{"id":6239,"date":"2019-05-08T08:22:02","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T08:22:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/?p=6239"},"modified":"2021-06-09T03:11:54","modified_gmt":"2021-06-09T03:11:54","slug":"14-surprising-causes-of-angular-cheilitis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.io\/14-surprising-causes-of-angular-cheilitis\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Surprising Causes of Angular Cheilitis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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When Candida infects the lips and mouth, it develops a condition known as, \u201cangular cheilitis.\u201d Characterized by symptoms of swelling and redness around the edge of the lips and the corners of the mouth, angular cheilitis causes irritation and mild pain symptoms that many people confuse with a case of chapped lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, angular cheilitis infection is very different from normal inflammation of the lips associated with dehydration and overexposure. The affected individual may notice cracking on the corners of the mouth that may lead to bleeding and further infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In mo0st cases or chapped lips, licking the lips will help moisturize the skin, and lip balm helps to soothe symptoms. However, people with angular cheilitis infection may find that licking their lips makes the condition worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In most cases, the swelling and inflammation only last a few days, and affected individuals make a full recovery without the use of medications. Here are eight surprising causes of angular cheilitis.
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1.    Saliva Buildup<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People that lick their lips frequently throughout the day may cause a buildup of saliva in the corners of their mouths. This situation provides the ideal environment for the growth and spread of bacteria and fungus that cause angular cheilitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those people who are living with an oral thrush<\/a> infection are also at high risk of developing angular cheilitis infection as well. When the bacteria or fungi that are causing the thrush spread to the lips, it causes them to dry out, resulting in a burning sensation along the rim of the lip and corners of the mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Typically, when your lips are dry, licking them will help to moisturize the skin, and stop them for drying out further. However, with angular cheilitis infection, licking your lips provides no relief, and may exacerbate your symptoms as you spread more bacteria or fungi into the infected area. As symptoms progress, the lips and corners of the mouth start to crack, causing pain and bleeding.
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2.    Inflammation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

As the infected saliva <\/a>causes the buildup of fungi or bacteria on the lips, they start to inflame and swell. The patient may notice a slight change in the coloration of their lips, as they turn a darker red or purple color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Candida is the primary cause of angular cheilitis, and the bacteria or fungi cause intensive swelling, resulting in a tight feeling, as well as a burning sensation along the edge of the lip and corners of the mouth. Most cases of angular cheilitis don\u2019t require medical assistance and clear on their own after a few days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in some cases, the inflammation can be so severe that it starts to form cracks in the lips and corners of the mouth, resulting in bleeding when the final layers of skin rupture. Doctors recommend that patients keep their lips moist using a regular application of medicated lip balm to soothe the signs of inflammation and pain.
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3.    Licking Lips<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

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<\/a>. 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients with angular cheilitis may also lick their lips more frequently, increasing the intensity of irritation and inflammation symptoms. It\u2019s 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.
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4.    Exposure<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

People such as gardeners, surfers, and athletes may spend extended periods in the strong UV rays<\/a> of the sun. Overexposure to the elements, such as sunlight and strong wind may cause the onset of angular cheilitis, or intensify the symptoms in infected individuals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lips are sensitive to changes in hydration levels, as well as inflammation of tissues. When angular cheilitis starts to present symptoms of tightness and a burning sensation around the edges of the lips, that affected individual may think nothing of it at first, and continue with their game or workout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, the exposure to the sun\u2019s harmful UV rays, and a lack of sunblock for protection exacerbates symptoms of angular cheilitis. Patients may notice that their lips begin to swell and turn a different color. A few hours later, they start to experience cracking symptoms, and they may wake up the following morning to the development of crusts around the corners of their mouth.
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5.    Dry Climate<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Climate also plays a significant role in the development of angular cheilitis<\/a> and the progression of its symptoms. Affected individuals that reside in dry, arid, hot climates are at higher risk of developing the condition. The lips require moisturizing throughout the day. Many people only rely on their saliva to lubricate and protect the lips, with some people opting for the use of lip balm if their mouth gets dry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should an affected individual reside in a hostile, hot environment, it may speed up the drying of the lips. As a result, the infected individual may lick their lips more frequently, helping to spread the bacteria or fungi causing the infection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Should you live in an area of the country renowned for dry, hot weather \u2013 such as Arizona or Nevada, make sure that you always keep your lips lubricated with lip balm throughout the day. This strategy will help you avoid overexposure and cracking of the lips and corners of the mouth.
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6.    Dehydration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Our body is nearly 65-percent water. This fact means that we require water to maintain our hydration <\/a>levels throughout the day. Not drinking enough water, or drinking beverages such as coffee that provide a dehydrating effect, dries out the body, inviting infection and disease to take hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When we\u2019re in a dehydrated state, we find it hard to think, we experience low energy levels and the onset of fatigue, and our mouth starts to dry out. This dehydration effect plays havoc with the lips of people infected with the bacteria or fungi that cause angular cheilitis. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dehydration causes the lips to tighten and inflame, and the affected individual may start to notice a burning sensation on the edges of the lips and the corners of the mouth. The patient may feel like their lips are stuck together in the corners, and when they try to separate the lips, it results in cracking and bleeding of the affected area.
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7.    Cold Sores Are Not Angular Cheilitis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Many people infected with angular cheilitis mistake it for the onset of a cold sore or fever blister<\/a>. However, it’s critical to not that angular cheilitis occurs due to a bacterial or fungal infection of the mouth and lips, not a viral infection of the bloodstream, as is the case with herpes simplex virus responsible for the development of cold sores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cold sores and fever blisters occur on the edge of the lip, and they often present symptoms of weeping pus from the open wound. These symptoms take a few days to subside, and as the sore dries up, the patient\u2019s lips start to return to their normal state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, angular cheilitis rarely causes any form of sore or blister. Instead, it creates a drying out of the corners of the mouth, leading to cracking that some people can confuse with a cold sore. The cracks may get so deep that they start to bleed when the affected individual opens their mouth wide.
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8.    Risk Factors
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Angular cheilitis can affect men and women, as well as children and adults. The condition does not favor any ethnicities, and occurs at any time of the year, with seasonal changes being the most common time of the year for developing the condition. You may have already experienced a case of mild angular cheilitis and confused it with some other disease, or wrote it off as dry lips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there is a set of risk factors<\/a> that make some people more prone to developing angular cheilitis than others. If you fall into any of the following risk categories for angular cheilitis, pay attention to your body the next time your lips start to feel dry and chapped.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022    People that play outdoor sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022    People that spend time in the sun during recreational hobbies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022    People who reside in hot, arid climates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022    People who are dealing with a candida infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022    Individuals with marionette lines \u2013 deep lines at the edges of the mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022    People who use antibiotics or corticosteroids.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022    Individuals who produce excessive amounts of saliva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you fall into any of these risk groups, always keep your lips moist using a medicated lip balm for protection against the development of angular cheilitis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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