Question:

I get small clear blisters sometimes after I eat. Actually it has happened after eating or just drinking water. There is always only one or two of them and usually either located on the back part of my cheek, where the end of my gums are, or on the soft palate of my mouth, directly along the middle part. They only swell after I eat, and always go away after a few hours or so. We though it may be food, but it happened after eating carrots, peaches and oatmeal and even after drinking water. They are not at all painful. I thought it could maybe be taste buds in those areas swelling.

Answer:

These painless clear blisters that occur with eating or drinking undoubtedly are related to the minor salivary glands, dozens of which are scattered throughout the lining of the mouth in the areas that you describe. When we eat or drink something, these glands are stimulated to produce their saliva, which is a rather thick, mucous-type liquid. Either the mucous is ballooning out the little duct (tube) that leads from the gland to the surface of the mouth, or the mucous may be escaping from the duct, resulting in a little pool of saliva just underneath the lining of the mouth. Some people seem to be prone to developing these blisters (also known as superficial mucoceles), and the reason why is unclear. It is a harmless condition, however.

Please view the attached link for more information on mucoceles.

Related Resources:

Mucocele

For more information:

Go to the Mouth Diseases health topic.