blister

(noun)

A small bubble between the layers of the skin that contains watery or bloody fluid and is caused by friction and pressure, burning, freezing, chemical irritation, disease or infection.

Related Terms

Examples of blister in the following topics:

  • Blister

    • Friction blisters, caused by rubbing against the skin, can be prevented by reducing the friction to a level where blisters will not form.
    • Most sunburn blisters will heal naturally.
    • First and second degree burns may result in blistered skin; however, it is characteristic of second degree burns to blister immediately, whereas first degree burns can have blisters after a couple of days.
    • Some chemical warfare agents, known as blister agents or vesicants, cause large, painful blisters wherever they contact skin; an example is mustard gas.
    • Other, much rarer conditions that cause blisters include:

  • Viral Skin Diseases

    • Oral herpes , the visible symptoms of which are colloquially called cold sores or fever blisters, is an infection of the face or mouth and is the most common form of infection.
    • Herpes zoster (or simply zoster), commonly known as shingles, is a viral disease characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe.
    • Topical lotions containing calamine can be used on the rash or blisters and may be soothing.
    • A wart is generally a small, rough growth, typically on a human's hands or feet , but often other locations, that can resemble a cauliflower or a solid blister.
    • Note the blisters in a group marked by an arrow.

  • Shingles

    • Herpes zoster, commonly known as shingles, is a viral disease caused by the reactivation of the chickenpox virus, characterized by a painful skin rash with blisters in a limited area on one side of the body, often in a stripe.

  • Desmosomes

    • In other disorders affecting the desmosome, layers of the skin can pull apart resulting in blisters and other tissue damage.
    • Blistering diseases such as Pemphigus vulgaris and Pemphigus foliaceus are autoimmune diseases in which auto-antibodies target the desmoglein proteins.

  • Infection

    • Oral herpes, the visible symptoms of which are colloquially called cold sores or fever blisters, is an infection of the face or mouth .
    • Note the blisters in a group marked by an arrow.

  • Genital Ulcer Diseases

    • Other than ulceration, enlarged lymph nodes in the groin area can be present, along with blisters and sores.

  • Running Injuries

    • Foot blisters are also common among runners.
    • Specialized socks greatly help to prevent blisters.

  • Wartime Politics and the 1944 Election

    • In response, Dewey gave a blistering partisan speech in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma a few days later on national radio, in which he accused Roosevelt of being "indispensable" to corrupt big-city Democratic organizations and American Communists; he also referred to members of FDR's cabinet as a "motley crew. " However, American battlefield successes in Europe and the Pacific during the campaign, such as the liberation of Paris in August 1944 and the successful Battle of Leyte Gulf in the Philippines in October 1944, made Roosevelt unbeatable.

  • Bacterial Skin Diseases

    • Common points of infection include cracks in the skin, cuts, blisters, burns, insect bites, surgical wounds, intravenous drug injection, or sites of intravenous catheter insertion.

  • Basement Membranes and Diseases

    • This is an inherited connective tissue disease causing blisters in the skin and mucosal membranes, with an incidence of 1/50,000.