Blood Blister in Mouth

We have often heard of blisters in mouth, but are blood blisters different from normal blisters? Unlike other blisters, blood blisters contain a high amount of blood along with other body fluids. Tearing of the blood vessels that lie below the outermost layer of the skin results in formation of blood blisters. An important point to note is that blood blisters are very painful and can interfere with a person's eating. People with blood blisters in mouth often find it difficult to chew food properly. Ingesting hot foodstuffs can also increase the pain considerably.

Blood blister in mouth can occur anywhere and are not restricted to inside of the cheeks. These blisters that look like pimples, can be seen on the tongue and teeth gums. When the gums are affected, it can cause immense pain while brushing teeth.

Causes

When any skin infection occurs, or an injury damages the skin's surface, the body responds in the form of blood blisters. Eating hard food items such as toast can cause injury and lead to blood blisters in mouth. Some of the most common causes of this mouth condition are given below:

Oral Ulcers: An ulcer is an open wound that appears inside the mouth, due to invasion of microorganisms. This skin infection can also occur as a side effect of certain medications. There are generally 2 types of mouth ulcers: cold sores and canker sores. However, the one that causes mouth blisters are canker sores as they occur inside the mouth.

Food Allergy: People who are allergic to certain foods can experience blood blisters in mouth after eating. Citrus foods are notorious for causing these mouth problems. In such cases, modification in diet is the only solution to overcome this problem.

Nutritional Deficiency: A diet deficient in vitamins can also cause this mouth problem. Less intake of vitamin B12 and vitamin C can particularly trigger formation of blood blisters in mouth.

Prescription Drugs: Use of certain medications to treat a particular disease can cause an allergic reaction, which may manifest in the form of mouth blister.

Cheek Biting: The habit of hastily consuming the food during meals increases the risk of unknowingly biting the cheeks or the tongue. Even chatting or watching television while having food is also one of the reasons behind increasing number of cheek biting cases. Having piping hot food without allowing it cool can actually burn the inner cheeks. In all these cases, the skin is damaged and the injured area may soon show development blood blisters.

Oral Herpes: A virus belonging to the human papillomavirus is responsible for causing oral herpes that is characterized by formation of blood blisters in the gums, inner cheeks, tongue and even the roof of the mouth. After contracting the infection, initially the person experiences pain and burning sensation in the affected area and is then followed by formation of blisters. Apart from blisters, other symptoms of oral herpes include fever, muscle aches and fatigue. Recurrent outbreak of oral herpes is a common phenomenon and the symptoms may aggravate and subside at regular intervals. However, in most cases, recurring symptoms are not severe as compared to initial outbreaks.

Alcohol Abuse: Use of tobacco or too much consumption of alcohol is also responsible for ulceration, which may cause blood blisters to appear in mouth.

Treatment

In most cases, mouth blisters, do not need any specific medical treatment, as they go away on their own within a few days. Blood blisters that have formed due to burns and bites are usually not a cause for concern as these small eruptions go away within a week without any medical intervention. However, people experiencing frequent episodes of blood blisters in the mouth, need to consult a doctor to diagnose the problem. A popular belief is that blisters can be eliminated by squeezing them, something that is totally incorrect. This will actually trigger a secondary bacterial infection and prolong the recovery time. Piercing or popping the blisters can bring an unbearable amount of pain and further aggravate the problem. Allow the blisters to heal naturally to get rid of them at the earliest. Ginger is well-known for its anti-inflammatory properties, and hence its usage can certainly benefit to cure oral ulcers.

As far as oral herpes is concerned, the infection usually lasts for a 14 day period and may not require any medical intervention. But, in order to alleviate the symptoms and decrease the healing time, the doctor may recommend antivirals that are found to be most effective if they are given at the earliest. For instance, taking the medications when the blisters have not yet appeared or have just started forming may substantially reduce the stay of the infection.

Topical corticosteroids (fluocinonide) and antibiotic mouth washes are also extremely useful to relieve the inflammation associated with blood blister in mouth. Also, maintaining oral hygiene is equally important to keep mouth problems at bay.