Peeling and cracks in the corners of the lips. Cracks in the corners of the lips. How and how to quickly treat lips at home


There are different ways to remove cracks in the corners of your lips. For this, both traditional methods and medications are used. Not only are cracks unsightly, they can cause serious chronic diseases, so it is imperative to get rid of them.

Causes of cracks

Why do cracks appear in the corners of the lips? This happens for various reasons. Conventionally, they can be divided into four groups:

  1. Mechanical and other external damage.
  2. Fungal infections.
  3. Cracks as a result of allergies.
  4. An accompanying symptom in other chronic or acute diseases.

The first group includes:


If cracks in the corners are a consequence fungal disease, then this is due to exposure to one of two types of bacteria: streptococcus or candidiasis.

How allergic reaction, cracks appear due to intolerance to toothpaste, face cream, lip balm or decorative cosmetics.

In some cases, cracks in the corners of the lips can serve as indicator of others, much more serious diseases. Among them are vitamin deficiency, herpes, anemia, metabolic disorders, liver diseases, diabetes, and stomatitis.

Treatment options

Methods for getting rid of cracks in the corners of the lips are different - supporters of natural ingredients can choose folk recipes for themselves, medications are suitable for more serious lesions, but cosmetics are usually used for prevention. Also, when choosing a treatment method, it is necessary to rely on the cause of the cracks.

Home methods

Getting rid of cracks in the corners of the lips at home using natural ingredients is used if the damage occurred due to external influences. When using home methods, you need to take into account the individual tolerance of each ingredient.

Getting rid of cracks with vitamins

Prepare soda water by diluting a small spoon of baking soda in a glass of liquid. Pour the contents of liquid vitamin B capsules into the same solution. Apply the mask to the corners of your lips every time after eating, do not wash it off.

Aloe juice

Cut a couple of agave leaves and put them in the refrigerator for 10 days. After this, remove and squeeze out the juice using a juicer or a fine grater. This method is used as an aid for speedy healing.

Herbal decoction

Take in equal proportions: medicinal chamomile flowers, calendula, sage and string (if some extract is not available, then it can be excluded from the recipe, but a decoction of these four plants will cure even red cracks). Brew 500 ml of hot water and leave for 30 minutes. Dip a cotton pad into the resulting broth and apply to the corners of your lips for 10 minutes.

Curd mask

Mix half a teaspoon of cottage cheese with the same amount of sour cream. It is better to take both fermented milk products with high fat content. Apply to the skin for 12 minutes, then remove with a soft cloth and rinse with warm water.

Apple mask

Grate 1 small apple with the peel on a fine grater. Pour a teaspoon of jojoba oil and 3 drops of rosemary essential oil into the resulting porridge. Leave for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water.

Drug treatment

This type of elimination of cracks in the corners of the lips is used, as a rule, in advanced stages of the disease or in case of fungal infections. These include solutions, ointments and creams. They should be used as prescribed by a doctor and in accordance with the instructions.


Cosmetical tools

Cosmetics are not therapeutic agents and can be used for prevention. These include lipsticks and lip balms that contain oils, plant extracts or propolis to soften the skin and promote healing. You can buy them in specialized cosmetic departments or pharmacies, and it is recommended to use them several times a day, applying to the affected areas. If the cracks in the corners of the lips hurt very much, then you should turn to more serious methods of getting rid of them.

How to treat cracks in a child

To treat cracks in the corners of the lips in children, you should resort to more gentle methods. As a rule, you can get rid of them faster than an adult. The remedies you should use are treating the corners with hydrogen peroxide or Miramistin, using vegetable oils and emollient creams, as well as applying gauze lotions soaked in a decoction of medicinal herbs. During treatment, the child should be protected from hot, cold, sour and spicy foods. Medications should be used in accordance with the prescription of the attending physician.

Rules for fast healing

To ensure healing occurs faster, you need to adhere to the following recommendations:


You can get rid of cracks in the corners of the lips in different ways, but you must take into account the cause of their occurrence and the degree of skin damage. To avoid this disease, you should not neglect oral hygiene and use softening lip balms.

