Cheilitis

General description of the disease

Cheilitis is an inflammatory pathology of the lips, in which the red border and mucous membranes are affected.

The stratum corneum of the skin on the lips is much thinner than on other parts of the body. At the same time, a person’s lips are always open and are exposed to various irritants: frost, sun exposure, chemical components of cosmetics, food, and others. Therefore, each person at least once in his life experienced discomfort associated with the manifestations of cheilitis.

Doctors rarely diagnose this pathology as an independent diagnosis, and the patients themselves do not take it seriously. However, a frivolous attitude towards cheilitis can lead to serious consequences.

The causes of cheilitis

The causes of cheilitis can be:

• allergic reaction – to dust, food, medicine;
• all kinds of dermatoses;
• substandard cosmetics;
• intense solar radiation, too high air temperature or severe frost;
• acute deficiency of B vitamins;
• chemical, thermal or mechanical injury to the lips;
• disorders of the nervous system, for example, depressive conditions;
• infections – as complications after herpes lesions;
• professional activity – among musicians of wind instruments;
• hyperfunction of the thyroid gland – thyrotoxicosis;
• neuritis of the facial nerve;
• malfunction of the immune system;
• congenital or acquired anomalies of the small salivary glands;
• caries and periodontal disease;
• genetic predisposition;
• smoking.

Types and symptoms of cheilitis

1. 1 exfoliative most often affects women with a failure in the central and autonomic nervous system. With this form of pathology, the inflammatory process affects only the lips themselves, without spreading to neighboring areas of the skin and without affecting the mucous membranes. Exfoliative cheilitis can be dry and exudative. With a dry form, the patient is worried about a burning sensation, dry skin on the lips and the formation of small scales that the patient bites. This cheilitis can last for many years. The exudative form of the presented pathology is manifested by swelling of the lips, accompanied by the formation of crusts and painful sensations;
2. 2 granular occurs as a result of the proliferation of the salivary glands and their inflammation against the background of advanced caries, periodontal disease or dental calculus. In this form of the disease, the lower lip is usually affected. The patient is worried about dry lips and painful cracks that bleed and turn into sores;
3. 3 actinic also called meteorological cheilitis. This form is observed when the skin is hypersensitive to UV radiation, wind, frost^[3]… More men are susceptible to actinic cheilitis. The meteorological form can be dry, while the patient feels dry lips, pain and burning sensation, and exudative, when, in addition to dry skin on the lips, the patient has bubbles that turn into ulcers with crusts;
4. 4 contact allergic cheilitis appears as a response to a stimulus. Toothpaste, cosmetics, dentures, the mouthpiece of a smoking pipe and a wind instrument can provoke allergic cheilitis ^[4]… Symptoms of this form of cheilitis are inflamed, swollen lips covered with small bubbles that burst and turn into cracks and ulcers;
5. 5 hypovitaminous cheilitis is observed with an acute lack of vitamins of group B. The main symptoms: swollen, inflamed tongue, dryness of the mucous membrane of the lips and mouth, lips become inflamed, tiny scales appear on them, and the lips become covered with bleeding painful cracks;
6. 6 macroheilitis manifested by persistent swelling of the lips, cheeks and even eyelids, while the patient is worried about itchy lips;
7. 7 atopic occurs as a reaction to food, cosmetics, drugs. The main signs: severe itching and peeling of the red border and corners of the lips, possibly peeling of the entire face;
8. 8 fungal provokes Candida fungus. Usually, fungal cheilitis is accompanied by stomatitis, while the patient’s lips turn red and swell, the skin peels off, and erosions form in the corners of the lips with a bloom of white.

Complications with cheilitis

With incorrect or untimely treatment of cheilitis, the following complications may develop:

• the transition of acute cheilitis to a chronic form, in this case, exacerbations of cheilitis will be observed with any failure in the immune system;
• general deterioration of the patient’s condition;
• problems with eating;
• the formation of nodules and cysts, which further provoke speech difficulties;
• the most serious is the development of a malignant process. Alert the patient should be long non-healing ulcers, seals.

Prevention of cheilitis

To prevent the development of cheilitis, you should:

1. 1 prevent dry lips, if necessary, use nourishing and moisturizing balms;
2. 2 quit smoking;
3. 3 brush your teeth twice a day;
4. 4 prevent mechanical damage to the lips;
5. 5 seasonal intake of vitamins;
6. 6 exclude too spicy, sour and hot dishes from the diet;
7. 7 minimize exposure to wind and cold;
8. 8 treat periodontal disease and caries in time;
9. 9 use sunscreen in summer;
10. 10 timely treat fungal and allergic diseases.

Cheilitis treatment in official medicine

The doctor diagnoses cheilitis based on the patient’s complaints, visual examination and according to the results of histological examination of the affected tissues. The form of therapy depends on the type and reasons that provoked the disease:

• exfoliative cheilitis is treated topically with antibacterial gels and ointments. Prescribe drugs to increase immunity, a complex of vitamins, if necessary, sedatives;
• with hypovitaminosis, it is usually enough to take vitamins and follow a diet;
• with meteorological cheilitis, wound-healing gels and vitamin complexes are prescribed with an emphasis on group B;
• the actinic form is treated with hormonal ointments in combination with a complex of vitamins;
• with allergic cheilitis, antihistamines, anti-inflammatory ointments are recommended, if necessary, hormonal agents are prescribed;
• therapy of fungal cheilitis involves the use of antifungal agents in combination with the intake of vitamins;
• with macrocheilitis, anti-inflammatory ointments and antiviral drugs are recommended.

Attention!

The administration is not responsible for any attempt to use the information provided, and does not guarantee that it will not harm you personally. The materials cannot be used to prescribe treatment and make a diagnosis. Always consult your specialist doctor!