The formation of a red border on the mucous membrane or inflammation of the skin of the lips is a disease called cheilitis. The causes of its occurrence include injuries or burns to the lips, the formation of cracks due to weathering, and even prolonged exposure to the open sun. In addition, inflamed lips can indicate the presence of an infection in the body, a fungus, or a herpes virus.
Treatment of cheilitis is selected individually, depending on the type of disease. The most common types are:
- eczematous;
- glandular;
- exfoliative;
- catarrhal.
The name “cheilitis” itself means the place of formation of the inflammatory process, and the specific type can serve as a diagnosis. In practice, eczematous or, as it is also called, allergic cheilitis is mainly observed. In this case, the lips swell and become covered with a rash in the form of bubbles, and the patient experiences an acute burning sensation. The reason for its occurrence lies in the sensitivity of the mucous membrane or skin of the lips to any component of toothpaste or cosmetics. The treatment of cheilitis in this case begins with determining the source of the allergic reaction, after which it must be completely excluded from everyday use. To eliminate inflammation, corticosteroid ointments are prescribed in combination with antihistamines. There are more difficult situations in which the source of allergies is a new denture. Then you have to completely redo it, excluding the allergen from the composition, and repeat the operation. To avoid such difficulties, a qualified dentist carefully selects all materials and discusses them with the patient.
Women should remember that frequent use of lipstick clogs pores. There is a high risk that an infection gets along with the lipstick particles, and this often leads to the development of an inflammatory process. Lips become dull, begin to peel off or crack. The development of infection is facilitated by the difficult environmental situation, because in the modern world a person is usually surrounded by dust, emissions from plants and factories, exhaust gases, in the end. Often the patient begins to breathe with his mouth, which further dries out the mucous membrane, and it becomes vulnerable, open to bacteria. And along the contour of the lips, a red border appears, which, without proper treatment, cracks or becomes covered with blisters. Often cracks form in the corners of the lips. Such wounds are very painful and take a long time to heal.
Cheilitis: how to treat?
A specialist should conduct treatment of cheilitis in a comprehensive manner. First, the patient should control his breathing, because the habit of breathing through the mouth must be eradicated. This is decisive, otherwise it will not be possible to completely restore the mucous membrane and ensure the speedy healing of wounds. The dentist's task is to check the bite and correct the identified errors. Recently, myotherapy has been actively used, that is, massage of specific points on the human body that affect the work of certain organs and muscles. In addition to the basic procedures, breathing exercises are recommended.
Treatment of cheilitis in children requires a more careful approach. Before starting the above procedures, it is necessary to determine whether the child has breathing problems through the mouth. To do this, an elementary test is carried out: it is placed against the wall so that the heels, back and head touch its surface, and are asked to breathe only through the nose. If at the same time the little patient does not feel dizzy, pallor and blueness of the skin is not observed, then we can say that breathing through the mouth is just a habit, which is worth getting rid of.