A blood blister is a type of injury that occurs over a small area of skin wherein there is no cut or crack in the skin surface. The symptom that appears is the formation of a lump on the area affected which is dark red or purple in color. What actually happens in the formation of a blood blister is that the tissues immediately under the skin get damaged due to the injury but the skin itself does not get torn. It is particularly prevalent when someone’s skin gets pinched. This type of injury would normally occur when you close a door and jam your finger in the process. One possible reason that the skin does not burst is that when it is jammed, there is pressure exerted on all sides of the skin as it being pinched. This does not allow any of the skin area under pressure from pinching to actually burst or be cut. While the injury is occurring, the tissues under the skin are getting damaged and may leak blood and other body fluids. This is what causes the unique coloration of the blood blister. Blood, along with other body fluids like lymph fluid, leaks into the area between the skin and the injured tissue. This would cause a bulge to appear which quickly appears as if it is made of oxidized blood.
The cause of a blood blister is fairly obvious and usually a result of pinching of the skin which can be particularly painful when it occurs. It is therefore very unlikely that the injury will occur without the person realizing it. This sort of injury can also occur if there is constant scraping of the skin.
Preventing a blood blister requires a person to be careful at all times. The injury is usually caused while handling a heavy item, operating some machinery, using some tools or while closing doors and boxes. If a person is constantly using heavy machinery or tools that can cause blood blisters, he or she should wear protective gear, especially working gloves, in order to avoid this. The same can be said for people engaged in gardening activities.
After the blood blister has occurred, you can treat it with a cold compress. You may need to protect the area from further injury. Try not to expose the blister to any heavy impact as this might cause it to burst which will be followed by bleeding. Blisters usually subside over a period of three to six days.
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