Topic: Tiny bubbles under skin

[Anna1234]

Hey.  I'm new here.  I hate to ever bother anyone with this question because from browsing, I know that there are far worse things than when I have.  But anyway, here's my problem:

It seems every now and then I get these patches of tiny bubble-like... blisters under my skin on my fingers.  It started almost FIVE years ago with my feet. I poked at them, which I guess is what caused it to spread to my fingers.  I keep putting off going to a doctor or dermatologist because I know that they usually disappear within a couple weeks.  It's just pure laziness and lack of money on my part.  But they really don't cause much discomfort. 

They're very tiny.  I usually get them on the sides of my fingers and near the joints. 
Here's some pictures from my right hand. 






Anyway, I'm just sick of it.  They pop up every few months and after five years it just gets kind of annoying.  Plus I'm afraid if they're contagious.. I don't want to infect anyone. 

If anyone has an answer or suggestions as to what it might be, PLEASE respond.  Thank you.

[anthropositor]

Welcome Anna,
Although I don't usually respond to posts with so little profile information, in your case you posted some excellent pictures, so I would hazzard a few ideas.

I don't think you need to go rushing off to the doctor just yet.  If you read some of my other posts or my blog, you will find that they are not on my short list of things to do first.

First a few questions.  Do you have periods of substantial stress in your life?  Do you eat nutritiously and get adequate rest?  Do you supplement your vitamins and minerals?  If you do have stressfull times, do these hives tend to coincide with those times?

Try these things.  Swab onto the lesions some Calamine lotion or zinc oxide or even Bismuth Subsalicylate suspension (the pink stuff you take when your stomach is upset.  It does not need to be the expensive name brand).  Do this a few times a day.  Reduce your stresses.  Increase your rest and quiet times.  Laugh a lot.  Don't poke holes in the lesions.  Don't pick them either.  Kiss and hug the people you love twice as much.  You are going to be all better soon.

Anthropositor
 

[itchychick]

Hi Anna,

in addition to anthropositor's sound advice, I wanted to add that those bubbles look an awful lot like dyshydrotic eczema (also called pompholyx).  However, you don't mention any itchiness, and this type of e tends to be very itchy.  If it isn't uncomfortable or bothersome, and doesn't seem to be spreading, I would agree with anthro that it shouldn't cause you undue stress.  Good luck!

[Anna1234]

Thanks, both of you!  I do stress out more than I should, but I dunno if that would cause it or not.  This really isn't a "hive" type of rash.  You can tell from the pictures that the area is not red or inflammed.  They are really more like blisters that develop some type of watery fluid in them... not really itchy either unless I mess with them.

But I will definetly try your advice and research some more tomorrow after work.  Thank you very much!

[Monkeyboots]

Hi Anna,

  It might be a contact irritation.  Maybe an ingredient in something doesn't agree with your skin.  At first I thought it might be something  like household cleaners but you say you have had it on your feet too so not sure. 

Usually contagious things like scabies etc are known to itch terribly, so I think you are probably not contagious.

best wishes,
M.B.x 

[Wooley]

Hi Anna 

Welcome to SkinCell. My husband sometimes gets a very similar rash, and his is contact dermatitis. (He realised that he first messed up the skin on his hands by changing engine oil with no gloves or barrier cream  ).

Just thought I would share... it really looks very similar. It's not contagious, if it is that.

Wooley

[anthropositor]

Some hives actually raise a welt and are inflammed.  Some look very much like the pictures, with no apparent inflammation.  They can be a response to one or more external irritants and/or stresses My suggestions should be helpful.  If they are not, then further investigation is in order.

[M@t]

Anna,

Just looking at the photos, it's exactly the same as what I have on my fingers. It only ever appeared between the fingers, never on the topside or palmside.

Dermatologist said it was Pompholyx Eczema. Mine too pop up every few months, and disappear again, but my major problem is my feet (well, left foot actually. Right is clear still  ) Apparently (someone please correct me if I'm wrong) PE doesn't usually get to your feet, and such cases are rare..

However, as others have said, PE itches terribly. When I had the blisters, I used to scratch the in the night when I was asleep (I videoed it) and they used to be raw and weeping in the morning. If yours aren't itching, it might be something else.

I would really go to see a derm.

