Conditions and Diseases that Cause Skin Rash Blisters
If you get skin rashes from time to time, it’s probably not something to be worried about. Most skin rashes are the result of the skin’s reaction to an external stimulus or to an allergen. In most cases, simply leaving the skin alone to heal by itself will do the trick. However, when skin rashes result to blisters, this can be a sign of a condition or disease that needs serious attention.
Here are some of the most common diseases and conditions that produce skin rash blisters:
Chickenpox
Chickenpox is a disease caused by a virus. It can be passed on to people who either have not yet undergone a vaccination against the disease or have a weakened immune system. It is also common among children and young adults. If your skin rash results to blisters and are accompanied with fever, body aches and a cough, you might have the disease, in which case, it’s best to see a doctor.
Herpes simplex
More commonly known as cold sores (sometimes fever blisters), herpes simplex produces skin rashes that erupt and form blisters. These usually occur during or after the occurrence of a disease that is accompanied by fever, such as influenza, colds or pneumonia.
The blisters appear on areas of the face such as the lips or around the mouth, the ears, cheeks and nose. In some cases, it could also appear inside the mouth or in the pharynx.
Another type of herpes simplex is the one that is transmitted through sexual contact. In this case, it is referred to as genital herpes. The skin rashes appear as blisters in the genital area, often accompanied by mild itching and inflammation. The skin rashes result to blisters that eventually crust up and form scabs.
Herpes zoster
This disease is better known as shingles. It is associated with the chickenpox virus because it recurs in people who have had chickenpox. The virus, after it has been weakened by antibiotics, stays dormant on sensory nerves.
If the immune system of a person gets weakened, the virus reactivates itself and shows off as a skin rash that later becomes a blister. Once blisters appear, pain, hypersensitivity and numbness may follow, localized in the area where the blisters appear. The blisters usually dry up in a week or so.
Stevens-Johnson syndrome
The cause of the Stevens-Johnson syndrome is unclear, although it is considered as the result of severe allergic reactions to bacterial/viral infections and medications. Certain drugs such as those used to treat seizures and antibiotics that contain sulfa have been linked to the disease.
Skin rash blisters often appear in the mouth, eyes and other areas where mucous membranes are located. The symptoms that appear on the onset include fever, fatigue, joint and muscle pains and itching of the skin.
The more severe form of the Stevens-Johnson syndrome is toxic epidermal necrolysis or TEN.
Staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome
This disease is more common among young children, usually occurring in patients younger than 7 years old. Skin rashes often appear in areas of the skin that has creases, such as the eyes, mouth, neck, armpits and groin.
The disease begins with a fever, after which the skin then turns warm, red, tender and rough. The skin rashes then form irregularly-shaped blisters in the afflicted area. Touching the area where the skin rashes are causes pain.
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