3. Licking Lips
For most people, when our lips feel dry, we give them a quick lick, and the saliva lubricates the surface, removing symptoms of dryness and irritation. When angular cheilitis infection occurs, many people have never heard of the condition, making them assume that their parched lips are due to the change in seasons or they have a possible sunburn from overexposure.
As a result, the affected individuals lick their lips to moisturize the dry sensation. However, since angular cheilitis occurs due to fungal or bacterial infection of the saliva, the licking does not provide much relief. In most cases, the licking spreads the contributing bacteria or fungi across the surface of the lips, resulting in an exacerbation of symptoms.
Patients with angular cheilitis may also lick their lips more frequently, increasing the intensity of irritation and inflammation symptoms. It’s only on the second day of the infection that people may start to realize they have something wrong with their lips and decide to take action against the condition with the use of a medicated lip balm to soothe symptoms of pain and inflammation.