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Blister in mouthBlisters are the most familiar disorder of the mouth that causes discomfort and annoyance to millions of Americans. It causes small sores which develop in or around the mouth, and often are confused with each other. Blisters, also known as cold sores, usually occur outside the mouth--on the lips, chin, and cheeks or in the nostrils. When fever blisters do occur inside the mouth, it is generally on the gums or the roof of the
mouth. Inside the mouth, fever blisters are smaller than canker sores, heal more quickly, and often begin as a blister. Fever blisters have plagued mankind for thousands of years. Scientists at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, one of the federal government's National Institutes of Health, are seeking ways to better organize and ultimately prevent these and other oral disorders.
Fever Blisters
In ancient Rome, an epidemic of fever blisters prompted Emperor Tiberius to ban kissing in public ceremonies. Today fever blisters still occur in epidemic proportions. About 100 million episodes of recurrent fever blisters occur yearly in the United States alone. An estimated 45 to 80 percent of adults and children in this country have had at least one bout with the blisters. Fever blisters are caused by a contagious virus called herpes simplex. They are of two types of herpes simplex virus.
Factors
Several factors weaken the body's defenses and trigger an outbreak of herpes. These include emotional stress, fever, illness, injury and exposure to sunlight. Many women have recurrences only during menstruation. One study indicates that susceptibility to herpes recurrences is inherited. Research is under way to discover exactly how the triggering factors interact with the immune system and the virus to prompt a recurrence of fever blisters. Currently there is no cure for fever blisters. Some medications can relieve some of the pain and discomfort associated with the sores, however. These include ointments that numb the blisters, antibiotics that control secondary bacterial infections, and ointments that soften the crusts of the sores.
Blister on gums
Recurrent blister on gums afflict about 20 percent of the general population. The medical term for the sores is aphthous stomatitis. Blister gums are usually found on the movable parts of the mouth such as the tongue or the inside linings of the...
Itchy blisters
Itching around a blister can be a sign that the blister is healing. Other possible causes of itchy blisters include a viral illness, such as chickenpox or shingles. Red bumps may turn into blisters that become cloudy, break, and scab over. Contact...
Blisters under tongue
There are many different types of blisters that can occur under the tongue of a person. The most common types of them are canker sores and colds sores that are caused by the herpes simplex virus type I (HSV-1). Other rarer forms of blisters under...
Blister relief
Blisters are caused by friction from shoes or clothing, which rubs repeatedly on the skin causing friction burns. As the outer layer of skin separates from the inner layers the space between fills with lymph fluid. Blisters are a common problem with...
Blister treatment
Most blisters caused by friction or minor burns do not require a doctor's care. New skin will form underneath the affected area and the fluid is simply absorbed. You can soothe ordinary blisters with vitamin E ointment or an aloe-based cream. Do not...
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- Blister