I have bubbles in the skin of my palms and fingers

[mike64731]

I have tiny bubbles in the palms of my hands and between my fingers and sometime on my the area the is in between my wrist and my palms, I have had this problem for about over 3 and a half years, sometimes they get itchy but most of the time they are not, and they appear anywhere on my hands but only in the finger print side. I get them usually on the sides of my fingers mostly on the sides of the finger tips. Sometimes I get frustrated because of the fact that they are there and so I pick at them (pop them), most of them are small about a little less than a millimetre in diameter some grow to be about a full millimetre, there colour is usually clear but sometimes the bubble itself looks a little yellow. When or if I pop one it always leaks the same colour, which is clear liquid that if I use something to pop it with there is a very tiny string coming from the fluid indicating that it is slightly sticky. The weird thing is that sometimes after a while of battling them they go away, I know because I do daily inspections of my hands to look for any new developments. Usually they grow by themselves but the ones that itch are almost always in groups (clusters). When they disappear it is better but when they reappear they start as one or two then disappear then reappear a while later as groups, they don't appear as much after I have picked at them, I realize that it is not the best thing to do to solve the problem but it is hard not to. If I push on one to the edge of its location in the skin, it pops but if I don't pull off the skin on the top of it it reseals and it stays as a bubble. I have had a number of thoughts regarding as to what the possible cause of this affliction could be, which could be the soap I am using which is regular hand soap in the bathroom, which this month is Irish Spring, but this condition has been apparent with other soaps as well. My dog may also be a possible cop rid, I only mention my dog because he is very filthy as we never ever bath him, so I thought that all of the things that are on his fur are causing some sort of allergic reaction. I also use dish soap after washing my hands in the bathroom, and sometimes (occasionally) the water will be scalding so it could be that they are caused by scalding water, except I stopped using that hot of water and the problem still persisted. There are sometimes days where I only wash my hands once as I would only have to go once and the problem is still there, my parents think it might be because I am over washing some days I wash my hands three or four times, not bathroom related just because of germs. For some reason one hand gets more of an outbreak than the other hand. Right now one of my hands palm is totally covered with these little bubbles. I have read all of the other reports by other people and it was helpful but still doesn't completely answer my question. I saw my doctor a while back regarding this and he said it nothing and advised me to use cortizone cream, which I used for a couple of days but decided to stopped because as it has come to my attention that the use of too much of it can result in the softening of bone. I first noticed it almost about four years ago maybe more I cannot remember. If anyone knows what exactly this is or what could be causing it please help.

[polysporinforabouteverything]

I have EXACTLY the same condition... and no dogs.

I apply a small amount of polysporin (available "over the counter" in a small tube) twice a day when it flares up. It then goes away for months.

For me it usually breaks out slowly but then spreads noticeably when it is hot or humid, and so I think is triggered either by constant heat or moisture, or maybe seasonal allergies? Don't really care if I know how to make it disappear.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,
It can be due to pompholyx. Pompholyx is also called dyshidrotic eczema. It is characterized by a sudden onset of many deep-seated pruritic, clear vesicles which itch and then peel off. As a result the skin may also fissure.

The exact cause is not known and excessive sweating can be one of the reasons. But some triggers like allergic reaction to soaps, detergents, foods, latex, nickel etc may trigger the symptoms. Apply some calamine lotion on the affected area and keep the area well moisturized. Use only thin applications of moisturizer ointments as excessive amounts of ointment may restrict breathing of the skin and aggravate the condition.
It is very difficult to precisely confirm a diagnosis without examination and investigations and the answer is based on the medical information provided. For exact diagnosis, you are requested to consult your doctor. I sincerely hope that helps. Take care and please do keep me posted on how you are doing.