Can cheilitis be cured by drinking more water?

Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
Updated on September 21, 2024
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When patients experience cheilitis, they should drink more water as appropriate. While it may not completely cure the cheilitis, it is helpful for the repair of the condition. Cheilitis is generally a seasonal issue; during the dry weather of autumn and winter, prolonged irritation to the lips can occur. Since the skin on the lips is particularly delicate, it might lead to cheilitis. When symptoms like peeling, dryness, bleeding, and pain occur in cheilitis, it is advised that patients apply some anti-inflammatory ointment for treatment. Additionally, patients should pay attention to their diet, opting for lighter foods and avoid frequently touching the affected area with their hands. Furthermore, it is recommended that when speaking or chewing food, patients should keep their mouths minimally open. Opening the mouth too wide can cause the lips to crack and bleed, which is counterproductive to the recovery from cheilitis.

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Written by Li Bao Hua
Dentistry
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You should go to the dermatology department for cheilitis.

Cheilitis should be treated in the department of oral mucosa. Cheilitis is a general term for diseases that occur on the lips and is a type of inflammatory reaction. There are many classifications of cheilitis; by the speed of the disease's development, it can be divided into acute cheilitis and chronic cheilitis, with acute cheilitis often being an acute inflammatory reaction of the lips caused by allergies. If classified by clinical symptoms, cheilitis can be categorized into eczematous cheilitis, erosive cheilitis, and exfoliative cheilitis, which may involve white scaling on the lips. Cheilitis can also be classified based on its cause, including granulomatous cheilitis, benign lymphoproliferative cheilitis, and hypersensitivity cheilitis, and it can also be related to systemic diseases. Cheilitis, a disease that occurs on the lips, has a relatively high incidence rate.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
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How long does it take to cure cheilitis?

How long cheilitis can be cured also depends on the condition of the patient's local symptoms of cheilitis, as well as the measures taken by the patient. If good treatment and protective measures can be taken, the healing time is relatively short, generally about a week. Patients must pay attention to hydrating and sealing moisture in the lips, preventing further spread of the condition, deeply repairing all damaged tissues, reconstructing the protective barrier of the lip mucosa, and restoring some normal layers of the lip skin. It is advised that patients should be careful with their diet, avoid spicy and irritating foods, use less lipstick or other cosmetic products that irritate the lips, and avoid frequently licking the lips with the tongue, as this is harmful to the lips. Patients are advised to try to eliminate these bad habits.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
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Signs of improvement in exfoliative cheilitis

Exfoliative cheilitis is a type of skin lesion on the lip mucosa of unknown cause. Generally, the skin on the lips is delicate, and exposure to certain external stimuli can cause dryness, cracking, bleeding, and peeling. This condition is often associated with certain bad habits of the patient. For instance, due to dry weather, a patient might frequently lick their lips, leading to long-term irritation and consequently causing cracking and bleeding. It could also be possible that the patient has come into contact with some allergenic substances. This is commonly seen in females; for instance, an allergic reaction triggered by applying lipstick or lip balm can lead to peeling of the lips. In such cases, it is generally advised that the patient identifies and avoids the cause. When the patient's skin shows signs of crusting and peeling, it might generally indicate an improvement.

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Written by Li Cui
Dentistry
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What is the difference between angular cheilitis and cheilitis?

Angular cheilitis usually occurs only at the two corners of the mouth, also commonly referred to as "cracked corners of the mouth." The surface may show some whitish substances and appear moist. Patients might avoid opening their mouths wide, as doing so can cause significant pain due to the worsening of the sores at the corners. This may even prevent patients from eating normally. Angular cheilitis generally refers to various inflammatory conditions of the lips, such as cracking, bleeding, and peeling, which could be caused by changes in the weather. For example, during the dry seasons of autumn and winter, patients' lips are prone to these inflammatory symptoms, showing signs like cracking, bleeding, and peeling. It is advised that patients should not peel off the skin with their hands, as this can increase the risk of infective inflammation. Thus, angular cheilitis is different from cheilitis.

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Written by Tian Hua
Otolaryngology
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How to treat exfoliative cheilitis?

Treatment for exfoliative cheilitis involves identifying and removing potential causes, avoiding external irritants, and correcting bad habits with local medication treatment. For mild cases, apply honey, glycerin, petroleum jelly, silver nitrate ointment, or zinc oxide ointment externally. In severe cases, apply corticosteroid cream externally, consider surgical removal for those with epitheliomatous hyperplasia, and treat with helium-neon laser irradiation and superficial X-ray irradiation. Drug treatment shows significant short-term effects, but often recurs and is difficult to cure completely. (Note: Specific medications should be used under the guidance of a doctor.)