Cheilitis - causes, symptoms, diagnosis

Cheilitis is an isolated inflammatory process in the area of the mucous membrane, skin and red border of the lips. Outwardly it looks like swelling with redness and peeling of tissue. It can be an independent disease or a symptomatic manifestation of other pathologies. Sooner or later, almost every person encounters it, but at a young age the disease is noticeably milder, recurs less often and has no complications. In older people, due to a weakened immune system, periodic relapses of cheilitis can cause malignant tissue degeneration.

Reasons for the development of cheilitis

The main causes of the disease include:

Dermatoses seem to be the most common cause of cheilitis. Skin diseases such as psoriasis, lupus erythematosus, syphilis, tuberculosis, lichen, also often provoke inflammation of the red border of the lips.

Thyroid diseases.

Allergies to various kinds of external factors, professional activities.

Adverse weather conditions.

Hereditary predisposition.

Decreased immunity, gastrointestinal diseases.

Features of cheilitis in children

Lips suffer due to minimal protection. In children it is even weaker, so cheilitis worries them somewhat more often. In addition to children, the risk group includes the elderly and pregnant women.

The main causes of cheilitis in childhood:

allergic reaction to food;
use of products for the care of the skin of the lips and around them, not intended for children;
genetic predisposition;
infectious and fungal infections;
weather.

Typically, infantile cheilitis does not develop until critical stages. When children's lips turn red, parents immediately begin to treat them. After all, people pay more attention to the health of the younger generation than to their own. If cheilitis in children still requires treatment, therapy should not be delayed longer than a few weeks. The main thing is to remove all allergens from the children's diet and balance the diet.

Types of cheilitis

All types of cheilitis are divided into two groups:

symptomatic (cheilitis, as a manifestation of the underlying disease);

true (as an independent disease).

Types of symptomatic cheilitis and their clinical manifestations

The symptomatic group includes the following types of cheilitis:

Eczematous - develops against the background of eczema, characterized by redness, swelling, burning and pathological changes in the skin of the lips. If left untreated, it becomes chronic.

Macrocheilitis - this form of cheilitis is considered a component of Melkersson-Rossolimo-Rosenthal syndrome. There is severe itching and swelling of not only the lip, but also other parts of the face.

Atopic - a predisposition to allergies to medications and food is a prerequisite for the development of inflammation. It manifests itself as peeling, redness, itching of the skin of the lips, and the formation of cracks in the corners of the mouth.

Types of true cheilitis

True cheilitis includes:

Contact - manifests itself as a result of the body’s reaction to contact with an irritant: cosmetics (determined mainly in women), the bad habit of holding a pen or pencil in the mouth, professional activity (musicians due to prolonged use of the mouthpiece of a wind instrument) Characterized by redness, itching, feeling burning, swelling of the lips.

Actinic - involves the development of an inflammatory process as a result of special sensitivity to natural phenomena: sunlight, wind, frost, radiation. It manifests itself as small blisters or erosion, swelling of the red border. This type of cheilitis is also called meteorological.

Exfoliative - occurs mainly in women. The development of pathology occurs against the background of depression, anxiety, and various disorders of the nervous system. The main symptoms are dryness, severe, prolonged peeling of the lip border. Exfoliative cheilitis has two forms: dry and exudative. With exudative inflammation, crusts form, causing pain in the patient.

Glandular - occurs against the background of hypertrophy of the minor salivary glands. This phenomenon can be congenital (appears after puberty) or acquired as a result of chronic inflammation. There is a risk of suffering from glandular cheilitis in people with periodontal disease, numerous carious cavities, after lupus erythematosus, and leukoplakia. It is initially characterized by increased dryness, which does not disappear with the use of hygiene products. Later - the presence of cracks due to the constant exposure of saliva to the red border of the lips. 20-30% of patients with glandular cheilitis develop squamous cell carcinoma. It is necessary to take a responsible approach to the treatment of this disease and seek qualified help from doctors in a timely manner - surgical intervention may be required.

What should healthy lips look like?

Those who know how to moisturize their lips can boast of their naturally beautiful appearance. The natural red hue is due to the location of blood vessels near the surface.

Signs of healthy lips:

smooth skin;
smooth texture;
pleasant natural shade;
no peeling or cracking.

Healthy lips have even, uniform pigmentation without light or dark areas. Healthy skin looks elastic, it is not prone to irritation, peeling and allergies.

If a whitened area is detected, it means that the delicate skin does not receive enough hydration or there are not enough vitamins in the body:

A,
E,
WITH.

First you need to learn how to use the right cosmetics. This applies to all people, because even if there are no problems with the lips, a careful attitude will not be superfluous.

You need to be able to choose the right cosmetics. And the first thing people pay attention to is the composition. Oil-based products should contain only natural ingredients:

jojoba oil,
cocoa,
shi,
nut oils.

It is best to buy products at a pharmacy or labeled “pharmacy product”. This means that cosmetics:

passed dermatological tests,
approved by experts
considered safe.

In addition to moisturizers, there are small life hacks to improve the color and contour of your lips.

Shock freezing is often used: using ice to massage the lips. With prolonged exposure to cold, the appearance of the lips deteriorates, but short periods of exposure to shock cold cause the capillaries to expand sharply. Blood flows closer to the skin and provides:

more active saturation with oxygen and nutrients,
more saturated lip color.

The most common advice for lip care is the use of special lipstick. But there are several ways to moisturize your lips without chapstick.

Treatment of cheilitis

This disease requires special treatment, depending on the cause, type and degree of the inflammatory process. The main methods of treating cheilitis:

local treatment of the surface of the skin of the lips with disinfectant solutions, ointments, vitamin oil solutions;

physiotherapeutic methods: Bucca radiation, ultrasound, laser therapy;

a course of vitamin therapy;

rinsing the mouth with decoctions of medicinal herbs.

