The lip, called “labium oris” in Latin, is an organ in the lower front part of the face of humans or animals. It is formed by two soft tissue folds, which are arranged in pairs and seal the oral cavity from the surrounding area to the outside. The lips are connected in the transition area to the cheeks via the so-called corners of the mouth.
Here it comes to the formation of a narrower upper lip as well as a somewhat larger lower lip opposite it. The surface of the lips consists of skin in the outer face and of mucous membrane in the inner oral cavity. The lips are connected to our gums by a duplication of the oral mucosa, the lip frenulum, which is called a mucous membrane duplication.
The main characteristics of the lips are their mobility, soft shape and consistency. This is made possible by their muscular basis, the Musculus orbicularis oris, which means “the muscle that surrounds the mouth in a circular shape”. Inflammation of the lips, also known as “cheilitis” in medical jargon, is usually not a disease in its own right, but often occurs as a concomitant of other diseases, but can also occur in isolation.
Causes are for example bacteria or fungal infections. However, lip inflammation can also occur in the context of allergies, inflammation of the oral mucosa, nutritional deficiencies such as iron deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency, or in so-called autoimmune diseases. Basically, lip inflammation can be divided into four forms, which differ from each other due to their triggering factors and associated clinical pictures.
Any longer lasting inflammation of your lips should be professionally clarified by a doctor, because the underlying causes range from harmless to serious.
- The most common form of lip inflammation is “Cheilitis simplex”, the simple inflammation of the lips, which is also known as “Cheilitis sicca”, which can be approximately translated as dry lip inflammation. Its causes include allergies, mechanical stress on the lips, such as habitual licking of the lips or, in babies, frequent use of a pacifier.
Furthermore, physical influences such as wetness, cold or light trigger the “Cheilitis simplex”. Even in the context of drug treatment, undesirable side effects can cause this form of lip inflammation.
- If the inflammation of the lips is caused by UV light, i.e. by massive solar radiation and is therefore equivalent to sunburn, one speaks of a “Cheilitis actinica”. This is an acute, i.e. suddenly occurring, inflammation of the lips caused by radiation.
It represents a tissue degeneration that is associated with a potentially increased risk of malignant skin tumor and mucous membrane tumor.
- In the rare Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome, an inflammatory disease affecting the entire body of unknown cause, swelling of the lips and eyes occurs. This form of lip inflammation is known in connection with this disease as “Cheilitis granulomatosa”. This form is also a symptom of Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease.
- Some systemic basic illnesses such as diabetes mellitus, popularly known as diabetes, iron deficiency or vitamin deficiency or immune deficiency can lead to painfully torn and inflamed corners of the mouth.
It is called “Cheilitis angularis”, an inflammation of the lips affecting the corner of the mouth.
Lips dry out very easily and are prone to minor injuries that can lead to inflammation. External inflammation of the lip is manifested by dryness, painful cracked corners of the mouth, swelling and redness of the lip. The inflamed lip is very sensitive to acidic foods and drinks and hurts.
Blisters can also occur, which often indicate a herpes virus infection. In addition, a fungal infection (thrush) with Candida albicans often triggers an inflammation of the lips. It impresses as a whitish coating with cracks.
The inner part of the lip consists of sensitive mucous membrane with good blood circulation and appears very reddened in case of inflammation. Vesicles can also occur in this area, they are called aphtae. These become noticeable by burning pain when taking acidic food.
They are side effects of infections. There are also recurring forms where the cause is unknown. Mostly aphthae are small and occur sporadically, rarely in larger groups.
They are covered by a whitish membrane.Aphtae usually heal in days to a maximum of two weeks and usually heal without scars. The lips are well supplied with blood and are very susceptible to injuries due to their high stress. It is not uncommon to accidentally bite your own lips and cause minor injuries.
Special caution is required if you have received a local anaesthetic from your dentist, for example for caries treatment, which also anaesthetizes the lips. Here you may not notice that you are injuring yourself. Usually such minimal injuries are harmless.
It is of course possible that they become inflamed. Here one should apply greasy ointments, herbal additives such as witch hazel, balm and chamomile support the healing process. In addition, one should avoid fruit and acidic foods and drinks, as contact can lead to stabbing pain.
A healed canaliculus usually does not lead to any further complaints. But just freshly after the sting the lip is susceptible to inflammation as it is an injury of the skin and mucous membrane. A slight swelling and redness is initially normal and should go down after a few days.
It is important to clean the piercing exactly according to the instructions of the tattoo artist and to keep it clean. If the inflammation should still exist for a longer time, the tattoo artist or a doctor should be consulted. Often the plug is then too narrow or the material of the piercings leads to an allergic contact reaction.
As already mentioned, also infections with the herpes simplex virus are often the cause of painful inflammations of the lip and mouth area. This is called herpes labialis and is by the way a different pathogen than the herpes genitalis. Almost one hundred percent of the world’s population are carriers of the virus, but it does not occur with every symptom.
Mostly they are reactivated by a weakened immune system, for example during infections, but also in stressful situations and when there is increased exposure to sunlight. There are painful blisters on the mucous membrane. These contain a highly infectious secretion and crust honey-yellowish after bursting.
Under no circumstances should you open these blisters on your own, as the secretion that flows off is highly infectious. Since it is a viral infection, acyclovir should be applied thinly but regularly to the affected areas as an ointment from the pharmacy. You can find detailed information on this topic at Lip herpesWhen the immune system is weakened, pimples can appear on the lips in addition to herpes, which are very painful due to the high number of nerves.
Often a lack of hygiene is also a trigger, in young women also the hormonal situation or generally increased stress. It is important to avoid make-up and lipstick in order not to clog the pores further. Here, too, chamomile tea can have an anti-inflammatory effect and soothe irritated skin. In addition, tea tree oil has a disinfecting effect, zinc ointments dry out pimples and salicylic acid from the pharmacy has an antibacterial effect. It is important to pay attention to the exact dosage and a targeted application method, as all these substances can irritate even healthy skin.
All articles in this series:
