What is Cheilitis?

Angular cheilitis, also known as angular stomatitis or perleche is an inflammatory skin condition in which swollen, red patches appear in the corners of the mouth. It is the area where the upper and lower lips connect at the corners of the mouth to form an angle. This area is medically called oral commissures. People from any age group can get it on one side or on both sides of the mouth. Homoeopathic medicines for angular cheilitis bring an excellent recovery in such cases by targeting to treat the root cause behind it (like infections, allergies etc.)

Types of Cheilitis

  • Allergic Cheilitis– Mostly occurs due to cosmetic fragrance. Castor oil, sesame oil, rented olive oil, azodyes, and propolis are all the ingredients responsible for this type of cheilitis.
  • Atopic Cheilitis– Mostly associated with Atopic dermatitis. The patient always is prone to dryness, erythema, scaling, and fissuring of lips.
  • Angular Cheilitis– It is an acute or chronic type of inflammation adjacent to the labial mucosa at the angles of the mouth. Mostly occur due to candida albicans and staphylococcus aureus. Smooth, shiny red lips are observed.
  • Infective Cheilitis– Mostly occurs due to Herpes Simplex virus
  • type 1. Dysphagia, perivascular erosive Lesions, fever, cervical lymphadenopathy.
  • Mycotic Cheilitis– Cheilitis caused by Candida manifest with erythema, painful edema of lips and fissures Parasitic Cheilitis
    Leishmaniasis is a possible cause of cheilitis in Endemic regions. It gives an appearance of erythematous papules or plaque formation.
  • Actinic Cheilitis– The proliferation of epidermal keratinocytes due to prolonged exposure to the sun. Lesions appear to be sandpapery in touch.

 

Causes:

Cheilitis is often observed with a change of weather from warm to cold. Some drugs are known to induce Cheilitis, which are listed here:

  • Retinoids (isotretinoin and acitretin)
  • High doses of vitamin A
  • Severe zinc deficiency
  • Lithium
  • Chemotherapeutic agents (busulfan and actinomycin)
  • D-penicillamine
  • Isoniazid
  • Phenothiazine

Other possible causes of chapped lips include high fevers as well as environmental conditions, such as dehydration, ill-fitting dentures, wearing braces and certain vitamin deficiencies. It may also be a pre-malignant lesion for squamous cell carcinoma.

Avoidance of the offending drug is recommended.

Symptoms Of Cheilitis

In the starting, symptoms are unnoticeable but slowly they will be seen on the Lips. Some of the Common symptoms of Cheilitis are:

  1. Dryness: Dryness of Lips is the lack of moisture.
  2. Cracking: As Lips become dry, people face many problems like cracking of skin and bleeding of lips.
  3. Color of lips: colour of the lip may not be uniform and some parts of the lips appear white and pale.
  4. Swelling of lips
  5. Thickening of lips
  6. Bleeding
  7. Itching
  8. Burning sensation
  9. Border of the lips disappears.

 

How long does it take to get rid of angular cheilitis?

Angular cheilitis may affect one or both sides of your mouth, and it can take two to three weeks or longer to heal, depending on the treatment. Angular cheilitis may look like cold sores, but there are specific signs you can look to differentiate.

Homeopathic Medicine for Cheilitis

Cundurango – For Painful Cracks at Corners of the Mouth

Cundurango is a top-grade remedy for angular cheilitis prepared from the dried bark of the condor plant. This is a plant of the family Asclepiadaceae. It gives great results where painful cracks at the corners of the mouth are present. The cracks can be quite deep. In some cases, the corners of the mouth may be ulcerated.

Graphites – When Corners of Mouth are Dry, Rough, with Cuts

Graphites is a very effective medicine in cases where the corners of the mouth are extremely dry, rough and have deep cuts. These corners are highly cracked and fissured. Apart from this, it is an excellent medicine to treat cases with eruptions, crusting or ulcers at the mouth corners. They have a watery, sticky, gluey discharge. It also helps reduce scaliness in eruptions. In many cases, dryness, cracked lips, and a persistent burning sensation are also present with the above symptoms.

 Petroleum – When Deep Cracks Bleed

Petroleum is considered in cases of angular stomatitis when there are deep cracks at the mouth corners that bleed often. Along with this, the skin is rough, thick and hardened. The condition is worse in cold weather. Its use is also made when there appear crusts at the angles of the mouth with redness, burning, itching and bleeding. Another indication to use it is eruptions at mouth corners with scaliness.

 Natrum Mur – For Blisters at Mouth Angle

Natrum Mur is well indicated for treating angular cheilitis with blisters at the mouth angle. With this, the corners of the mouth and lips are dry, ulcerated, and sometimes cracked too. Sometimes there appear scabs on the lips with burning, smarting sensation and sometimes bleeding.