Angular cheilitis is an inflammatory lesion at the corner of the mouth and often occurs bilaterally. It is often characterized by cracks or deep fissures. In severe cases, the cracks may bleed when the mouth is opened and shallow ulcers or a crust may form. Although the sores of angular cheilitis may later become infected by the fungus Candida albicans or other pathogens, studies have linked the onset of angular cheilitis with nutritional deficiencies, particularly riboflavin (vitamin B 2) and iron deficiency, which in turn may be indicative of a poor diet or malnutrition. Zinc deficiency has also been associated with angular cheilitis. Other causes can be: the papilloma virus, stress, antibiotics, allergic substances and sunburn.
How to treat angular cheilitis naturally at home:
- Keep your lips moisturized at all times: you can do that by applying unflavored lip balm or gloss or an aloe Vera gel. You can also use several natural home remedies, such as:
- Vitamin E: buy Vitamin E capsules and break them with a sterilized needle. Then apply the Vitamin E oil to the affected areas to treat cheilitis.
- Cucumber: just cut a piece of cucumber and rub it on your mouth.
- Neem leaf: rub neem leaf distill on the afflicted areas.
- Olive oil: Rub some olive oil over your lips.
- Honey: apply honey on your lips and wash it off after at least 15 minutes. Honey has excellent antibacterial properties and can help the healing process.
- Eat better and healthier: the best way to prevent and treat cheilitis is to nourish your body from the inside. Try to eat foods that are rich in vitamin B (brewer’s yeast, legumes, fish, potatoes, peanuts, eggs, poultry, liver, meat, milk, brown rice, soybeans, butter and whole grain cereals) and iron (liver, oysters, pumpkin seeds, spinach, prunes, artichokes, canned beans, sardines and shrimps). An easy way to get all the vitamins you need for an effective angular cheilitis treatment is to take Vitamin B12 and Vitamin B1 supplements to boost your immune system and help your body fight off the bacteria and eliminate the disease.
- Avoid drinking orange juice: Orange juice is very acidic and can irritate the delicate skin at the corners of your mouth and also cause a lot of pain. If you really want to drink some orange juice, you can just use a straw. There are also other foods that can create irritation, such as spicy foods, lemonade and citrus fruits in general, so stay away from these foods, if you don’t want to make this condition worse.
