Infections

Blood Blister in Mouth, Causes, on Roof, inside Lips, Cheek, Gums, Treatment

cropped blood blister

What causes blood blister in mouth? Get more insights on the causes, cure and remedy of blood blisters inside mouth, cheek, on roof of mouth, gums and on the lips.

Blisters in mouth are painful especially while eating and brushing. They can form anywhere in mouth depending with the cause. Water, blood and clear blisters are common and almost everyone experiences it at one point in life.

Traditionally blisters can form in mouth, inside cheek, on roof of the mouth, lips, gums and tongue. Blisters can be a sign of a serious underlying medical condition which needs serious medical attention. In some cases symptoms are likely to go away within few days without any special medical attention.

Blood Blister in Mouth Causes

Here is what causes blisters in mouth to form.

Mouth Ulcers

Oral ulcers are mainly due to the damage of tissues in the mouth. Example is biting inside the cheek while eating, brushing or while chewing hard food materials. Mouth ulcers are likely to heal within two weeks and does not imply a serious medical condition.

However, there are cases when ulcers in mouth keeps recurring. Although it is not clear of the main causes of recurrent oral ulcers, some factors attributes to that and they include the following:

Medical Conditions:

This include the following underlying diseases.

  • Viral infections such as herpes simplex viral that causes cold sore, chickenpox, hand and foot diseases.
  • Vitamin B12 deficiency characterized by production of large amount of red blood cells that are functionless.
  • Iron deficiency that causes lack of sufficient supply of oxygen to the tissues and organs.
  • Coeliac condition that causes the body to adversely react to the gluten.
  • Crohn’s disease that causes blood blister in mouth and inflammation of the tissues along the alimentary canal.
  • Reactive arthritis a condition that causes inflammation of various organs and tissues in the body.
  • Lichen planus is a non-infectious skin rash that causes itching and irritation of the mouth tissues.
  • Behçet’s disease is a rare condition that causes inflammation of blood vessels with no known reasons.
  • Immunodeficiency due to a suppressed immune system caused by infections such as HIV or STD

Lifestyle factors

They include the following:

  • Stress and anxiety that may causes the body to release histamine that may cause inflammation.
  • Hormonal changes especially among pregnant women.
  • Allergic reaction to certain types of foods such as coffee, cheese, chocolate, almond, tomatoes.
  • Toothpaste additives such as sodium lauryl sulphate may aggravate mouth ulcers.
  • Smoking especially when you quite, the body may react by inflammation in the mouth.

Certain types of medications and treatments

Oral ulcers are sometimes due to some types of medicines or treatments you are undertaking. Examples include the following:

  • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or aspirin.
  • Use of nicorandil medication for the treatment of angina.
  • Certain medications for the treatment of heart conditions such as high blood pressure, angina and abnormal heart rhythms.
  • Chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer.

Visit your GP when you experience recurrent oral ulcers to determine the causes. If it is due to medication or treatment an alternative may be given. Long lasting mouth ulcers may also be a sign of mouth cancer.

Ulcers that forms under the tongue are likely to cause cancer. People who drink or smoke heavily are also at high risk of mouth cancer. Therefore ensure you are undergoing regular checkups with your dentist or GP for assessment of your mouth.

Mouth Cancer

Blood blister in mouth can also be due to oral cancer that usually affect the cells lining the mouth, lips, tongue floor and the roof of the mouth. Inside cheeks, tonsils, gums, soft palate and salivary glands are also at risk of mouth cancer.

Men over 45 years especially those smoking and drinking heavily are at risk twice as much as their female counterparts. Smoking increases the risk six-fold. Similarly to heavy consumption of alcohol. Early assessment and diagnosis leads to permanent cure especially in early stages.

Without early treatment, mouth cancer can easily spread to the adjacent organs. In most cases oral cancer originates from squamous cells that provide the lining of the membranes of the mouth, nose and throat. Tissues such as the throat, lymph glands, bloodstream and lymphatic systems are likely to get affected.

Mouth Cancer Causes and Risk factors

Although the real causes of oral cancer is not known, there are factors that highly associate this condition and they include the following:

  • Tobacco use
  • Regular and heavy alcohol consumption
  • Advancing age
  • Sun exposure
  • Poor diet
  • Poor oral hygiene
  • Gum disease
  • Habitual chewing of the lips or cheeks
  • Irritants, such as breathing in smoky, or constantly polluted, atmospheres
  • Leukoplakia (light-colored patches of atypical cells inside the mouth)
  • Herpes simplex infection (cold sores)
  • Human papilloma virus infection (warts)
  • Family history of cancer (genetic makeup).

Symptoms of Mouth cancer

The following are signs of mouth cancer

  • A visible mass or lump that may or may not be painful.
  • An ulcer that won’t heal.
  • A persistent blood blister.
  • Bleeding from the mass or ulcer.
  • Loss of sensation anywhere in the mouth.
  • Trouble swallowing.
  • Recurrent blood blister in mouth.
  • Impaired tongue mobility.
  • Difficulty moving the jaw.
  • Speech changes, such as slurring or lack of clarity.
  • Loose teeth and/or sore gums.
  • Altered taste.
  • Swollen lymph glands.

