of Covid-19 are on the lungs and upper airways, the virus can also infect other parts of the body like blood vessels, kidneys, and digestive system.
According to a recent study, the Novel Coronavirus can infect the cells inside the mouth that might cause blisters, loss of taste, and dryness inside and around the mouth.
According to doctors, the primary skin symptoms are blisters or vesicular eruptions or COVID toes. These signs are typical for a patient affected by coronavirus as they are not the usual symptoms for other virus-related illnesses.
Blood blister in mouth cancer
It is essential to know that most of the time, these are benign, which means they are not harmful to your health and not cancerous.
However, sometimes they reappear in various parts of the mouth; hence, it is best to talk to your doctor if you see a frequent blister happening.
Blood blister in mouth causes
There can be several reasons that can lead to a sudden blood blister in mouth which includes:
- Angina Bullosa Hemorrhagica (ABH) is a rare disorder
- allergic to food items that have a high quantity of acidity
- thrombocytopenia, which means low platelet count
- trauma
Chemotherapy, radiation, and drugs can also lead to blood blister in mouth.
#1 Angina Bullosa Hemorrhagica (ABH)
ABH is a rare type of disorder that causes excruciating blisters to erupt suddenly on the soft skin of the mouth. However, they only last for few minutes and then immediately rupture.
According to researches, this happens to 0.5 percent of the world population. Also, they are different from other blisters as they are unrelated to any systemic disorder such as thrombocytopenia. Till now, no cause for these blisters has been found.
#2 Allergic to acidic foods
Certain foods, even medicines, can irritate the lining of the mouth, which develops into a blood blister. Most of the time, you might develop these blisters when you have had these kinds of foods:
- Food that has cinnamon flavoring
- Acidic foods such as lime, oranges
- Astringents like the ones used in toothpaste or mouthwash
#3 Thrombocytopenia
Platelets are tiny blood cells that help our blood form clots and stop the bleeding. There are the various reason a person can have a low platelet count, such as
- If someone takes medications like anticonvulsants and antibiotics
- It can happen when the immune system damages platelets
- When someone is pregnant.
Low platelet count might be the reason for blood blisters inside the mouth. It is stated that every year in the United States, 30k new cases are diagnosed. Among them, 70 percent occur in women.
#4 Trauma
The common reason for blood blister in mouth trauma such as burning the mouth with hot foods, biting the inside of your cheeks constantly, or you might have punctured soft tissues with some sharp foods such as potato chips.
Moreover, if trauma is the reason for blood blisters, it will happen very quickly right after the damage.
How to treat blood blister in mouth?
You can cure blood blisters with home remedies most of the time. If you are suffering from blood blisters, then you can try:
#1 Cucumber
They contain a high quantity of silica. It is a chemical that is good for the healing and regeneration of the skin. You can use a cucumber on the area and hold a tiny piece of it on blisters 3 – 4 times a day. This will heal the blister within a day.
Also, if holding a cucumber is uncomfortable for you, you can try to drink cucumber juice, which will help heal the area.
#2 Ice
Ice helps reduce inflammation and sometimes even prevents blood blisters if you apply ice on the affected area right after the injury.
Moreover, when using ice, you need to hold the ice directly on the blood blister for 8 – 10 minutes at least four times a day. You can even apply slight pressure, which will stop the bleeding.
However, if you do not want to use ice, you can even have ice cream or frozen popsicles few times a day. It will work the same way as ice.
#3 Turmeric
Turmeric is one of the popular spices in South Asia and has even been used for various Ayurvedic treatments for more than a century. It is mainly used to treat inflammation and pain.
However, a lot of researches have stated that there is no evidence of turmeric as an anti-inflammatory medicine or pain reliever. But there is much circumstantial evidence that states it is suitable for treating this type of blisters.
If you want to use turmeric to treat your blisters, you can mix ¼ teaspoon of turmeric with honey and make a gel-like paste. Use it on the affected area and keep it for few minutes.
#4 Chamomile
Chamomile has the properties which help to soothe an affected area. So, it is used for mouth sores to provide some relief.
Hence, people who suffer from blood blisters can drink chamomile tea 2 – 3 times a day to promote healing and soothe any irritation.
