Angular stomatitis can happen to people young or old. It can happen to babies who are not yet weaned from using pacifiers or thumb sucking. It can also happen to others who have their lips exposed in very sunny or windy conditions. People who are dehydrated because of fever or because of other causes can also have this. And, it can happen to the elderly who wear ill-fitting dentures.
What is angular stomatitis? Angular cheilitis or perleche are just of the common names of Angular stomatitis. It is a type of bacterial or fungal infection that affects that mouth area. When saliva builds up around the corners of your mouth, a very moist environment is created-perfect for bacteria and fungus to grow. It is through the cracks at the corners of the mouth that bacteria or fungi can get in the body. This results into sores if not immediately treated. Activities like, eating or drinking or even opening your mouth will hurt and having angular stomatitis will be a pain.
Studies show that angular stomatitis is caused by fungi or by bacteria. Such of which are the fungus Candida albicans and the bacteria staphylococcus. The bacteria or fungi may be acquired from biting or licking the lips. Saliva creates a moist environment on the splits, especially at the sides of the mouth that may attract other foreign bacteria or fungi. Angular stomatitis can derive from that. It may also be caused by nutritional deficiencies such as lack of vitamin B2, zinc, and iron. Strong medications such as accutane may also cause stomatitis. Certain cosmetics or teeth products that cause allergic reactions can also cause angular stomatitis.
Angular stomatitis is not a serious disease and is not contagious-if treated immediately and correctly. The treatments depend on what the cause is. For one, if the stomatitis is acquired because using ill-fitting dentures, the dentures should be adjusted to prevent irritation that causes saliva build-up. Applying a lip balm or Vaseline is a better way to moisturize lips, rather than biting or licking chapped lips. Taking supplementary vitamins is also helpful to prevent having chapped or cracked lips. If simple remedies are not that effective, dermatologists should be consulted. There are topical medications such as miconazole gel and Mycolog-II Cream that are prescribed by dermatologists to help dry-up the area.
The next time you'll experience chapping or cracking lips, you might have to think again before biting or licking your lips. You don't want sores to develop at the corners of your mouth. Avoid the cause so you won't have angular stomatitis.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.thearticledirectory.org/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
