Do Blood Blisters in the Mouth Mean Hemorhagging

Hi, Could anyone let me know if blood blisters in the mouth mean you might be hemorhagging? My doctor seems to think this could be the case. I would appreciate any comments you might have on this condition. I have had the blood blisters coming and going and wanted to know if I would need a platelet transfusion for these--as my doctors were trying to talk me into.

I'm presently in the hospital and trying to get a second opinion on my treatment plan. I would appreciate any comments and your advice.

I would just like to have some peace of mind knowing if I need to be overly concerned.

I would appreciate you comments!

Thanks and God Bless!

Dee Dee :S

My then 10 year old son had these blisters at the beginning of his ITP experience. I don't remember the doctors exact words, but it was something along the lines of - in the absence of any other signs of bleeding, blood blisters in the mouth mean he's got blood blisters in his mouth!

So if you haven't got signs of a head bleed, and you haven't got blood in your urine or anything like that (presumably the hospital is testing you?), I think it is not necessarily a sign that drastic intervention is required - although it is obviously a sign that your platelets are low.

Hope this helps, Ali

I wouldn't say that blood blisters mean that you have or will have a hemorrhage, but it's a symptom that a hemorrhage may be more likely. Blood blisters are a "wet symptom" and need to be taken more seriously than bruises or petechiae.

Believe me, I'm not trying to scare you...many people here have had blood blisters and gone to work. It's not that a serious bleed is imminent, but you do have a symptom that warrants watching.


Symptoms & Signs

* Typical presentation
o Ecchymoses and petechiae, or
o Thrombocytopenia incidentally found on a routine complete blood count (CBC)
* General
o Petechial or purpuric rash
o Easy bruising
o Mucosal bleeding
+ Epistaxis
+ Oral or gingival bleeding
+ Menorrhagia
+ GI
o Wet purpura (blood blisters in the mouth; may herald life-threatening bleeding)
o Retinal hemorrhage (may herald life-threatening bleeding)
o Neurologic signs and symptoms due to intracranial hemorrhage (rare)

Hi Alisonp & Sandy,

Sorry that I just now read your reply. I do get lost on the site a little. Thank you Alsionp also for your incouragement, too. I know I need to worry--but I don't feel as sacred and as bad as I first did. When I originally got sick last Sunday evening, I was out feeding our horses (have 3). I started itching from the hay on my legs and body and went inside the house to check it out. From the itching from the hay, my body broke out all over with the peatichie (red spots) and I immediately started bleeding a little from my gums. So, along with some stress, I know that the hay prompted the reaction. I felt like my platelets dropped immediately 90,000--headache and all.

I do have a lot of allergies and have been trying to get retested for all my food and other allergies.

Sorry, Sandy that I didn't immediately see your reply; for some reason I didn't get a reply in my email. And, I do want to get my bone marrow retested--they just don't want to do it right now--which isn't get medical practice. When I was at Kaiser and they first tested my bone marrow, they mentioned it's better to check it now before we give you a lot of medicines--that way they would have a better understanding of what's going on.

Thanks for all your help; I really do appreciate it,
Dee Dee

It's good that you're not scared; you obviously are able to handle it emotionally - that's great! Sometimes once you've been through it, you feel less afraid because you made it before.

Maybe the new doctor will suggest the BMB or will be open to your suggestion.

I've been taking ibuprofen and aleve a lot more recently and have been seeing blood blisters on and off and when I bleed from a scab or cut I bleed a lot but my platelets counts seem normal (160 was my last count)

I just noticed a blood blister in my mouth tonight actually. Its the fourth one in the past month or so but like I said my count was good that day.

Do you use listerine? I use listerine and I noticed these started to become more obvious since I started doing it 2x a day.

Good luck!