#5 Witch Hazel
They contain tannic acid, which helps to dry up blood blisters and lessen the pain. Also, some studies have stated that witch hazel might have anti-inflammation properties.
Moreover, if a person wants to use witch hazel on their blood blister, then soak a soft cloth or cotton swab in it and lightly dab it on the affected area.
Also, once you have applied the witch hazel, you have to keep your mouth open so that it gets the time to dry. You can do this many times a day till your blister heals.
However, some people are allergic to witch hazel. Hence a patch test is essential. You can dap a small amount of witch hazel on your non-sensitive area. If there are no allergic reactions within a day, it is safe to use on your blood blisters.
Tips for prevention
Blood blisters can be very uncomfortable and painful. Hence to prevent them in the future, you can do the following things:
- Do not pop the blister
- Avoid spicy foods
- Eat soft foods when your blister is healing
- Remove the dentures until the sore heals
- Visit a dentist if there is a new denture
When to see a doctor?
- You have blood blisters frequently
- The blister is very big; hence it isn’t easy to swallow or chew your food. Sometimes it also interferes with breathing
- Extremely painful that it is hampering your daily routine such as brushing your teeth. In this case, the doctor will suggest using soothing mouthwash. It will heal the blisters faster
- It is taking more than ten days to recover from the blister fully
- The blood blister is infected. Some of the symptoms of infection are it is warm when you are touching it, the area around the blister is deep red, and fluid is draining from it.
Other types of blisters that occur on the body
There are four types of blisters other than blood blisters, and they are
- Canker sores
- Fever blister
- Heat blister
- Friction blister
Canker sores and fever blisters can also appear in the mouth like a blood blister, and they are also red.
#1 Canker sores
They are usually reddish ulcers inside the mouth, but they are not deep red like blood blisters. Also, they have a yellow or white film.
Prevention:
- Brush your teeth twice a day. Use a soft toothbrush to avoid inflammation and irritation on the tissues and gums.
- If they pop up because of stress, you can use calming methods and stress reduction techniques like mediation and deep breathing.
- Avoid foods that are salty, acidic, and spicy. Also, it is good to avoid food that might cause allergic symptoms like a puffy tongue, hives, or sore mouth.
#2 Friction Blisters
It is caused by rubbing on your skin. Moreover, friction blisters occur when there is a fluid build-up on the upper layer of the skin.
Moreover, many people get them if they do not wear socks or wear shoes that do not fit them.
Also, you can get them on the arms if you are holding heavy tools for a long time, such as a shovel.
Prevention:
- Wear shoes that fit you perfectly
- If you are going to do manual labor for a long time, then use gloves
- Wear clothes that do not create friction on your body as poor-fitting clothes can lead to friction blisters.
- If you have bought new shoes, then do not wear them for a long time. For the first few times, use them when you don’t have to go outside for a couple of days.
#3 Heat Blisters
This blister happens from sunburns and burns. It might also occur after a warm-up from frostbites.
Prevention:
- Be careful when you are working around the fire and handling hot things.
- It is best to use sunscreen if you are out in the sun for a long time.
- To avoid frostbite, wear weather-appropriate clothes. However, if you still get frostbite, use lukewarm water to raise your body temperature.
#4 Fever blisters
You will feel a tingling sensation before fever blisters form. It happens when one is suffering from swollen lymph nodes or fever. Also, they mostly appear around the mouth and just under the nose instead of inside the mouth.
Right now, no medicine can help you minimize the frequency of these blisters. However, the healthier one person is less likely they will have a fever blister.
Prevention:
- Boost your immune system and stay healthy
- Try to reduce your stress level and, if need be, talk to a therapist
- You can take antiviral medicines every day to reduce the outbreak
- If you think you can get a fever blister, then start treatment immediately.
Final thoughts
Most blisters are harmless for your health and will go away within 10 – 12 days. It might heal faster if you try home remedies such as turmeric, ice, and chamomile tea.
Sometimes it can occur due to some underlying cause, such as low platelet count or renal failure. To treat them, you need medical treatment.
If your blood blisters do not heal even after two weeks, it is essential to check up with a doctor.