Blisters on the face not only spoil the appearance of a person, but can also be a sign of pathology. In medicine, such formations are called a bubble rash. In some cases, it can be eliminated at home. However, if the rash is caused by an allergic reaction or an infectious disease, then this requires a visit to a doctor.
Causes of skin irritation
Blisters on the face are always the result of severe irritation of the epidermis. This skin reaction can be observed in various diseases and conditions:
- Allergy. Skin irritation can occur due to exposure to various substances: cosmetics, detergents, medicines, certain types of food. On the skin, redness first appears, accompanied by itching. Often the patient has a runny nose, sneezing, coughing. Then bubbles form with liquid. Only a doctor can identify the type of allergen after a special analysis.
- UV rays burn. Often blisters on the skinappear with the abuse of sunburn. A sign of a mild burn is redness of the skin and pain when touched. With a more serious lesion, watery blisters appear on the face. Sometimes bubbles do not appear immediately, but after some time after excessive exposure to sunlight.
- Thermal and chemical burns. Blistering can be caused by exposure to high temperatures or harsh chemicals. These are signs of a 2nd degree burn. The patient feels severe pain at the site of the lesion.
- Insect bite. In this case, a red blister forms on the face. In its center you can see a small dot of gore - the bite site. The patient is worried about itching. But unlike allergies, the patient does not itch all over the face, but only a small area of the lesion.
- Stress. Many patients are aware of a rash due to nerves. The skin can react to strong emotional experiences with the appearance of a rash. Rashes usually consist of very small blisters on the skin of the face and other parts of the body. Often these blisters itch. If stress is the cause of the rash, it clears up on its own after a few days.
- Infectious diseases. Blisters on the face of a child are often one of the manifestations of a viral or bacterial disease. More often, such a rash is always observed with chickenpox and measles. At the same time, the patient's general well-being deteriorates sharply: the temperature rises, weakness and aching in the joints appear. If the blisters are localized in the area of the lips, then this is most often associated with a herpes infection ("fever" on the lips).
Symptomatics
A blister is a fluid-filled blister on the skin. From above it is covered with a thin layer of the epidermis. The color of the formation can be different - from red to transparent. A photo of the blister on the face can be seen below.
Associated symptoms depend on the underlying disease. After all, bubbles on the skin are just one of the manifestations of pathology:
- Allergies and insect bites cause itching and redness of the skin.
- Infectious diseases are usually accompanied by fever and weakness.
- When burned, the patient complains of pain and burning in the affected areas.
- Rash during stress resembles an allergic reaction in its manifestations and may be accompanied by itching.
Blisters should be distinguished from calluses, which are formed due to prolonged friction of the skin on a rough surface. Such an effect on the epidermis can also lead to the appearance of bubbles. However, calluses rarely form on the face. Most often they appear on the toes and hands.
First Aid
When bubbles appear on the skin of the face, it is best to consult a doctor. It is sometimes very difficult to independently identify the cause of their occurrence. However, before contacting a specialist, first aid should be given to the patient:
- The edges of the rash should be treated with any antiseptic preparation. This should be done very carefully, without touching the bubbles themselves, so as not to provoke pain and burning.
- A bandage should be applied to the affected area. This will help prevent skin injury and bacteria penetration.
What not to do
Very often blisters on the face are accompanied by itching. This symptom is noted with allergies, chickenpox, insect bites. However, you should try not to scratch the rashes. Otherwise, a bacterial infection can be introduced into the skin, as a result, pustules will appear on the epidermis. After such a lesion, scars may remain on the face. If the patient is tormented by very severe itching, then it is better to treat the skin with an antihistamine cream.
In no case should you pierce the bubbles. The swollen skin on the blister protects the deeper layers of the epidermis from bacteria. At home, it is impossible to follow the necessary rules of antiseptics, so piercing most often leads to a serious skin disease.
Folk treatments can only be useful for minor skin lesions. If the blisters on the face do not go away for a long time, then you need to see a doctor.
Diagnosis
If blisters appear on the face, the doctor most often diagnoses by the appearance of the rash and the presence of associated symptoms. However, sometimes identifying the cause of the appearance of bubbles can be difficult even for an experienced specialist. For example, infectious diseases with a rash can occur in an atypical form, without an increase in temperature and a pronounced deterioration in well-being. In such cases, they are very easy to confuse with allergies. For the purpose of differential diagnosis, the following tests are prescribed:
- allergy teststo various types of stimuli;
- blood test for antibodies to the chickenpox virus.
If there is a suspicion that blisters on the face have arisen from burns, it is necessary to carefully study the anamnesis. It is necessary to find out whether the person has been in the sun for a long time, and also whether he has had contact with hot objects and chemicals.
It can sometimes be very difficult to detect insect bites. A person does not always immediately notice such lesions. Often the patient did not even feel the bite itself, and after a while blisters appear on the skin. However, this manifestation is a kind of allergy to poison and saliva. Therefore, it is useful to conduct a blood test for specific immunoglobulins E. This will help determine the type of insect.
Medicated treatment
The choice of medicines for the treatment of blisters depends on the cause of their appearance. In each case, it is necessary to influence the etiology of the disease. Most often, topical agents are prescribed along with oral medications.
Antihistamines are used for allergies. Assign tablets for internal use: "Suprastin", "Tavegil", "Cetrin", "Claritin". To relieve itching and rashes, it is recommended to treat the affected areas with ointments: "Fenistil", "Psilo-balm". Hormonal creams should not be used on the face. The same remedies are used for insect bites.
If the rashes are caused by a burn of the face, then local ointments are prescribed: Panthenol, Dexpanthenol, Solcoseryl. They contribute to the rapid healing of the epidermis.
With chickenpox, rashes are treated with a solution of "Brilliant Green" or "Potassium Permanganate". If bubbles are noted only around the mouth, then most likely they are caused by the herpes virus. In this case, Acyclovir ointment will help.
With bubble rashes of any etiology, vitamin E (tocopherol) is very useful. In pharmacy chains, you can buy oil with this ingredient. This composition is applied topically. It promotes the disappearance of blisters and the healing of the epidermis.
Folk remedies
At home, only small rashes can be eliminated after an insect bite, sunburn or stress. In all other cases, you need to see a doctor. Many people suffer from individual intolerance to herbal ingredients, so the use of folk remedies can aggravate allergic manifestations.
The following home remedies for blisters and itching are recommended:
- Raw potatoes wipe until gruel and apply to the affected area.
- Smear the rashes with sea buckthorn oil.
- Make an ointment from a decoction of calendula and vaseline. Take the ingredients in equal proportions. With this tool, lubricate problem areas three times a day.
- Apply a cut aloe leaf to the blister, attach with a band-aid and holdabout half an hour.
Prevention
Since blisters are only one of the symptoms of various diseases, their prevention comes down to preventing pathologies. To avoid the appearance of blisters on the epidermis, you must follow the following recommendations of doctors:
- avoid contact with irritants;
- sun exposure should be moderate;
- be careful when working with burning chemicals and hot objects;
- apply repellents to prevent insect bites;
- avoid contact with people with chickenpox, measles and herpes.
Following these steps will help minimize the risk of blistering.
