Saliva collects at the corners of the mouth and causes dryness. Very dry skin in this area can lead to angular cheilitis. Over time, the dry skin may crack open. Sometimes bacteria or fungi get into the cracks, which can cause inflammation or an infection.
Angular cheilitis is a common skin condition. It leads to cracking and irritation at the corners of your mouth. Angular cheilitis can have a variety of causes. If you develop irritation at the corners of your lips, talk to your healthcare provider. An accurate diagnosis is the first step toward effective treatment.
what causes cracks in the corners of mouth
At times, the corners of our mouths become excessively dry and start cracking. Have you wondered what we call this condition? Well, it is a harrowing and uncomfortable oral disease known as cheilitis or angular cheilitis. Also known as perleche, this problem manifests in dry and inflamed mouth corners, lesions or fissures on the corners, and excruciating pain. Angular cheilitis may either be viral or bacterial, and the causative factors may be numerous. So first, let us find out the root causes of angular cheilitis and how to prevent them.
Precaution is better than cure, and this statement has unrivaled affirmation in the area of dental health. So, it is better to be aware and follow the necessary steps to avoid the occurrence of cheilitis in the first place. If you bite or lick your lips often, you must get rid of that habit. You should avoid the prolonged use of lipsticks and lip liners. Eating vegetables and fruits abundant in vitamin A, vitamin B12, and zinc is necessary. Being particular of the products you use on your mouth and the foods you eat will go a long way.
Angular cheilitis is a condition that causes red, swollen patches in the corners of your mouth where your lips meet and make an angle. Other names for it are perleche and angular stomatitis. You can get it on one side of your mouth or on both sides at the same time.
Saliva gets trapped and builds up in the corners of your mouth. When it dries, the skin in the area can crack. You may lick your lips often to soothe your cracked skin. The warmth and moisture in the corners of your mouth create the perfect conditions for fungus to grow and multiply -- and cause infection.
Other conditions (such as herpes labialis and erosive lichen planus) can cause symptoms similar to angular cheilitis. To be sure of the cause, your doctor might swab the corners of your mouth and your nose and send it to a lab to see what kinds of bacteria or fungi might be there.
Angular cheilitis is a type of mouth sore that appears at the corners of the mouth. Also known as angular stomatitis and perlèche, this condition can cause swollen, red patches in the corners and on the outside of your lips.
Angular cheilitis is usually diagnosed by a doctor or dermatologist. Your doctor will examine your mouth and check for other skin irritations elsewhere on your body. They will ask you about your medications and lifestyle and review your personal and family health history.
Because angular cheilitis can be a sign of a fungal or bacterial infection, your doctor may decide to take culture swabs from your mouth to send to a lab. However, this is usually only done if previous treatments are unsuccessful.
Good hygiene and strict skin care can help prevent angular cheilitis. By keeping the skin moistened around your mouth and free from irritation, you can help reduce the likelihood of bacteria or yeast buildup.
Cracked mouth corners are a symptom in which the corners of the mouth and lips are dry, inflamed, split or chapped. Breaks may appear on the surface, and the mouth corners may be bleeding and painful. The medical terms for cracked mouth corner are angular chelitis and perlèche.
In most cases, cracked mouth corners are not caused by a serious condition and do not affect your overall health. Common causes of cracked mouth corners include dry or cold weather, sunburn, wind exposure, licking your lips, and breathing through your mouth. In some cases, conditions such as the common cold, anemia, dehydration, and nutritional deficiencies may also result in cracked mouth corners.
Cracked mouth corners are rarely associated with a medical emergency. However, cracked mouth corners may be a sign of dehydration. Severe dehydration and electrolyte imbalances can result in shock or coma and may be life threatening. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have symptoms of severe dehydration such as confusion, lethargy, loss of consciousness, cold skin, or reduced urine production.
Cracked mouth corners may accompany other symptoms, which will vary depending on the underlying disease, disorder or condition. Symptoms that frequently affect the mouth may also involve other body systems.
