Blisters With Other Signs of Illness

Blisters can sometimes develop from an illness or a toxic reaction. Symptoms of a serious illness can include:

  • Shaking chills or fever.
  • Muscle or joint aches.
  • A moderate to severe headache.
  • A vague sense of illness (malaise).
  • Abdominal cramping.
  • Nausea or vomiting.
  • Diarrhea.

Blisters may appear with a viral infection, such as chickenpox or shingles, or after a bite from a poisonous spider, such as a brown recluse, or following a tick bite. Blisters may also occur as a symptom of a toxic reaction to a medicine. This reaction is called Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

Your blister or blisters may not be related to another illness. You may have picked up a viral illness, such as the flu, at the same time you got a blister. It could be a coincidence that the blister and signs of illness appeared at the same time.

You have a greater risk of developing an infection and complications from a blister if you also have other conditions, such as diabetes or peripheral arterial disease.

ByHealthwise Staff
Primary Medical Reviewer William H. Blahd, Jr., MD, FACEP - Emergency Medicine
Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine

Current as ofNovember 20, 2017