Blood Blisters on Tongue

There is no doubt about the fact that the tongue is one of the most overused muscles in our body. In fact, it is constantly is use - when we are talking, eating, swallowing, and so on. However, the fact that it is placed right in the midst of thirty-two different teeth which have several pointed edges and surfaces, makes it quite susceptible to injury and trauma.

This injury and trauma can be in the form of physical trauma (like the tongue getting caught in between teeth while talking), or chemical trauma (like burns when taking in hot tea or food). Blood blister is one such form of injury to the tongue, which, though rare, can cause a lot of discomfort when doing various activities in which tongue comes into play.

A blood blister is a blister that is not filled with clear fluid, but is instead filled with blood. This usually happens when there is trauma to a superficial blood vessel, without tearing of the overlying membranous covering.

This causes the blood seep into the skin of the covering, and form a visible blister beneath the skin's surface. Discussed below are the details about this condition, along with information on how you can deal with it.

There exist several different conditions that can lead to a blood blister on the tongue. As mentioned earlier, one of the most common causes of a blood blister is trauma. The tongue is a muscle that is very richly supplied by blood.

If it gets caught between teeth at any given point of time, then it can lead to a blood blister. Also as mentioned earlier, even having very hot food or drinks can cause slight internal damage to the blood vessel.

Usually, if chemical trauma is the culprit, then there is a greater likelihood that the blood blister will be present near the tip of the tongue. On the other hand, if there is physical trauma to the tongue due to it getting caught in between teeth, then the blood blister will most likely figure on the sides of the tongue.

The aforementioned causes were restricted to trauma to the tongue. Sometimes, however, even underlying disease can cause blood blisters to develop on the tongue. Stress can be a causative factor. Even viral infections like herpes or systemic viral infections are known to result in blood blisters.

These will usually be more recurrent in nature and may even appear in cycles. In these cases, you may also find small blisters present in other parts of the oral cavity, like the palate for instance. In rare cases, even a genetic disorder or some blood related disorder may be a predisposition to the development of blood blisters.

The treatment for oral blood blisters varies depending on the underlying cause. Before you start the treatment for this condition, you need to find out the cause. Without diagnosing the condition, preparing a treatment plan is not possible.

If the condition is due to trauma or stress, then usually, the condition regresses on its own without the need of any active treatment. Palliative treatment - like the application of topical anesthetic agents, can be an option if the tongue blister is painful and symptomatic. If not, there is no need for active treatment as such.

If the condition is painful and recurring in nature, then it has to be investigated further. Usually, if it is associated with a systemic condition, then various tests and even signs and symptoms can help you to diagnose the underlying cause.

For instance, herpes presents itself in the form of multiple, small painful blisters which eventually ulcerate. If a person has a systemic viral infection, then he will most likely have symptoms like fever and malaise.

If the blood blister is due to a bleeding or genetic disorder, then detailed tests will be required as a part of the diagnosis. In case of signs and symptoms such as the tendency to easily bruise and frequent nosebleeds, the doctor may recommend a few more tests for further investigation.

If blood blisters in the oral cavity are relatively rare, their occurrence due to an underlying systemic or genetic blood disorder is even more rare. If a person has a blood blister on the tongue, he needn't worry as it usually regresses and goes away on its own.

However, if it is large, painful, recurrent or accompanied by other systemic symptoms, then a quick visit to a doctor for further diagnosis can be a wise option.