Angular Cheilitis Treatment
Angular cheilitis treatment will clear up the painful sores of one or both corners of the mouth. Often the corners of the lips are split with skin breakdown and crusting. It can be very itchy or painful. The condition can last for days to years. So it is best to clear it up quickly.
Angular cheilitis is a type of cheilitis (inflammation of the lips).
Angular cheilitis can be caused by infection, irritation, or allergies. Infections include by fungi such as Candida albicans and bacteria such as Staph. aureus.
Irritants such as poorly fitting dentures, licking the lips or drooling, mouth breathing resulting in a dry mouth, sun exposure, over closure of the mouth, smoking, and minor trauma can all cause this condition.
Allergies can cause it too, substances like toothpaste, makeup, and food are often the culprit.
Often a number of factors are involved.
Other factors may include poor nutrition or poor immune function. Diagnosis may be helped by testing for infections and patch testing for allergies
Treatment for angular cheilitis is typically based on the underlying causes along with the use of a barrier cream. Frequently an anti-fungal and antibacterial cream is also tried.
Angular cheilitis is a fairly common problem, with estimates that it affects 0.7% of the population. It occurs most often in the 30 to 60 age range, although is also relatively common in children. In the developing world, iron and vitamin deficiencies are a common cause.
Watch The Angular Cheilitis Treatment Video
Depending on the specific cause, the following treatments may be useful:
- Lip balm or thick emollient ointment, applied frequently.
- Topical antiseptics.
- Topical or oral antistaphylococcal antibiotic.
- Topical antifungal cream.
- Oral antifungal medication.
- Topical steroid ointment.
- Nutritional supplements.
Who is prone to angular cheilitis?
Angular cheilitis is common and affects children and adults, especially when they are in poor health. Predisposing factors include:
- Oral thrush: infancy, old age, diabetes, systemic corticosteroid or antibiotic use
- Dentures, especially if they are poor fitting, and there is associated gum recession
- Poor nutrition: coeliac disease, iron deficiency, riboflavin deficiency
- Systemic illness, particularly inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn disease)
- Sensitive skin, especially atopic dermatitis
- Genetic predisposition, for example in Down syndrome
- Oral retinoid medication: isotretinoin for acne, acitretin for psoriasis
It is made worse by licking the lips.
Clinical features of angular cheilitis
Angular cheilitis may result in the following symptoms and signs at the corners of the mouth:
- Painful cracks / fissures
- Blisters / erosions / ooze / crusting
- Redness
- Bleeding
It may progress to more widespread impetigo or candidal skin infection on the adjacent skin and elsewhere.