In some cases, cracked mouth corners may occur with other symptoms that might indicate a serious condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting. Seek immediate medical care (call 911) if you, or someone you are with, have cracked mouth corner along with other serious symptoms including:
Cracked mouth corner is usually a mild symptom that occurs as a result of environmental factors, personal habits such as licking your lips, or a mild condition such as dehydration or the common cold. Cracked mouth corners are rarely a sign of a severe condition.
Rarely, cracked mouth corners may be a symptom of severe dehydration (loss of body fluids and electrolytes). Severe dehydration is a serious or life-threatening condition that should be immediately evaluated in an emergency setting.
Cracked mouth corner is generally a harmless symptom that does not produce long-term complications. Damage to the lips from irritation may predispose you to the development of secondary bacterial or fungal infections. Rarely, cracked mouth corners may be a sign of a serious condition such as dehydration. In this case, failure to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage. Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications.
The good news: Once I got a diagnosis and proper treatment, the cracks went away within a few days. But those weeks leading up to my derm appointment were hellish, to say the least. Not knowing what the cracks were, why they developed, and if they were ever going to go away was a constant source of anxiety and self-consciousness. Understanding where these cracks come from (and, most important, how to get rid of them) makes angular cheilitis a little less scary.
Your mouth is its own ecosystem, containing many species of bacteria, viruses, and fungi, including a type of fungus called Candida albicans. For the most part, a normal amount of Candida albicans lives in your mouth and other places on your body (like your vagina) without causing harm, but sometimes, it can multiply and lead to an infection called candidiasis, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You might only experience these symptoms on one side of your mouth, or they might appear on both sides. Although these symptoms are usually only noticeable in the area around your mouth, in extreme cases they can extend all the way to your cheek.
Cracked lip corners are also common amongst elderly folks who wear dentures or babies who use a pacifier. In both situations, the corners of the mouth act like a reservoir for saliva, and the wetness creates a perfect environment for inflammation and cracking.
Oral thrush, a fungal overgrowth, is another possibility that leads to red, cracked corners of the mouth, though the condition typically also comes with other signs, such as white lesions in your mouth, according to Mayo Clinic.
We must be careful of the things we put on our lips and inside our mouths. Patch testing lipsticks and other makeup products are crucial to prevent cheilitis. But, studies show that the lack of specific foods can also lead to cheilitis. So, let us find out the lack of which foods aggravate and induce this painful condition.
Cracked lip corners caused by an infection and be transmitted to other people through kissing or using the same cup or cutlery, for example. Treatment for infections typically includes the use of an antibiotic or antifungal medication.
Many people experience cracked lip corners. Its main contributor is persistently wet lips and mouth corners. This can be the case in babies who use pacifiers, for example, or people who use dentures or braces. However, people who frequently use corticoid inhalers may also notice dryer lip corners. Having persistently dry lips may also be a factor, and is having a history of dermatitis in other parts of the body. This problem occurs more frequently when the immune system is weakened, as in patients with AIDS or diabetes. In some cases, cracked lip corners may be a sign of oral thrush, which must be treated.
Angular chelilitis is a chronic condition in which the lip corners develop persistent sores. With this condition, there may be periods when it is better and others when it gets worse again, so treatment can take between 1-3 weeks.
Q. I struggled with a condition called angular cheilitis for 60 years. From the time I was five years old until two years ago I had redness, irritation and cracks at the corners of my mouth.
My doctor had me start taking 2,000 IU of the vitamin D3 and the first thing I noticed was that the corners of my mouth were no longer cracking and sore or bleeding. Since then I have continued to take 2,000 IUs and have had a flare-up only once, when I was traveling and neglected to take my pills.
People with diabetes may find that improving blood sugar control and lowering HbA1c helps clear up the corners of the mouth (StatPearls, Sep. 29, 2020). Badly fitting dentures allow saliva to collect there and cause problems, so addressing that can make a difference. Sometimes angular cheilitis occurs in people whose HIV infection is incompletely controlled. In addition, immunosuppression, for example from steroids, can lead to thrush and cause cheilitis. Surprisingly, chewing gum sweetened with xylitol can decrease angular cheilitis among older adults (Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Aug. 2002). 2ff7e9595c
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