Fact Checked
Angular cheilitis or cuts on the side of the lips is an inflammation of the oral cavity and caused by infections or a symptom of a systemic disorder. Generally, angular cheilitis can be caused by an injury or chemical trauma such as allergies or side effects of certain medications. The inflammatory shedding of tissue allows organism to multiply rapidly which causes infections. Sometimes, cuts or cracks on the corner of the lips have lesions and begin with small reddened areas eventually becomes an ulceration which causes severe discomfort.
Causes of cuts or cracks on the lips
Cuts and cracks on the side of lips can be classified into primary and secondary.
Primary cheilitis causes
- Herpes simplex which is a viral skin disease with small watery blisters that affects the areas of the mouth or genitals.
- Recurrent, small and ulcerated lesions that develops in the soft tissues of the mouth that includes the lips, tongue and interior of the cheeks.
- An acute viral infection of the gingivae
Secondary cheilitis causes
- Disorder of the bone marrow
- Allergies
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Immunodeficiency disorders
- Chemotherapy
- Immunosuppressive therapy
Treatment
- Use topical mouth rinses to help minimize the pain.
- Eat liquid or pureed foods since these can help reduce the discomfort while eating and avoid citrus juice, spicy foods and hot beverages.
- Use warm water as a mouthwash instead of the commercial mouthwashes that contains large amounts of alcohol. You can also utilize gauze and sponge pads as an alternative for a toothbrush.
- Chew sugarless chewing gums or sugar-free hard candies in order to relieve the dryness in the mouth.
- Avoid licking corners of the mouth since moisture will create an environment suitable for the Candida fungi to increase.
- Apply over-the-counter anti-fungal creams such as clotrimazole. Generally, apply in the mouth at 4-6 times a day and cover with petroleum jelly to seal the area from saliva or moisture. The condition should heal within 4-7 days.
Additional measures
- If bacterial infection caused the angular cheilitis, you can utilize over-the-counter anti-bacterial ointment and a rubbing alcohol. Gently cleanse the lips using rubbing alcohol and apply a layer of anti-bacterial ointment. This will help the condition heal in two days.
- Supplement the diet with iron, zinc and riboflavin. In addition, always eat a variety of green leafy vegetables.
- Avoid being stressed out since it will weaken the immune system of the body and reduce the ability of the body to fight infections.
- Apply a relaxing ointment on the lips and at the corners of the mouth such as a lip balm that contains tea tree oil, jojoba oil, Shea butter or coconut oil at least twice every day.
- Apply honey on the cracks and cuts using a cotton swab. Allow the honey set on the lips for 30 seconds and cover the honey with petroleum jelly for 30 minutes. Lastly, apply a warm wash cloth over the mouth.
FACT CHECK
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheilitis