Conventional Treatments for Angular Cheilitis
Cheilitis is a painful condition which can cause discomfort on many levels. First, there is the pain causes by the sores and lesions. Needless to say you want to get rid of it as fast possible. The second factor which we simply cannot ignore is of course that this condition can be quite embarrassing which just adds to the problems.
Here is a list of conventional Angular Cheilitis Treatments. As always, make sure to consult your doctor or physician before any such treatment is attempted.
- To treat the visible signs of cheilitis (sores and cracks on the lips and mouth) you can use lip balm or medicated creams and ointments on the chapped lips and affected regions.
1. Ketoconazole based medication. Ketoconazole is an antifungal which you can get at drug stores. Common brand names are Nizoral, Mycelex and Monista. Ketoconazole works by altering the cell wall of the fungus effectively destroying the fungus. The fungus which is responsible for Angular Cheilitis will eventually disappear.
2. Antibiotics like Nystatin. Brand names Mycolog, Mycostatin, and Nilstat. The antibiotic also works by attacking the fungus. This medication is relatively mild and is usually given orally. The patient can take this three to five days a day. This medication is available in tablet or liquid form. It is best to ask your doctor what is best for you.
3. Triazole like Fluconazole and Itraconazole. Those are taken over a longer period of time, usually several months. Fluconazole is also available in tablet or liquid form and is taken for a few weeks until the symptoms disappear
4. Amophotericin B – Adria, Fungizone, and Apothecon. A very strong drug whose purpose is to kill all the fungi causing the condition. Caution is advised with this one.
It is important to know that by simply prescribing an antibiotic or antimycotic/antifungal medication we still have to look at the root cause for angular cheilitis. There is no point in treating if the actual cause for the condition is not being looked at and solved.
Your dentist or doctor needs to investigate the reason what led to the disorder in the first place, rather than using a knee-jerk band-aid approach by simply treating the symptoms and not the cause. Otherwise any treatment will rather be temporary and the cheilitis is bound to return sooner or later.
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Before we start treating the angular cheilitis we need to know the exact cause and see with what kind of cheilitis we are dealing with.
There are several causes for Angular Cheilitis:
The condition can be caused by bacteria (which would make it a bacterial infection), but it can also be caused by yeast (similar to a candida infection).
For this reason it is always advised to visit a dermatologist which can do a proper diagnosis for the actual cause of the infection. There are further factors which can be responsible for the condition. One of the reasons is bad nutrition with a lack of certain vitamins in the diet. The doctor might then recommend vitamin supplements helping with the healing process. It is always a good idea to eat healthy foods rich in vitamins, and Cheilitis is no exception.
Angular Cheilitis caused by candida fungus
For this kind of infection we can use anti fungal medication and steroids. Mycolog II Cream is common as well as Mycostatin. Those medications act both as an anti fungal and steroid combined where the anti fungal component gets rid of the candida/yeast and the steroid component is calming the swelling and sores around the mouth.
Needless to say that caution is advised since steroids can have side-effects when swallowed by mistake.
Treatment for Angular Cheilitis caused by bacteria
The doctor might prescribe antibiotics, either internally or externally. In case of bacterial infection it might be a good idea to look over your diet since bad nutrition can often weaken the immune system. With a better, healthier diet the immune system can be strengthened and the chances for infections can be reduced.
Further tips:
If you wear dentures, make sure the dentures fit right. If they dont fit right they might be causing pockets in the corners of the mouth which are a breeding grounds for bacteria. It is also crucial to keep the dentures always clean and disinfected. Use available cleaning solutions to get rid of the bacteria and fungus on the dentures. You can also soak the dentures in one part bleach and 10 parts water over night to get rid of bacteria.
Use lip balm if you think you are licking your lips too often. The saliva is bad because the moisture can provide another breeding ground for bacteria.
