What should you know about itchy red blisters on skin?

Blisters may appear after contact with a new product, plant, adhesive, or medicine, as in Contact Dermatitis. Atopic Dermatitis can cause intensely itchy, inflamed skin, while psoriasis may produce sharply defined scaly areas. Hives are raised itchy welts that can come and go. Scabies often causes severe itch with bumps in characteristic sites and may affect close contacts. A clinician may also consider a yeast infection, asteatotic eczema, or lichen planus after examining the skin.

Do not burst the blisters or peel their covering. Rinse away a suspected irritant, use a cool damp cloth, and keep the area clean and protected with a loose dressing if friction is likely. Choose fragrance-free moisturiser and avoid new creams until the cause is clearer. Note when the rash began, where it spread, recent products, medicines, travel, and whether anyone nearby is itchy. A clinician can match treatment to the cause.

Get urgent help for blisters with trouble breathing, swelling of the lips or tongue, faintness, widespread peeling, severe pain, eye or mouth involvement, or fever. Arrange prompt assessment if the rash is rapidly spreading, looks infected, or follows a new medicine.

Could this be an allergy, eczema, infection, or scabies? Should I stop a product or medicine? How should open blisters be dressed, and what symptoms require urgent review?