Mouth Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis

Different methods of diagnosis can be used for the assessment and establishment of oral cancer. They include the following:

  • Medical history
  • Physical examination
  • Biopsy (a sample of suspect tissue is removed for examination in a laboratory)
  • X-rays
  • Ultrasound
  • CT scan
  • MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan
  • PET (position emission tomography) scan
  • Simultaneous MRI-PET scans.

After a successive diagnosis, treatment will begin depending on the size, type and location of the cancerous tissues. The following methods of treatments are used:

  • Surgery: Small tumors are surgically removed as well as some of the affected tissues and organs.
  • Radiotherapy: Cancer cells are destroyed by use of regulated doses of ionizing radiations. It is suitable for small and localized cancers.
  • Chemotherapy: This involves the combination of radiation therapy, drugs and surgery for the treatment of cancer.
  • Physiotherapy: This involves monitoring and practicing of dietary requirements, exercises, medication and psychological cancelling.

Side Effects of Oral Cancer Treatment

There are chances of side effects depending on the location, size and type of cancer being treated. They include the following:

  • Tooth loss due to destruction of the jaw bone by radiotherapy treatment.
  • Scarring and deformity due to possibility of completely removing affected organs and tissues.
  • Dry mouth at night due to possible damages to the salivary glands hence low or insufficient production of saliva.
  • Infections such as fungal and bacterial are common after radiotherapy treatments.
  • Nausea, vomiting and hair loss are some of the short term effects of chemotherapy.

Oral Herpes

This is an infection caused by herpes simplex virus. Oral herpes causes painful sores on the lips, inside cheeks, gums roof of the mouth and tongue. It also associate symptoms such as muscle aches and fever.

You can contract herpes by contact with infected saliva, skin, mucus membranes or other infected body fluids. It is a contagious disease when the virus reproduces. When an individual contracts the virus, it undergoes an incubation period of 2-10 days before the symptoms.

The symptoms are however likely to last up to 3 weeks and they include the following:

  • Pain, itching and burning at the infection area before formation of sores.
  • Eruption of clusters of blisters that are tiny, shallow or grey ulcers forming on a red base.
  • Blood blister in mouth also called oral sores that are painful hence making eating and drinking difficult.
  • Sores mostly form on the gums, tip of the tongue, lips, inside of the cheeks, throat and roof of the mouth.
  • At advanced stages sores may extend to the chin and neck.
  • Swollen, red and bleeding gums.
  • Swollen and painful neck lymph nodes.
  • Grey or white coating, or patches on tonsils.

Oral Herpes Treatment and at Home Self-Care

Visit or call your doctor when you cannot eat or drink due to pain. This will help in the prevention of dehydration. Drowsiness, dry mouth, fever and severe pain should lead to examination by the doctor. Symptoms tend to be severe in infants and may become contagious due to under developed immune systems in children and weak in adults.

Medical treatment include the use of painkillers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Drinking plenty of fluids is recommended to prevent dehydration. Severe cases attracts hospital admission especially for people whose immune systems are weak, when the infection spread to other organs and for younger infants.

You can manage oral herpes at home by drinking plenty of fluids, use of pain and fever medications prescribed by the doctor. You should avoid contact with infected saliva, skin or mucous membranes that have sores to prevent the spread and infection.

Allergies

Blisters can form in the mouth due to allergic reaction to certain allergens. Examples include foods rich in citrus, some types of medications and environmental pollutions.

Vitamin deficiency

Insufficient amount of vitamin C and B12 causes the development of blisters in mouth cheek, under tongue and on the roof of the mouth.

Blood Blister in Mouth Treatment and Home Remedies

Mild blister in mouth cheeks, tongue and lips can disappear without serious medical interventions. When symptoms persist and associate fever, drowsiness, pain, drinking and eating difficulties, it is wise to seek medical treatment from your doctor who will diagnose and treat the cause.

Home remedies can also help in managing blood blisters in mouth. They include the following:

  • Drink plenty of fluid such as tomato juice or mulberry juice
  • Chew basil leaves twice daily
  • Apply peppermint oil or garlic oil to your blisters or chew a garlic clove.
  • Apply gargle with a mixture of honey and coconut powder on the affected area.
  • Gargle with hot and cold water.
  • Apply a mixture of glycerin and turmeric powder on the blisters.
  • Apply honey or honey wax on the blisters.
  • Use an antibacterial mouthwash twice daily.
  • Chew cardamom grains.
  • Apply aloe-vera juice to the blisters.
  • Brush your teeth with your finger instead of toothbrushes.
  • Avoid using toothpaste with a high concentration of sodium lauryl sulfate.
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