Cheilitis is an inflammatory disease of the lips that affects both their rim and the mucous membrane. People cheilitis on the lips called "jam". This pathology can occur as an independent disease or as a clinical sign of inflammation of the internal organs.
Disease classification
Cheilitis on the lips has various forms, which differ among themselves both in etiology and in common signs.
Types of Disease:
- Angular cheilitis is an inflammation of the skin and oral mucosa, which is accompanied by the appearance of redness and cracking of the corners of the lips, as well as vesicles and ulcers with a crust. As a rule, it occurs in children and the elderly, mainly women.
- Allergic cheilitis - is mainly a consequence of the sensitivity of the lips to various chemicals. Very often has a professional character.
- Atopic cheilitis - severe redness and peeling of the border of the lips, accompanied by itching. May result from a genetic predisposition or an allergy.
- Exfoliative cheilitis - manifests itself in the form of an eczematous disease as a result of disruption of the endocrine system. It is accompanied by the formation of yellow and white scales on the skin, after the removal of which they can form again.
Cheilitis on the lips: causes
This damage to the mucous membrane of the lips can occur as a result of exposure to many factors:
- negative environmental impact;
- cheilitis on the lips can occur as a result of diseases of the endocrine system or immunodeficiency;
- intake of very hot or spicy food;
- sharp fluctuations in temperature, leading to drying out and chapping of the lips, as well as the appearance of cracks on them;
- the presence of allergies to a variety of chemicals and other substances that come in contact with the lips;
- the presence of diseases such as syphilis, lichen, tuberculosis of the skin, psoriasis and eczema;
- genetic predisposition;
- diseases of the internal organs or malfunction of the digestive tract;
- reduce the body's resistance to disease caused by cancer treatment procedures (chemotherapy).
Cheilitis on the lips: treatment
This disease requires specific treatment, which largely depends on the causes of the appearance of the pathology and on its type. Therefore, if you find such formations on your lips, you must consult a doctor. But only to what? Cheilitis on the lips is a disease of the oral cavity, so you need to consult a dentist.
As a rule, such troubles are treated by applying various ointments to the affected areas of the skin, for example, hydrocortisone, zinc, prednisolone and others. For many types of cheilitis, only local treatment will be sufficient, which will eliminate the external signs. For others, it will be necessary to carry out a complete rehabilitation of the oral cavity, as well as treating the sore spots with solutions of vitamins and anti-inflammatory drugs.
If cheilitis on the lips has very wide "arrays", then it is necessary to prescribe more serious medications or even surgical intervention.