I Have a Blister Inside My Cheek β Is It Cancer?
Finding a blister inside your cheek can make you worry. Here's what it typically means.
A blister inside the cheek is almost never cancer. In fact, it is one of the most common and least concerning findings in the mouth. Possible causes:
- Trauma blister β from accidentally biting your cheek, eating something too hot, or irritation from braces or sharp foods. These heal quickly on their own
- Blood blister β a dark red or purple blister caused by a pinch or minor injury, harmless
- Mucocele β a clear or bluish blister from a blocked salivary gland, common on the lower lip and inner cheek
- Pemphigus or pemphigoid β rare autoimmune conditions that cause blisters in the mouth; these need medical treatment but are not cancer
- Herpes simplex β cold sores can appear inside the cheek but are more common on the lips
What to Look For
- Usually not serious:
- Clear, red, or dark purple fluid-filled blister
- Appeared after eating, biting your cheek, or hot food
- Heals within 1β2 weeks without treatment
- Painful or tender (normal for a blister)
- No other symptoms
- Worth having checked:
- Blister that does not heal after 2 weeks
- Multiple blisters that keep coming back
- Blisters with no clear cause that spread
- Blisters accompanied by sores elsewhere on your skin
- Painful blisters that make eating or drinking difficult
When to See a Doctor
- See a dentist or doctor if:
- The blister has not healed after 2 weeks
- You have blisters on your skin as well as in your mouth
- You have trouble eating or drinking because of the blisters
- You have a fever or feel unwell along with mouth blisters