Popularly, wounds that appear on the lips in the corners are called jams. In medical dictionaries, the diagnosis is indicated as angulitis. The clinical picture of the disease begins with mild itching and redness of the affected area. Inflamed skin cracks with the formation of narrow wounds. Seizures occur for many reasons, on which the course of treatment depends.

Cracks in the corners of the mouth, causes

The inflammatory process is caused by a streptococcal infection or one of the yeast-like bacteria. The indicated conditionally pathogenic flora multiplies in favorable conditions against the background of weakened immunity.

  1. During colds, acute respiratory infections and flu, during hypothermia and drafts.
  2. Dentures cause mechanical irritation, causing the appearance of cracks of mycotic origin in the corners of the lips.
  3. Congenital malocclusion or acquired as a result of tooth loss creates unnatural pressure when closing the lips.
  4. significantly weakens the immune system. The problem is especially pronounced in women, as a consequence of cyclic menstrual blood loss with the subsequent development of anemia.
  5. Seizures are a noticeable marker of vitamin deficiency. This is how a lack of vitamins A or E manifests itself. But a crack in the corner of the mouth, according to statistics, more often indicates a lack of riboflavin in the body. These symptoms are confirmed by the fact that the wings of the nose, the area above the lips and most of the face are peeling. Patients experience rapid fatigue, chronic drowsiness and lack of appetite.
  6. In diseases associated with metabolic disorders, cracks appear against the background of hormonal imbalance.
  7. Diseased teeth with enamel lesions due to caries can become a source of infection for oral candidiasis.
  8. pancreatitis, other pathologies of the digestive tract are accompanied by the appearance of cracks in the corners of the mouth.
  9. Many medications suppress the immune system. Antibiotics, cytostatics and corticosteroids are included in the category of substances that, with prolonged use, provoke seizures.
  10. Candidiasis can occur in anyone who irritates the mucous membrane area with various objects. Therefore, children and smokers are at risk for angulitis.
  11. A favorable breeding ground for pathogenic fungus is formed in the folds of the lips moistened with saliva.
  12. The allergic origin of seizures is explained by the content of components in toothpastes and cosmetics that are not tolerated by the body. In such cases, cracks in the corners of the mouth appear due to the individual characteristics of the person.

Traditional medicine for the treatment of cracks in the corners of the mouth

  • Extremely rapid healing of wounds on the lips occurs when a complex of vitamins A and E is applied to the inflamed area. Vitamins are sold in jelly capsules or come in a pharmacy bottle.
  • To compensate for the lack of vitamin B2, dairy and cheese dishes are included in the diet. Beef is a good choice of meat. The eggs of any birds are an excellent source of vitamins. Recipes for making porridge from whole grains will come in handy. It is useful to cook peas and beans. Vegetables are represented by cabbage and spinach.
  • Chronically occurring cracks in the corners of the mouth, as a result of low hemoglobin, require longer treatment. The diet is enriched with porcini mushrooms, nuts and pomegranates. Cutlets and borscht are best prepared from red meat. Peach and apricot are good for dessert. There are interesting recipes in the arsenal of national Slavic cuisine made from eggs or rye dough. It is worth remembering that the absorption of iron depends on the content of vitamin C and E in food. Everything is not so complicated, this means that you need to add fresh salads and more vegetable oil to the table.
  • You can lubricate your lips with vegetable oils that have an anti-inflammatory effect. It is recommended to make lotions from medicinal herbs. The list is topped by chamomile, calendula and sage.

Practice shows that the most effective treatment is that prescribed by a doctor. After all, the causative agent of the disease in this case is not alone.

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Cracks in the corners of the mouth

You can tell about a person’s health by looking at his skin and lips. In healthy people, the surface of the dermis and mucous membranes is pink, not swollen and smooth. Cracks in the corners of the mouth appear due to a lack of vitamins, bad habits, weakened immunity or other disorders in the body. The problem worries both adults and children. Moreover, the stronger sex and children suffer much more often than women, since they do not use lipstick. You can even eliminate the disease using traditional methods, but first you should learn about the causes and treatment with drugs.

