Why are cracks in the corners of the lips so painful? It turns out that there are a hundred times more nerve endings on the lips than on the fingertips. Mom measures the temperature of the child with her lips and feels the slightest increase in it. The skin there is very soft. That is why she requires special care.
If you start inflammation, it takes a chronic form and is more difficult to cure. Despite the fact that there are many alternative methods of treatment, it is impossible to determine the nature of the lesion and its cause by eye. The result can only give a laboratory analysis. Moreover, such inflammation may hide a serious illness that has such symptoms.
The structure of the skin of the lips
The skin on the lips smoothly passes into the mucous membrane. The transition point is called the red border because of the many capillaries that shine through the four layers of the epithelium, which is thinner than the rest in this area. This is a very vulnerable place: with the slightest violation of the integrity of the upper layer of cells, the gates of infection open.
At the junction of the lips, the so-called commissure (from lat.commissura - “I connect”), all three types of tissues are present - skin, intermediate tissue and mucous. Therefore, here, as in the skin, there are glands and hair follicles. Under unfavorable conditions, they become infected and develop diseases.
The red border does not have hair follicles and sweat glands, but there are sebaceous glands that secrete eleidin. Cracks in the corners of the lips are formed from inflammation of one or all three types of tissue. In addition, an infection from the mouth (stomatitis) can spread to the area. Due to the structure of the commissure, opening the mouth wide can lead to cracks. On the skin in these places there are natural folds, very small. This is where they crack first.
Why cracks appear in the corners of the lips: reasons
Doctors joke that if all the reasons for the formation of cracks always worked one hundred percent, people would constantly walk with inflamed lips. Fortunately, for the occurrence of pathology, three conditions must coincide:
- Weakened immunity.
- Breaking the skin.
- Presence of infection.
Factors that contribute to the development of cracks:
- Dry lips caused by weather conditions (sun, wind, cold).
- Degreasing with hygiene products (alcohol-based lotions, hard water and laundry soap).
- Insufficient oral hygiene, lack of habit of washing hands, touching them to the face.
- Irritated lips after some food, cracking seeds.
- Dental problems.
- Poor quality lipstick.
- Yawning, vocal practice, recitation.
Diseases of the lips are called cheilitis and are characterized by damage to all tissues - both the mucosa and the epidermis. They are divided into several types, there are acute and chronic, infectious and non-infectious. Proper diagnosis is essential for successful treatment.
When children develop cracks
Children are more susceptible to germs due to dirty hands, toys, pen or pencil habits. Experts believe that mostly cracks in the corners of the lips in a child are accompanied by the addition of a streptococcal infection.
There are mycotic angulitis, the cause of which is reduced immunity. In this case, the disease becomes chronic. Usually stomatitis and glossitis join due to damage to the oral mucosa.
What is a crack
When the skin is too dry, it cracks. Until the deep layers of the epidermis are affected, you may not notice a skin defect. In the future, a weeping wound appears at the site of the crack. The ichor released from it causes even greater dryness of the affected area, which leads to hyperkeratosis and loss of the skin's ability to stretch.
From now on, any stretching of the skin easily injures it, deepening existing wounds. Bleeding areas appear that are irritated by food. Inflammation passes to the mucous tissue. If left untreated, it developschronic course of the disease.
Diagnosis
The dentist is engaged in establishing the causes and treating cracks in the corners of the lips. He takes a swab and sends it to the lab. There, a culture is made on the flora and a microbiological analysis is carried out. This is how an infection is detected and its resistance to antibiotics is established.
In addition, a detailed examination of blood and urine is carried out, and if necessary, ultrasound of the abdominal cavity. If necessary, clarify the cause of the disease with specialists (ENT, endocrinologist, gastroenterologist). The appearance of the crusts in the corners of the mouth is similar to those affected by herpes and streptococcus. They differ only in the size and content of the bubbles.
Secondary syphilis has one of the symptoms of cracks in the corners of the lips. With AIDS, cracks also appear in the corners of the mouth. Treatment is always selected individually, and the patient's condition can be traced in dynamics, since there are often several causes of such a disease.
