Angular Cheilitis-The Symptoms and Cures

Angular cheilitis is commonly known as mouth corner cracks and like the name implies usually occurs at the corner of the mouth. While its not life threatening it is painful and can be damaging to your self esteem as its visible to everyone.
The symptoms are deep cracks or splits at the corner of the mouth which bleed when the mouth is opened. In extreme cases ulcers or a crust may form and Candida fungus could cause an infection. Some of the ways you can tell if you have angular cheilitis is if you have cracks in the corners your mouth along with redness, swelling and tenderness in the area. Sores or ulcers which bleed and even release pus can develop without some preventative measures. Other symptoms include pain while eating, talking or smiling and can re-open the sore making them receptive to infections from the Candida yeast. The continuous cracking and healing of the cracks in the corner of your mouth may start to itch adding another problem to the others you are already trying to deal with.

Its not known for sure what causes angular cheilitis although it has been suggested it may be caused by iron or vitamin deficiency although much of the time it appears to be caused by simple things like licking your lips too much, being out in the cold weather or chapped lips from the wind or sun. In children or babies bottle feeding, sucking on a pacifier or sucking their thumb could also contribute to angular cheilitis. Normally these things can be kept from turning into cracks in the mouth corners by using petroleum jelly, lipstick or lip balm. My favorite cure for chapped and cracked lips has always been Aloe Vera. We grew it in the backyard and used it for curing just about everything on the outside of our bodies.

Cheilitis may also be caused by a lack of vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B6 (pyridoxine), or B12 (cyanocobalamin) along with a deficiency in iron or an immune system that has been weakened by something such as HIV. Toothpastes and cosmetics have also been known to cause this lip problem. Even some foods or drink such as orange juice can make the problem worse. If there is lack of B vitamins it can be cured by either supplements or by focusing on foods rich in B vitamins such as dairy products, cereals and leafy vegetables for B2. For B3 and B6 eat foods such as beans, rice, fish, eggs, etc.

A doctor or a dentist can diagnose angular cheilitis depending on what is causing the problem. When its a case of no dentures or poor fitting ones then the dentist can probably take care of that. Elderly people experience angular cheilitis frequently because due to the loss of teeth they end up with over closure of their mouths causing liquid to form in the corners of their mouth which could develop into angular cheilitis. Many times symptoms for a toothless person can be halted with dentures. In the case of a vitamin deficiency or some other medical condition then a doctor can test and treat you for these things in order to cure the angular cheilitis.

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Don Levy is the owner of Natural Cures where you can find out about angular cheilitis plus information on many other ailments. To learn more about getting rid of your angular cheilitis in as little as 3 hours click on Angular Cheilitis !