Damage to the corners of the lips is called jamming or angulitis. Many factors contribute to the occurrence of the defect, for example, spicy food, wide mouth opening, lack of vitamins. In addition, diabetes mellitus, fungal disease and staphylococcal infection negatively affect the appearance. Most often, wounds in the corners of the mouth appear due to the following problems:

  1. Injuries. People with dry lips often develop tears in the corners after visiting the dentist. Opening the mouth wide and the doctor using instruments causes minor injuries, which sometimes do not have time to heal by the next visit. People with removable dentures also often experience painful jamming.
  2. Avitaminosis. A lack of vitamin B12 can cause angulitis and other malfunctions of internal organs. The pathology is accompanied by swelling of the lips and tongue, discomfort in the eyes and malaise. Often, the disease is diagnosed in the fall and spring, as well as after a strict diet.
  3. Insufficient oral hygiene. For this reason, catches in the corners of the mouth occur in children: they neglect the rules of personal hygiene, put dirty fingers in their mouths or touch their faces with their hands. As a result, bacteria cause inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
  4. Ecology and weather. In megacities with heavy pollution, residents are concerned about dryness, burning and flaking of the skin. The situation worsens noticeably in frost, heat or wind. If you do not use moisturizers, the wounds may not heal for a long time.
  5. Fungal disease. Oral thrush, which appears due to prolonged use of medications, contact with a sick person, or a weakened immune system, provokes painful rashes in the corners of the mouth. In addition, you can notice a white or yellow coating, which is easily removed from the mucous membrane.
  6. Syphilis. The appearance of permanent angular cracks with seals that do not hurt, but are covered with a light coating should alert you. A similar symptom is characteristic of chancre, the first sign of primary syphilis. The advanced stage causes non-healing ulcers in the affected area.
  7. Anemia. Weakness, shortness of breath, rapid fatigue, rapid heartbeat are clear signs of the development of iron deficiency anemia. Very often the lips of those who are sick get cracked, and the disease does not go away for a long time.
  8. Bad habits in adults and children. This sub-item includes not only frequent drinking of alcohol or smoking (everyone already knows about the dangers of these addictions), but also other actions that many do every day. For example, some people lick and bite their lips, or bite their nails, pens, or pencils. All this leads to minor injuries and infection.
  9. Pathologies of internal organs. Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, endocrine, circulatory or nervous system provoke ulcers near the oral cavity. Sometimes upon examination it is possible to notice yellowish crusts, which indicates a clear malfunction in the body.
  10. Atopic cheilitis. The inflammatory process affects the entire surface of the lips, causing painful cracks. There are many provoking factors: hormonal disorders, allergic reactions to food or medications, stressful situations and adolescence in adolescents. Additional symptoms include peeling of the facial skin and a small rash.

To identify the cause of cracks in the corners of the mouth, it is recommended to start moisturizing your lips and eliminating all provoking factors. If improvements do not occur within a few days, you should see a doctor. You should not delay your visit, as there is a risk of a bacterial infection and worsening the situation. Otherwise, the disease may become chronic, which is very difficult to get rid of.

Manifestation of pathology

Angulitis begins with a change in the shade of the lips to a redder color and slight redness around the mouth. Next, cracks form in the corners, which are replaced by bubbles. They are often filled with fluid and sometimes pus. When the blisters break, a wet eczema or sore is left behind. The patient experiences severe itching and burning due to dryness. It becomes more difficult to move your lips and eat food, as any movement causes severe pain. New cracks and blisters may appear when you open your mouth. Soon they become covered with a yellowish or brown crust, which bleeds when peeled off. In severe cases, wounds form on the mucous membranes inside the mouth.

Diagnosis and treatment of the disease

If the defect does not disappear on its own after eliminating all provoking factors, then it’s time to consult a dermatologist or therapist. The specialist will examine the affected area, refer you for additional research and suggest how to cure the pathology. To confirm the diagnosis, you need to take a general blood test and ointment, a swab from the mouth and scraping from the corners of the lips.

