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

  • dermatitis

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:
  • 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.
  • Running Injuries

    • Foot blisters are also common among runners.
    • Specialized socks greatly help to prevent blisters.
  • Complete Antigens and Haptens

    • After a second exposure later, the proliferated T cells can become activated, generating an immune reaction, producing the typical blisters of poison ivy exposure.
  • 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.
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