Pesky Angular Cheiltis Infection

The Roots of a Pesky Angular Cheiltis Infection

An Angular Cheilitis infection is a common skin problem which causes cracking of the corners of the mouth and chapping of the lips. People who have this experience often extreme itchiness, pain, and even bleeding of the affected skin. As the lesions heal, the skin develops a crust and if these crusts are not well cleaned, wounds may still occur before the healing completes.

There are many reasons why an Angular Cheilitis infection occurs. The main source of this skin problem is the accumulation of saliva on the sides of the mouth which bacteria and fungus uses as their breeding media. Studies have also showed that people who are taking acne medication are more prone to cheilitis malady because certain components on the medications can weaken the skin’s protective layers.

Angular Cheilitis can also affect people who wearing ill-fitting dentures or mouth braces. In cases when dentures do not fit properly, the mouth tends to over close, causing some skin folds to develop on the corners of the mouth and the accumulation of saliva on those creases. An Angular Cheilitis infection occurs when bacteria, yeast or fungus will be attracted to the saliva and this starts the onset of microbial infection. Allergies to cosmetics like lipsticks, lip balms, or toothpaste can also trigger cheilitis problem. Using unflavored lip balms and mild toothpastes is better than using strong flavored products because the lesser components the products have the less possible for the irritation to occur.

Other causes of an Angular Cheilitis infection are vitamin deficiencies, a weak immune system caused by other diseases like HIV, and lip licking habits. Lack of vitamins B2, B3, and B6, weakens the immune system causing the body’s defenses to weaken and lose its fight against skin infections. The case is the same with having HIV since this condition mainly targets the immune system of the body. Constant lip licking, on the other hand, can cause chapped lips to become more irritated because the saliva itself is full of bacteria.