For treatment, the patient is prescribed creams, ointments and solutions to treat the diseased area. Do not forget that the method of therapy depends on the cause, that is, it must be identified and eliminated. The most affordable and simple option is to wipe the cracks with hydrogen peroxide and then sprinkle with streptocide. How to treat pathology:

  • Bepanten is an anti-inflammatory cream based on dexpanthenol that helps restore irritated dermis.
  • Solcoseryl is a paste for application to mucous membranes and skin, consisting of diazilate and auxiliary substances, accelerates regeneration and relieves pain.
  • Boro-plus is a cream made from natural ingredients that has an antiseptic and regenerating effect.
  • Zinc ointment is a product based on zinc oxide, proven over the years, and forms a protective film on the surface of the epidermis.

If the corners hurt from a fungal infection, then the use of antifungal agents is required. They should be prescribed by a doctor, since many have not only positive, but also negative effects. Sometimes patients are prescribed antibiotics and immunomodulators if the disease has become severe. The quality of treatment is affected by the condition of the teeth: caries, tartar, fillings made of low-quality material. These factors also need to be eliminated before starting therapy.

Nutrition and vitamins during treatment

Expert opinion

Meshcherinka Diana

Dermatologist of the first qualification category

Ask a question to an expert

It is not enough to just treat the affected areas with medicinal ointments and moisturize with lipsticks. Proper nutrition during the treatment period and the use of vitamin complexes will help stop the appearance of wounds.

You need to avoid spicy, salty and sour foods, as well as solid foods that can somehow damage the inflamed mucous membranes. It is better to cook soups and porridges; solid foods can be ground in a blender. It is recommended to diversify your diet with vitamin B2, which is found in rice, bran, nuts, avocado, cabbage and other leafy vegetables. Vitamin E also has a positive effect and helps restore skin cells. It can be found in legumes, nuts, oats and corn. Fatty meat should be excluded for a while; protein foods include chicken eggs, sea and river fish, poultry, and cheese.

During candidiasis angulitis, any sweets (not only chocolate, but also honey) are strictly prohibited, as they provoke the multiplication of the pathogen. They should be replaced with fresh vegetables and fruits. If you have anemia, you should eat more foods with vitamins E and C: olive oil, apples, onions (added in small quantities to food), green peas, rose hips, parsley, sunflower seeds, pistachios, sea buckthorn.

Vitamin E, olive and flaxseed oil can also be applied to lips affected by the disease; the first remedy can be purchased at the pharmacy in ampoules. You need to lubricate the inflamed surface before going outside, especially on windy and frosty days. If the corners of your lips hurt, then it is better to avoid lipstick for a while - it contains dyes and harmful fragrances that interfere with healing.

The use of medications is not always possible, therefore it is permissible to use folk recipes to treat seizures in children and adults. They are easy to prepare and can even be used by pregnant women. The simplest remedy is applications for the corners of the lips from a decoction of oak bark, chamomile, and alder cones. With their help, it is possible to disinfect cracks and also prevent the development of infection.

Seizures on the lips (angulitis) are cracks in the corners of the lips, which are accompanied by symptoms in the form of irritation, pustules in the corners of the mouth, and discomfort. First, redness appears in the corners of the mouth, then small cracks, and sometimes erosion. These are jams. It becomes painful to talk, it is impossible to put on lipstick, there is constant itching and burning in the corners of the mouth, and eating spicy, salty and sour foods further increases the pain. In severe cases, patients refuse food, as it is very painful for them to open their mouth. If treatment is not carried out promptly, crusts and even bleeding ulcers may form.

Reasons for seizures

Fortunately, the disease does not always develop against such a complex background. However, the general pattern is the same: decreased immunity and increased infection in chronic foci (mouth - teeth, gums, tonsils; paranasal sinuses, upper respiratory tract) + the action of local factors (microtrauma of the lips) + deficiency of certain vitamins and minerals = persistent angulitis.

