Diagnosis
Whether a corner of the mouth is torn due to a lack of fluid or due to an illness, the patient can often determine in the self-diagnosis: If a patient drinks enough liquid over 2 days without the symptoms improving, then an inflammation is probably the cause and a doctor should be consulted, who can then examine the cracked corners of the mouth for a Herpes Simplex infection and, if necessary, also perform a blood sugar test.
Symptoms
Torn or cracked corners of the mouth are often very annoying. They can be itchy or simply painful. Many patients do not want to open their mouth properly for fear of further tears.
In addition to the cracked corners of the mouth, other symptoms can also occur. In a Herpes Simplex infection, the corners of the mouth are not only torn but also inflamed and blisters form, which are painful and usually become encrusted after a few days. If a patient has a deficiency, however, further deficiency symptoms are more likely to occur.
An iron deficiency leads to increased tiredness and reduced performance in addition to the cracked corners of the mouth. Neurodermatitis usually manifests itself in areas of the skin that are subject to a lot of stress, for example in the elbow bend, where itchy, dry skin then occurs. In the case of diabetes, the corners of the mouth are often cracked despite well adjusted diabetes, as the blood circulation is insufficient.
Therapy
To treat the cracked corners of the mouth, one should first know why the cracked corners of the mouth occur. If the patient is dehydrated, he/she simply has to drink more fluid to stimulate the blood circulation and to bring more fluid to the corners of the mouth. However, if the patient has inflamed corners of the mouth due to a Herpes Simplex infection, ointments, for example with the active ingredient Aciclovir, which are applied to the cracked, inflamed corners of the mouth and allowed to soak in, can help.
After a few days an improvement should be visible. If there is an iron or vitamin deficiency, the patient should compensate for the deficiency either through diet or, if necessary, through tablets from the pharmacy. If the cracked corners of the mouth are caused by diabetes or neurodermatitis, the patient should take care to treat these diseases and, if necessary, cream the corners of the mouth regularly with a moisturizing cream.If a patient has drooping corners of the mouth due to anatomical conditions or previous illnesses and wants to lift them, often only the cosmetic intervention by a cosmetic surgeon can help. Before this, however, the patient should try to train the mimic musculature through specific exercises to such an extent that the corners of the mouth are lifted.