Matt

[itchychick]

Matt, I was under the impression that pompholyx attacks ONLY the hands AND feet (I get it on my feet too, occasionally.) 

[treesandflowers]

Looks exactly like the beginning stages of a pompholyx eczema flare up, but without the itch.  Count your blessings!

[M@t]

Matt, I was under the impression that pompholyx attacks ONLY the hands AND feet (I get it on my feet too, occasionally.) 

Thats interesting.... Maybe I haven't got Pompholyx afterall.

Does anyone else have any more information on this point?

M.

[treesandflowers]

^ I thought you had it on your hands and feet? 

I have it on my palms and fingers.  Sometimes it goes as far as my wrist, but usually it is just regular dry eczema on my wrists.

[itchychick]

No, sorry, I guess I didn't phrase that very clearly... I think pompholyx can affect the hands or feet or both.  I don't think that not having it on your hands means that you don't have it at all.

[bunnie]

Hi Anna , you can see from my profile what I have. You do not say how old you are?Before i was ever diagnosed, ever since I was about 16, I would get those " bubbles" which are miniscule blisters, in fact on the insides of my fingers, and they can be very itchy but not always. This turned out for me to be a fore-runner for my condition, in that contact excites it.
Do you wear rings? The nickel, found even in 24 carat gold, is a prime cause of this.Gloves too can be a problem,or socks or stockings, in fact anything that comes in contact with your fingers and feet which can cause this allergic reaction. My sister also gets it, yet she does not have my condition, and this is because as siblings we have the same tissue type. A patch test would pin point what may be causing this.

[nicolespeanut]

I actually have what Bunnie has unfortunately.  I too get these on my fingers and they can be really itchy or only slightly.  I haven't had them for a bit but my disease has been very quiet now too.  I never associated it with my disease (how silly but now that Bunnie mentions it!) as they only seem to occur at night after dinner and the children were all in bed.  Suddenly, I would get these itchy spots on my fingers (not all, usually just one or two spots) and then the tiny tense blisters would appear - sometimes on my hands or palms too.  They just seemed so different from my other blisters and disappeared so quickly too.  Weird.  More like a hive as it would go away as suddenly as it would appear which is why I never thought much of them.

Fondly,
Nicole

[Truth3w3]

Although the photos are no longer existent, I think I know what it looks like. I get the same thing time to time and the seeming bubbles go away in a few days.  I can get them all over both palms and the sides of my thumbs as well.  I've had them as long as I've had warts.  I feel they are somehow related.  Each time I get a new wart it starts as the bubble.  Thought I might possibly solve the situation by bringing forth this information.

[Big Ears]

I have had this same thing for nearly 1 1/2 - 2 years now.
It started on my finger near a slight cut (nothing to brag about really) when I was handeling some very acidic fruit at the facility that I manage (Cranberries). These small, fluid-filled bubbles have since spread very slowly but steadily across my hands and jumped ship down to my feet as well. When they moved to my feet, I knew it was a systemic issue when it moved to my feet.
I went to see a few dermatoligists and found a drug that seems to help... SORATAIN (Acitretin), 25mg tabs. It is a Vitamin A derivative and helps to thin the skin on the hands and feet. It works... dosen't get RID of the problem, but helps... If i'm having a flair up, I will increase the dose to 2 pills/day normal maintenance dose is 1-25mg tab/day. When I increase the dose, though, I see flakey skin on my face and my hands peel like a rattle snake!
Information on SORATAIN (Acitretin) is at the link below:

https://www.psoriasis.org/NetCommunity/SSLPage.aspx?pid=444

This will tell you that you CANNOT get pregnant while on this pill for SEVERE birth defects are noted (up to 3 years after taking it!) Men shouldn't worry about this, even if wife is expecting to concieve.

So I've been using this and it helps. When I have some kind of infection (like a sinus infection) it seems to get worse... but I bump up the dose when I need to.

I'm not cured, but it helps where nothing seemed to help.
Small bubbles under the skin of the hands and feet... sometimes they can get to the size of a pencil eraser (inside the skin) but I deal with it and I know you shouldn't pop them, but popping them seems to stop them from growing very large.

Thanks for all of the comments... helps to know there are others out there.

BE

[carolethecatlover]

Big Ears, try Toctino, RA cis 9 alitretinoin    must be prescribed by a dermatologist.