It is clear why angulite becomes more active in the off-season, most often in the spring. At this time, the load on the body’s adaptive systems, including the immune system, increases; The content of biologically active substances in food decreases, and the need for them increases. After winter, we try to catch more sun rays, and this is understandable. But here it is important not to overdo it, because these days many children have increased photosensitivity. An allergic reaction to cosmetics with other unfavorable factors stimulates the development of lip irritation, as does excessive dryness of the lips, which may be caused by the habit of licking the lips.

If the body's ability to adapt is limited, the “weak links” of our health come under attack. Then acute diseases develop or chronic ones worsen. Of course, having suddenly appeared, seizures can disappear just as quickly, without requiring any special treatment. However, persistent angulitis is a reason to conduct a detailed examination.

Seizures in the corners of the mouth can appear at any age, both in adults and children. Also, a disease such as seizures can occur at any time of the year, but the activity of this sore is especially often increased in the spring.

There can be several reasons for the appearance of seizures, and one of the most serious is a disruption of the body’s vital functions caused by poor performance of the gastrointestinal tract or other internal organ. Therefore, if one fine day you find that your child has some sticking on his lips, think about whether something else is bothering him? That is, in this case, seizures can occur as a symptom of another serious illness.

Seizures are a bacterial infection, in other words, a disease that can be transmitted through kisses, dishes and other common things, caused by a fungus or staphylococcus, or some viruses.

Most often, seizures in the corners of the mouth appear due to weakening of the immune system due to a lack of vitamins, which, as already written above, occurs mainly in the spring. And it’s not uncommon for people who are troubled by eating to develop a deficiency of vitamin B in their bodies.

There are also many other reasons that contribute to the appearance of jams in the corners of the mouth, ranging from allergies to toothpaste and certain foods, and ending even with an incorrect bite.

Sticking can also be caused by some toothpastes, for example, those containing fluoride. In children, the habit of licking their lips and holding foreign objects in their mouth can lead to the development of jamming.

Vitamin deficiency and seizures

The most common cause of seizures is a lack of vitamin B2 (riboflavin) in the body. In such cases, the disease is often accompanied by peeling of the skin and even the appearance of crusts on the wings of the nose and other parts of the face, burning and redness of the tongue. Patients complain of weakness, loss of appetite, and fatigue.

If you are confident enough that your health is fine, but sticking on your lips continues to bother you from time to time, pay attention to the foods you eat.

For example, products such as cottage cheese, milk, cheese, eggs, beef and liver contain quite a large amount of vitamin B2, so their frequent consumption can prevent the occurrence of jams.

Another key role in the appearance of lip jams is played by a deficiency of iron and zinc in the body. The foods richest in iron content are mushrooms and nuts, peaches and pomegranates, potatoes, parsley, asparagus, rye, buckwheat, and oatmeal. As well as red meat (beef, lamb and pork), and foods such as heart, liver and kidneys.
And good food sources of zinc are seafood, eggs, greens, meat, kidneys and liver, pumpkin seeds, sprouted wheat grains and brewer's yeast.

Well, it is advisable to additionally drink a complex of pharmaceutical vitamins, which in any case will help not only prevent and eliminate jams in the corners of the mouth, but will also benefit the entire body as a whole.

It has been proven that vitamins B2 and B6, iron and zinc play a key role here. As for vitamins A and E, they are useful for external use; they are used in fat-soluble form to accelerate tissue epithelization.

The daily requirement for an adult for vitamin B2 (riboflavin) is 1.5-1.8 mg, B6 - 1.8-2 mg, iron - 10-20 mg, zinc - 13-14 mg. So, first of all, you need to pay attention to your diet and replenish it with foods rich in these substances.

Most vitamin B2 is found in animal products: milk, cheese, cottage cheese; meat (beef), animal liver; eggs. Vegetarians should remember that plant foods contain significantly less vitamin B2, and be sure to include bran and whole grains in the menu - wheat, rye, oats; vegetables - broccoli, spinach, green beans, fresh peas. There is a lot of B2 in brewer's yeast.

It should be taken into account that vitamin B2 is water-soluble and is easily lost during prolonged contact of food with water - prolonged soaking and improper defrosting. B2 is also very sensitive to light and oxygen in the air, so it is better to cook food in a sealed container and store it in opaque containers. For example, milk in glass bottles is significantly depleted in B2 compared to milk packaged in light-proof bags. During conventional heat treatment, B2 losses range from 5 to 40% (depending on whether the listed protection measures are followed).