If necessary, to eliminate the causes of the disease, specialized specialists may be involved: a dermatologist, an allergist, an infectious disease specialist.

Tips for dry skin around the mouth

Gently cleanse your skin daily

Washing your skin too often with very cold or hot water can cause dry skin.

Using soaps or detergents with fragrances, dyes, or other chemicals can further dry out your skin. Try detergents or soaps that do not contain:

alcohols;
aromas;
artificial colors;
other chemicals.

Exfoliate dry skin. The body's skin undergoes a natural cycle. New cells appear, allowing old cells to die. This process usually takes about 1 month. However, when dead cells adhere to the surface of the skin, it can cause clogged pores and dry patches. Exfoliation helps prevent this and improve skin texture. A person should cleanse their face every day and thoroughly exfoliate it every few days. Exfoliating every day can irritate or harm your skin.

Skin hydration

Many skin types need moisturizers regardless of the time of year. Moisturizing dry skin immediately after washing or exfoliating will help retain more moisture over longer periods of time. When using a moisturizer around your mouth, make sure that none of the ingredients will be harmful if accidentally ingested. Avoid all types of allergens. Also keep in mind that different types of dry skin may require different moisturizers. Look for products designed for sensitive facial skin.

Alcohols, artificial ingredients, dioxane and petroleum jelly tend to aggravate facial skin problems. Instead, look for moisturizers that contain beneficial ingredients, such as:

hyaluronic acid;
ceramides.

Useful tools that you can use yourself:

pure aloe vera gel;
Coconut oil;
sunflower oil;
Shea Butter.

Many natural oils help relieve dry skin on the face. However, not all oils are suitable moisturizers. Olive oil, for example, can damage the skin barrier.

Change your habits

Dry skin around the mouth can be a result of habits. Smoking is one of the reasons, and quitting it can help solve the problem.

Mouthwashes, toothpaste, and facial products—including makeup, moisturizers, cleansers, and soaps—can also dry out the skin in this area.

Bathing in the shower can cause problems. Washing your face with hot water can strip your skin of natural oils that maintain its moisture. Showers and baths should only last 5-10 minutes to promote healthy skin.

Use a humidifier in winter and limit air conditioning. Dry facial skin is often the result of exposure to dry air. Winter weather, air conditioning and heating remove a lot of moisture from the air, which can dry out your skin.

Allergic cheilitis

A disease that develops in allergy sufferers upon contact with an allergen and affects the surface of the lips. Typical manifestations of this type of cheilitis are a feeling of itching and burning on the lips, dryness and significant discomfort. The lips begin to dry and peel, and the scales of dead epithelium begin to flake off.

The main cause of this disease is the patient’s increased sensitivity to external irritants, in particular to allergens. Allergic, or, as it is also called, contact cheilitis can develop gradually.

It all depends on the patient’s personal sensitivity to allergens, and it can develop over several weeks, months and even years. The duration of this process is determined by the peculiarities of the endocrine system, as well as the degree of manifestation of allergic reactions.

This disease practically does not appear in children. According to statistics, most patients with allergic cheilitis are women over twenty years of age.

Causes of the disease

In most cases, allergic cheilitis is caused by contact allergic irritants. Among the most common allergens that cause cheilitis is lipstick. It is not the lipstick itself that is dangerous, but the substances it contains - rhodamine, eosin and others. Provoking factors also include low-quality dental implants and plastic dentures.

Allergic manifestations may appear after contact with citrus fruits, as well as in patients who have the habit of chewing pencils or pens. The disease is also common for those whose work involves playing wind instruments or hazardous chemical production.

Symptoms of the disease

The disease manifests itself as hyperemia and swelling of the lips, as well as a sensation of itching and burning, accompanied by the formation of erythema. Small painful blisters appear and burst on the affected areas of the lips. If the pathogenic process is prolonged, over time, small scars and scars will form in their place on the lips. Dry lips only increase over time.

Inflammation almost never extends beyond the red border around the lips. In rare cases, it may spread to adjacent skin. Sometimes the inflammatory process moves to the oral mucosa. This form of allergic cheilitis is characterized by hyperemia (significant redness of the tissues), the appearance of noticeable swelling of the tissues, and when trying to palpate, pain occurs.

Diagnosis and treatment

Diagnosis of the disease is carried out by a dentist together with an allergist. To determine the allergen, it is necessary to conduct allergy tests.

When making a diagnosis, it is important to distinguish allergic and atopic cheilitis, as well as exclude exfoliative and actinic cheilitis. Treatment of this disease includes the mandatory elimination of the irritant or allergen that caused it.

Systemic (general) and topical (local) drug therapy is used. General therapy refers to the use of medications taken orally. To relieve allergy symptoms, a course of antihistamines is used. If the case is sufficiently complex, the use of corticosteroids may be indicated. In addition, calcium supplements may be prescribed.

Local treatment of allergic cheilitis includes the use of a variety of emollient oils, ointments and balms based on sea buckthorn, vitamin E and others. To avoid the recurrence of the pathology, it is necessary to take an allergy test in order to eliminate any contact with the allergen in the future. It is also advisable to reconsider your diet and carefully consider the choice of cosmetics.

Prevention

To prevent dry skin around your mouth, avoid habits that cause dryness or irritation:

avoid damaging the skin;
use new sharp razors and shaving gel;
wash with warm, not hot water;
Spend less time outdoors in windy or cold weather;
avoid excessive air conditioning;
stay away from known allergens.

Regularly moisturizing, gently cleansing and sometimes exfoliating the skin around the mouth can often help prevent dry patches from forming.