Angular Cheilitis: The Facts

Angular Cheilitis - The Facts

In Angular cheilitis, the facts that one must know are how the condition is caused and how to treat it. Cheilosis can be a painful condition that manifests itself as blisters or cracks at the corners of your mouth along with dry lips.

Angular cheilitis looks like an inflammatory lesion and develops into a rash that is red and itchy at the corners of the mouth. This can also bleed on occasion while opening the mouth. In cases where the cheilitis gets worse, these cracks can also develop pus.

Angular Cheilitis – The Facts About What Causes It

General causes for cheilitis or cracked lips turns out to be diet deficiencies as well as dentures that fit badly. We already know that these can turn into fungal or bacterial infections. Sometimes the cracked lips appear first and then get infected or an infection results in cracked lips. There are also cases where cheilitis is a result of medications taken for other health problems. Even if this is rather rare, it is better to inform your healthcare provider about it so that it can be dealt with right away. You will probably be asked to stop the medication or given a substitute that is safer and does not cause cheilitis.

Poor nutrition has been found to be a major cause for cheilitis. If the diet does not have enough iron or vitamin B12, there’s a good chance of developing angular cheilitis. In such cases doctors advise proper diet and vitamin supplements.

With angular cheilitis, the fact is that allergies can also result in cracked lips. It could be due to a cosmetic product that did not agree with you or a highly flavored lip balm that caused the allergy. As soon as you stop using these, cheilitis ought to ease itself.

Often we find that elderly people seem the most prone to get angular cheilitis since many wear dentures that may or may not fit well. But cheilitis is not restricted to the elderly – practically any one can develop it. In its most common form, cheilitis causes chapped lips in children and teenagers. These people tend to keep licking their lips in the hope that it will feel better, but it only serves to make it worse when the saliva dries up. In most cases applying white petroleum jelly or lip balm can solve the problem.

Angular cheilitis can last from two days to two weeks but no matter what duration it lasts, it can be quite painful as the area around the mouth is sensitive. With angular cheilitis the fact is that it can be treated which is good news.