During the off-season, especially on the eve of spring, many people begin to appear in the corners of the lips, the so-called seizures, or irritation. The medical name for the problem is angulitis. This is not a cosmetic lesion, as it might seem at first glance, but a disease that has an infectious nature. But there are many reasons for the appearance of jamming in the corners of the lips.
Angulitis, or seizures, is a disease of the skin and mucous membrane of the corners of the lips, which is caused by yeast-like fungi such as Candida or streptococci.
Sometimes there is also a mixed infection.
In other words, seizures are a fungal or bacterial disease transmitted through household contacts. But angulitis can also be caused by a simple weakening of the immune system, allergic reactions, as well as a lack of vitamins in the body.
Clinical manifestations of different types of disease
Angulitis usually affects both corners of the lips, causing their hyperemia. Fissures appear in this area of the mouth, leading to painful sensations when moving the lips, opening the mouth and touching.
A white coating is found on the cracks, which is easily removed, and the epidermis can exfoliate along their edges. Often seizures, initially having an isolated character, gradually begin to spread to the surrounding skin and mucous membranes.
There are two types of zaed - streptococcal and candidamicotic, which manifest themselves in different ways.
streptococcal
The clinical picture of such angulitis looks like this: a bubble appears in the corners of the mouth, which quickly disappears, and a crack remains in its place, covered with a crust. This is called slit erosion. If this crust is torn off, it appears again.
Patients with streptococcal infections complain of burning and itching in their area, especially after eating salty, spicy and sour foods.
It hurts to talk, women can't paint their lips. Sometimes patients are forced to refuse to eat, because it is too difficult and unpleasant to open the mouth.
candidamycotic
These seizures, caused by a yeast-like fungus of the genus Candida, are distinguished by the absence of a crust in the corners of the lips. They appear only as cracks, which may not even be visible when the mouth is closed.
In the vast majority of cases, this type quickly turns into a chronic form of the disease and seizures periodically occur when immunity is reduced or there is a lack of vitamins in the body.
Causes
The causes of seizures at the corners of the lips can be divided into internal (diseases, reduced immunity, lack of vitamins) and external.
Depending on the circumstances, one or another provoke infection of the body with a bacterial infection, leading to the occurrence of angulitis and the further development of the disease up to its transition to the chronic stage.
Adverse external factors
External factors that provoke the onset of the disease include:
- maceration (impregnation of tissues with saliva),
- mechanical trauma to the skin and mucous membranes,
- poor adherence to the rules of oral hygiene,
- prolonged exposure of tissues to natural phenomena - wind, heat and cold.
Irritation due to increased salivation
The jams that appear for this reason mainly occur in children and adolescents who have a habit of licking their lips, as well as in older people who wear dentures. Incorrect bite can also provoke increased wetting of the skin folds and mucous membranes of the lips.
Why does saliva have such a negative effect? The fact is that it contains pathogenic bacteria that inhabit the oral cavity. Weeping areas that appear in the corners of the lips turn into cracks, and bacteria not only interfere with their healing, but also cause inflammation.
Skin injury
The reasons for the appearance of a jam can also be traumatic. Such damage to the corners of the lips as abrasions, scratches, bites, small wounds can heal on their own in a short time.
Photo: Zayeda, which arose at the site of the wound
But if a person’s immunity is weakened, then a minor skin injury becomes a “gateway” for infection to enter the body, for example, staphylococcal, which provokes an inflammatory process in the corners of the lips.
Optionally, infection will occur precisely with staphylococcus aureus - with prolonged treatment with antibiotics and hormonal drugs, a person can also become infected with a yeast-like fungus of the genus Candida through skin lesions.
Failure to comply with hygiene standards
For this reason, seizures occur mainly in children who pull various dirty objects into their mouths.
Poor oral hygiene, the use of other people's towels, handkerchiefs and other personal hygiene products - all this can cause infection, primarily with streptococcus.
This also includes careless care of the denture, as well as untreated caries and tartar. Diseased teeth and gums are a constant supplier of painful microflora to the oral cavity, which will lead to infection of microcracks that appear in the corners of the mouth and its mucous membrane.
Sometimes a simple visit to the dentist's office can solve the problem of frequent occurrence of jam.
Prolonged exposure to high and low temperatures
Both winter and summer, the thin skin of the lips is affected by cold and heat, often combined with wind. Due to these factors, the skin of the lips becomes weathered, becomes dry. As a result, cracks, which, with additional factors, become infected and turn into jams.
Photo: Hygienic lipstick protects lips from chapping
To prevent unwanted effects of high and low temperatures, you should always use hygienic lipstick when you go outside.
Body condition
Internal factors for the occurrence of angulitis include:
- decreased immunity,
- lack of vitamins
- certain diseases (for example, diabetes mellitus),
- allergy.
The true causes become clear only after laboratory tests - a blood test, a blood sugar test, a serological test. They can appear at any time of the year, but there is a greater risk of getting sick during the off-season, especially in spring, when the body is weakened.
reduced immunity
Yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida, as a conditionally pathogenic flora, constantly live on the skin and mucous membranes, and as soon as the level of immunity decreases, they acquire pathogenic properties and cause diseases, in particular seizures.
Basically, a decrease in immunity occurs due to weather factors or some diseases, but sometimes it is associated with prolonged use of medications (hormonal agents, antibiotics, cytostatics), as well as HIV infection.
Video: how to strengthen immunity
Diabetes
The disease is characterized by increased thirst, weakness, dry skin and itching.
Metabolic disorders that appear in diabetes mellitus lead to a decrease in the body's resistance to bacterial infections and trophic changes in the skin.
This results in frequent relapses of the occurrence of angulitis (jam in the corners of the lips) and its longer course without healing.
Video: symptoms of diabetes
Hypovitaminosis
The most common cause of the appearance of jamming is precisely the lack of vitamins in the body, especially vitamin B2.
Externally, hypovitaminosis manifests itself as peeling of the skin, the formation of crusts on the wings of the nose and other parts of the face, redness and burning of the tongue, weakness, fatigue.
A lack of vitamin B2 can be caused by both a sharp decrease in the amount of dairy products consumed in food, and chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Video: hypovitaminosis
iron deficiency
Iron deficiency anemia is manifested by pallor of the skin and mucous membranes, conjunctiva of the eyes, dryness and roughness of the skin, dullness and brittleness of hair and nails, the appearance of painful cracks in the corners of the eyes.
Because of this, jams often occur. Iron deficiency occurs in the body due to unbalanced nutrition and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
allergic reactions
In some cases, angulitis occurs due to an allergic reaction to toothpaste, dental prostheses, certain medications, foods, and even ordinary lipstick.
Almost any allergic lesions of the oral cavity can cause jamming. Therefore, the problem can be solved as soon as the allergen is identified.
Video: a remedy for jamming in the corners of the lips with allergies
Reasons for the appearance of a child
Pediatricians believe that the most common cause of angulitis in children is B2 (riboflavin) deficiency, which is necessary for healthy skin and hair and nail growth.
Due to the fact that children often put dirty objects into their mouths, they often develop seizures due to infections (staphylococci, streptococci, helminthic infestations, yeast-like fungi) entering the body.