A number of chronic diseases require an increase in the daily dose of vitamin B2d, which should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor who recommends multivitamin complexes or individual medications.

Another vitamin, the lack of which often manifests itself as angulitis, is B6 (pyridoxine). Typically, we get enough of this vitamin from food, but it is important to preserve it. The measures listed above in connection with vitamin B2 will help. The loss of vitamin B6 during conventional heat treatment is 20-35%, and during freezing it is insignificant.

Often, vitamin B6 deficiency is accompanied by a lack of magnesium in the body, then a B6 + magnesium complex is prescribed.

In some cases, vitamin B6 deficiency is combined with iron deficiency. The richest in iron are porcini mushrooms, red meat (beef, pork, lamb), offal (liver, kidneys, heart), eggs, rye, oatmeal, buckwheat, asparagus, parsley, potatoes, peaches, apricots, nuts, pomegranates, etc. d. Iron is best absorbed from red meat, which is preferably combined with foods containing vitamins C (fresh vegetables and fruits) and E (for example, vegetable oils).

Zinc deficiency is also quite common. Its main cause is impaired absorption of zinc in the gastrointestinal tract due to inflammatory processes in the mucous membrane. Do not neglect food sources of zinc.

These are meat, liver, kidneys, seafood (especially oysters), sprouted wheat grains (sprouted wheat contains a more easily digestible form of zinc), brewer's yeast, pumpkin seeds, eggs, mustard greens. For better absorption of zinc, a combination with foods rich in vitamin A is recommended.

If you are constantly taking medications, ask your doctor if they are depleting your body of vitamins. If such an effect is present, multivitamin complexes are especially necessary.

For local treatment, traditional medicine offers a rich range of remedies. Good results are obtained by lubricating the lips and corners of the mouth with rose jam and creams based on rose oil, as well as beeswax and fats: olive, linseed, sea buckthorn oil, goose fat, avocado oil, a mixture of honey and butter.

Angulitis, or seizures, is a sign of trouble in the body, the causes of which must be identified in time.

How to treat seizures

    If the disease persists, a laboratory scraping is usually performed to identify the pathogen (this can be streptococci, staphylococci or yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida), and a blood test for vitamin B2 content.

    Carious teeth should be treated and irritating factors (tartar, poor-quality crowns or dentures) should be eliminated. Those who smoke should quit or at least limit smoking.

    You need to enrich your diet with various vitamins, but primarily with vitamin B2, which is found in large quantities in whole grains (brown rice, bran), legumes, nuts, green leafy vegetables, cabbage, and avocado. Among animal products, the best sources of riboflavin are egg yolk, poultry, fish, and cheese.

    Vitamin E is also necessary, which is abundant in cold-pressed vegetable oil, cabbage, legumes, nuts, oatmeal and corn.

    Try to eat more vegetables and fruits, dairy products; exclude spicy, sour, salty foods. Boiled meat is preferable. For fungal infections, limit sweets.

    They ease the condition by applying an infusion of oak bark or alder cones to the corners of the lips, which have disinfectant and astringent properties.

    The following recipe helps: moisten a cotton swab with tea tree oil and apply it to the corners of your mouth for a few seconds. Repeat morning and evening until the jams disappear. Tea tree oil has bactericidal and wound-healing properties.

    You can also use a warm brewed green tea bag.

    To prevent jams from appearing again, follow hygiene requirements when caring for your mouth and dentures, and make sure that your face towel is always clean.

Treatment of seizures with folk remedies

    When treating ear infections, as well as in the treatment of herpes, a folk remedy such as earwax can help a lot. You can get it out with a cotton swab and immediately lubricate it in those places where there are jams.

    You can try to get rid of sticky spots on your lips using thermal water or a hygienic lipstick made from it. It is enough to simply sprinkle thermal water or apply lipstick on the affected areas of the lips several times a day.