Catarrhal cheilitis
Often, many people experience chapped lips during the winter. Dry frosty air dehydrates them, involuntary licking begins, which leads to further dehydration. The skin cracks and wounds form, through which bacteria and viruses freely penetrate. All this in general can lead to permanent damage to the corners of the lips, especially with a general reduced immunity.
To break this vicious circle, you need to use hygienic lipstick. Of course, this is a personal hygiene item, and it is not permissible to use someone else'slipstick. In the case when a person uses petroleum jelly, it is taken from a jar with a clean cotton swab. When this is done with fingers, it is possible to transfer pathogenic microflora into a jar. Subsequently, in the presence of microcracks that occur on dry lips, infection occurs, and cheilitis becomes infectious.
Chronic cracked lips
This condition is determined by long transverse cracks on the red border. It is manifested by chronic inflammation of the crack due to metabolic disorders against the background of diseases of the liver, intestines, allergies. The tissues are edematous, elasticity is reduced. The process is aggravated by the addition of infections (papillomavirus) and tissue hyperkeratosis.
Cracks in the corners of the lips in adults become chronic under the influence of various factors:
- Professional (dust, allergens).
- Weather (dry, cold).
- Bad habits.
- Hypovitaminosis.
The disease develops gradually. Small cracks under the influence of irritating factors deepen, thicken and become inflamed. Erosions appear, the ability to heal is lost. The fabric thickens and deforms.
Hypovitaminosis cheilitis
Errors in diet and bad habits can also cause cracks in the corners of the lips in an adult. Alcohol and tobacco contribute to vitamin imbalance. The abundance of raw fish leads to the splitting of B1. Problems with the intestines cause a deficiency in the body B12. If a person refuses black bread,there will be a shortage of B1 and B6. If he abuses sugar - deficiency of B2. With anemia, there will be a lack of iron.
Cracks caused by vitamin deficiencies can be easily healed by restoring a balanced diet. Sometimes it is useful to check for parasitic infestations. An abundance of fruits and vegetables, seafood and olive oil, black bread, cereals - these products should be on the table all the time. Of course, you can resort to drug substitution, but it has been proven that synthetic vitamins can lead to a state of microelementosis. Their abundance leads to the same symptoms as the lack of natural vitamins.
Angulite
Infectious cheilitis affects the mucous membrane and is called angulitis. It is caused either by yeast-like pathogens and treated with fungicides like candidiasis, or by streptococci and treated with antibiotics.
To know exactly how to treat cracks in the corners of the lips, find out the etymology. To begin with, herpes and syphilis are excluded. Then differentiate streptococcus and candidiasis. There may be a mixed nature of the disease.
Fungicides do not work on streptococcal fissures, while antibiotics aggravate the development of candidiasis. Therefore, combined preparations are used that can cope with both pathogens: "Triderm", "Trimistin".
How to treat cracks in the corners of the lips
Newly formed shallow cracks can go away without treatment. Eliminates irritating factors in the form of sour and spicy foods,take control of bad habits. A week later, recovery occurs. Untreated cracks become chronic.
Usually, the doctor prescribes conservative treatment. The corners of the mouth are treated with antiseptics (furatsilin, hydrogen peroxide) four times a day and treated with antibacterial ointments. Before going outside, the lips are smeared with petroleum jelly. The menu consists of products that exclude allergens. Chocolate, citrus fruits, chips, carbonated drinks, alcohol are prohibited. Food should be as soft and liquid as possible.
It is necessary to take vitamin preparations, especially group B. Food should be balanced in trace elements.
If there is no recovery in five or seven days, you should consult a doctor to identify possible concomitant pathologies, as this may be a symptom of internal diseases. Treatment is selected individually.
Prevention
There are a number of recommendations for preventing cracks in the corners of the lips:
- Need to give up bad habits (biting your nails, holding a pencil in your mouth or licking your lips).
- A visit to the dental office should be regular for oral hygiene and tartar removal.
- In addition to lipstick, you should use a scrub, which can be coffee grounds. It contains oil that nourishes the epidermis.
- Proper nutrition will provide a balance of vitamins and minerals in the body, increase resistance to infections.
- Personal hygiene.
- Disinfection of children's toys.
Following these simple requirements, you can maintain he alth and beauty.
