Here are some ways that you can tell if you have Angular Cheilitis. If you have cracks or fissures in the corners of you mouth you could possibly have the illness. Along with the cracks there is also redness and swelling. The corners of your mouth may be tender and sore. Sores or ulcers may also develop in the area. These sores may start to bleed or even release pus. The skin in the corner of your mouth may start to swell.

Other problems that you might experience if you have Angular Cheilitis include pain while eating, talking or smiling. Activities like eating and talking can re-open sores making them susceptible to infection. The sores that develop in the corner of your mouth may begin to crust over and scab. With the constant cracking and healing of the area can also cause the corners of your mouth to itch.

Angular Cheilitis can be diagnosed by either a doctor or dentist. Depending on what causes the disease, there are different ways to diagnose it. Some cases are caused by ill fitting dentures that don’t properly support the muscles in the face. Your dentist can diagnose the problem by judging the fit of your dentures. The problem may also occur from certain vitamin deficiencies or diabetes. Your doctor can test you for these things in correlation with cheilitis.

Cheilitis is either a fungal and bacterial infection. The fungal infection is caused by the same fungus that causes a yeast infection. Your doctor can test a culture of the area to see if you have the bacteria present. The doctor may also do a blood test to see if you have an immune system deficiency which can manifest itself through cheilitis. The doctor or dentist may also ask you about your personal habits like licking the corners of your mouth too much or biting your lips frequently.

Angular Cheilitis can be treated in several different ways depending on the cause. If you notice the symptoms of cheilitis you can go to your doctor or dentist to have it diagnosed. You do not have to put up with the irritation and the pain of cheilitis.

Little do they realize that they are creating a favorable environment for yeast and fungus to grow through their licking process, which may lead to cheilosis! Besides, the more you lick your lips, the more they crack. You end up with painful, chapped lips and cracks at the corners of your mouth.

Understanding Your Lips

To understand the importance of caring for your lips to avoid angular cheilitis, you must first understand what your lips actually are. They are associated in many ways to the rind on the remnants of your system, with the exception that lips don’t secret normal oils to keep them moist. Therefore, they are prone to go dry:

• when the weather is cold
• when they are exposed to wind as well as scorching sun
• when you lick them frequently
• when your lipstick causes allergic reaction on them
• when they get sore

You may be surprised, but sexually transmitted diseases, which include HIV, can also be the culprit behind chronic chapped lips leading to angular cheilitis. You need to sit up and take notice when your lips:

• get dried and cracked due to lack of moisture
• bleed
• are painful
• get highly sensitive and tender
• appear rough and red
• start peeling

Home Remedies For Angular Cheilitis

There are several home remedies for angular cheilitis. The initial stages of this condition can be easily treated at home. The only thing is that you need to do something about it and not let it be.

Do this:

• Apply unflavored lip balm or gloss over the lips
• Avoid the use of flavored tooth paste.
• Make use of a humidifier that moistens your lips.
• Increase your intake of water.
• Cut a piece of cucumber and rub it on your lips.
• Rub neem leaf distill on the affected area.
• Aloe vera gel also works wonders, try it.
• Increase your intake of vitamin A. This is because one of the reasons of angular ceilitis is deficiency of vitamin and iron. Eat lots of tomatoes, carrots, and green leafy vegetables.
• Consume vitamin juice. It contains juice of carrot, spinach, and tomatoes; 1 tbsp. water cress; 2tbsp. wheat microbe oil; 1 tbsp. nutritional yeast.
• Include whole grains, legumes, and nutritional yeast in your diet.
• Avoid heavy cosmetics.
• Avoid lipstick for a while.

Do this and angular chelitis will bid adieu to your lips!

Cheilosis can make it difficult to open your mouth. Opening even a small amount can cause pain or bleeding. This makes it difficult to talk and eat. Acidic foods can be especially irritating to the area. If it is difficult to speak then a person tends to isolate themselves from others. It is a condition difficult to hide because the mouth is such a prominent feature in our communication with others.

Those suffering with symptoms know the embarrassment of someone commenting that they have some food or something else on the corners of their mouth. Young children with cheilitis tend to pick at the area or constantly lick it which only aggravates the condition. Finding the right treatment depends on finding the root cause.

Angular Cheilitis can occur in older people with improper fitting dentures which allow saliva to leak from the corners of the mouth. Those who lick their lips frequently will allow saliva to gather at the corners of the mouth making a perfect environment for a yeast infection to develop. Very young children who use a pacifier may develop Cheilosis because of the constant presence of saliva around the mouth. It can also develop because of deficiencies in the B vitamins or iron deficiency. Obtaining a proper diagnosis is important to curing the problem.

Those who suffer with the symptoms of Angular Cheilitis may feel self conscious if people stare at them. Those with jobs that require them to talk to other people face-to-face, may find it difficult to not feel self conscious about the problem. Teenagers may deal with cruel remarks and comments from their peers.

It is not a serious or life threatening disease, but it does impact the social well being of a person. It often is mistaken for cold sores and others think it might be contagious but it is not.

Understanding the condition and finding the underlying cause in order to obtain proper treatment will help those affected by Angular Cheilitis to remove the negative impacts of this condition from their lives. They will return to feeling less self-conscious about their appearance and speaking and eating will not be so difficult.

Angular Cheilitis can actually come about in several different ways. Two primary ways that this condition is caused is through either a fungal or bacterial infection. The bacterial infection is caused by the same bacterium that causes Staph infections. The fungal infection is caused by the same fungus that causes yeast infections. Viral infections can also cause this disease. Antibiotics, anti-fungal treatments and other ointments can help treat these infections.

Certain bad habits like chewing on or frequently licking your lips will cause irritation which can eventually lead to the disease. The frequent licking makes the skin raw when exposed to cold, dry or windy weather. People who wipe or play with the corners of their mouth frequently also can develop the disease. The constant wiping puts them at risk for developing the sores.

The condition can also be caused by a lack of certain nutrients. Those with an iron deficiency known as anemia are more likely to develop the disease. Deficiencies of vitamin B-2, B-3, B-6 and B12 can also cause the disorder. Allergic reactions to tooth pastes and certain cosmetics can also cause the disorder. Certain drinks like orange juice can make it worse.

Immune system deficiencies like those that occur from being infected with HIV can also cause the disease. The inability to fight infection properly makes it much easier to develop the condition. Frequent sun exposure also puts you at risk for this condition. Losing your teeth or ill fitting dentures can cause the disease as well. If the facial muscles are not supported then the lips sag and allow moisture and food to get caught in the corners of the mouth. Increased moisture in the corners of the mouth makes for the perfect environment for the growth of fungus.

In infants and young children the condition can be developed in several ways. Thumb sucking and sucking on pacifiers can cause the disease through frequent rubbing in the area and increased moisture. Bottle feeding can also cause the disease. If you have infants or young children be sure to check the corners of their mouth for the development of the condition.