    What else can help in the treatment of seizures is to lubricate them with an oil solution of vitamins A and E, Vaseline, melted beeswax, goose fat, sea buckthorn, linseed and olive oil, rose hip and avocado oil, tea tree oil, and also make lotions from infusions herbs chamomile, celandine, string, sage and calendula.

    The next folk remedy against jams is rubbing them with juice squeezed from the leaves of the houseplant Kalanchoe, juice from fresh stems and leaves of celandine, plantain and buttercup, and a cut clove of garlic.

    Another fancy folk method for eliminating sticking in the corners of the mouth is to regularly wipe the affected areas with your own hair, if the length allows. Some people also claim that in order to get rid of jams, you need to run a knife along them, naturally with the blunt side. It is difficult to say how effective these methods are, but in any case you can try.

Traditional treatment of seizures

Well, as for pharmaceutical medications that are recommended for the treatment of lip jams, these are Teymurov’s paste, ointments such as Levomekol and Iruksol, Tetracycline ointment and D-Panthenol. And be sure to identify the cause of the jams and eliminate it.

In medicine, there are complex and sonorous names for the same disease, the symptoms of which are familiar to almost everyone: angulitis, angular stomatitis and angular cheilitis. But there is no such term as “jam”; it “came” to us from the people.

Deep cracks in the corners of the mouth have “earned” the right to have their own separate popular name, since they are a fairly common occurrence in everyday life among adults and children. This is the case when a small defect on the body causes not only painful discomfort, but also aesthetic discomfort.

Why do jams appear, how to protect the beauty and health of your lips, and is it worth looking for the deep reasons for this process, so as not to ignore the body’s alarm signal for help? To answer these questions, you need to find the source of the problem.

What causes cracks in the corners of the lips?

Two representatives of conditionally pathogenic microflora live on the surface of the skin and mucous membrane of the oral cavity: streptococci and yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida. For the time being, they behave approximately, but as soon as you give them even the slightest chance to prove themselves, their vigorous activity becomes the culprit for the occurrence of many diseases.

In the case of the appearance of cracks in the corners of the mouth, damaged skin and decreased immunity become provoking factors that allow microbes to actively realize their harmful properties.

If we are talking about angulitis as an independent disease, then the reasons for its development can be ordinary abrasions and scratches near the mouth.

Streptococci and fungi, once in the wound, begin to multiply quickly. They affect the surrounding skin surfaces and the mucous membrane of the lips with erosion, forming painful cracks with purulent discharge and a gray-white coating.

What factors could contribute to this?

Provoking factors that cause cracking of the corners of the lips and reddening of the skin around the mouth can be:

  1. Incorrect bite, missing teeth, poor-quality dentures or braces, leading to constant mechanical irritation of the oral mucosa.
  2. Squeezing pimples and scratching the skin in the corners of the mouth;
  3. Overdrying of the skin as a result of exposure to external factors (cold, dry room, smoking).
  4. The presence of irritating foods and drinks, including alcohol, in the daily diet.
  5. Lack of B vitamins (especially B2), vitamin E and iron, which are responsible for the normal condition of the skin.

To complicate the situation, you can expose the wounds to additional infection with various bacteria that interfere with their rapid and successful healing.

Favorable conditions for the progression of the disease will be failure to follow simple rules of personal hygiene:

  • using poorly washed dishes;
  • eating dirty vegetables and fruits;
  • frequent lip licking;
  • untimely treatment of oral diseases (caries, stomatitis and others);
  • allergic irritations in the area around the mouth, including those arising from the use of lip care cosmetics;
  • lack of personal dental care items.

What diseases can be accompanied by seizures?

A decrease in the reactivity of the body’s immune system allows harmful microbes to “play out” unhindered in the corners of the mouth. The consequence of this process is a slowdown in metabolic processes, seasonal exacerbation of chronic diseases and seizures.

The following diseases increase the activity of pathogenic microflora:

  • diabetes;
  • liver diseases;
  • infectious diseases (ARVI, acute respiratory infections, influenza, HIV infection);
  • courses of long-term use of antibiotics, hormone therapy, immunosuppressants, cytostatics, steroids.

A peculiarity of internal factors that cause not only damage to the skin in the corners of the lips, but also damage to the tongue and oral cavity, is that they usually involve Candida fungi in the process. Therefore, candidiasis angulitis often becomes chronic and tends to recur periodically.

Can jams appear in a child?

In children, cracks around the mouth occur more often than in adults. This is explained by the weak protective functions of the child’s body, and children’s habits of sucking a pacifier, finger, putting toys and other objects in their mouth, without thinking about their sterility.

Licking and chapped lips of a child in the cold often ends in the formation of a streptococcal infection. In this case, not only the skin around the mouth often turns red, but also blisters appear, the rupture of which is accompanied by purulent and bloody discharge.

It is important for mothers to remember that if their child has the habit of licking his lips, proper and timely treatment will prevent further expansion of the process to adjacent areas of the skin and help avoid the development of relapse.

How to treat cracks that appear in the corners of the mouth?

Any disease must be treated after its cause has been established. Treatment of seizures is no exception. If it is an incorrect bite, bad teeth or an uncomfortable denture, go to the dentist. The skin has become dry and began to peel - supplement your diet with products containing a sufficient amount of vitamins the body lacks.

The use of pharmacological drugs in the fight against seizures depends on the nature of the causative agent of the pathological process. It is better to coordinate their use with a dermatologist, who may prescribe additional examination methods to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Dosage forms are represented mainly by various ointments: antibacterial, antiseptic, antifungal.

Folk remedies: what to apply to chapped corners of lips?

Local effects on zaedu are widely represented by folk methods based on many years of successful experience in treating this sore by our ancestors. Their action is aimed at softening the skin near the jam and accelerating the regeneration of damaged tissue.

After consulting with a doctor about the safety of using folk remedies, and ruling out individual intolerance or allergy to any natural component, the following will help cope with angulitis:

  • moisturizing lotions with oil solutions of vitamins A and E and natural vegetable oils: olive, rose hip, tea tree oil;
  • lubricating jams with plantain leaves crushed into pulp;
  • applying freshly cut pieces of garlic or onion to the wounds.

Beekeeping products are also in demand in folk medicine: a fifteen-minute compress of 1 tablespoon of honey with 10 drops of fish oil in the morning and at night will have an antiseptic effect and quickly heal the wound. An ointment made from propolis and butter will have the same effect.

If, despite all efforts to overcome seizures, a positive result could not be achieved, this indicates serious health problems, and therefore the need to consult doctors of different specialties:

  • therapist,
  • endocrinologist,
  • virologist.

Prevention of seizures in children and adults

What should you do to avoid accidentally “rewarding” yourself with a relatively safe but painful skin defect when the corners of your mouth crack? Strengthen your immune system, and also take care of the condition of your skin and oral cavity, providing them with proper care and eliminating a number of negative factors.

  1. Take good care of your oral cavity, promptly treat skin diseases and caries, and do not delay dental prosthetics.
  2. In cold and windy weather, use high-quality cosmetic moisturizers for your lips: balms, creams, hygienic lipstick.
  3. Buy a humidifier for your home and be sure to use it during the heating season.
  4. Do not use other people's utensils and hygiene products.
  5. Observe the rules of personal hygiene (do not lick or bite your lips, nails, do not touch your face with dirty hands, unclean towels and other objects that carry viruses and infections).
  6. To refuse from bad habits.
  7. Temper the body.
  8. Include in the menu foods enriched with microelements and vitamins (poultry, fish, vegetable oils, cottage cheese, eggs, nuts, brown rice, legumes, whole grains);
  9. During the healing period, avoid sweets, spicy, salty and pickled foods.

Overeating is a case when a person brings trouble upon himself with his habits. The disease will not put you in a hospital bed, but it will definitely spoil your quality of life.

There is nothing good in the fact that an attempt to smile brings painful sensations instead of pleasant emotions, and unaesthetic signs of illness are clearly visible on your face. It’s not difficult to forget about eating, try to close all the loopholes for germs to penetrate your lips and smile to your health!

Video: causes of jams and their treatment

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