What do you do when you suffer from a certain illness? Well, initially you try to find cure yourself and self-medicate. You might take medications that you think are right for your condition based on its symptoms.
Sometimes you research, ask other people about it, and eventually seek the help of a real medical doctor when it seems you cannot solve it yourself. In this article, let us discuss angular cheilitis treatment section by section.
First of all, let us make use of the pharmacological aspect of treatment.
Angular cheilitis treatment includes the use of antifungal medications because some of the microorganisms involve in its development are fungi.
A doctor may prescribe nystatin, mycostatin, and econazole to treat it.
Application of hydrocortisone topical cream may be recommended to decrease inflammation in the area, although proper application should be instructed by a medical practitioner.
Some dermatologists also encourage the application of topical cream or gel composed of antifungal and steroid to enhance drying up of the area.
Oral supplements such as iron and Vitamin B may also be advised to be taken so as to make the treatment more effective, if nutritional deficiency is the underlying cause.
Another angular cheilitis treatment requires some life-style modifications. Since the area involved is dry and needs moisture, it is recommended to drink a lot of water.
Application of moisturizing cream should not be done because it will only create an environment conducive for the bacterial growth and development. Drinking a lot of water will hydrate, moisturize and bring back skin elasticity to prevent further cracking of the skin in that area.
Also, eating foods rich in iron and Vitamin B will help such as green leafy vegetables, peanuts, meat, cabbage, potatoes, and bananas. If you are a smoker, then might as well stop for now or until the problem has resolved because it may contribute in aggravating the problem.
If the problem of drying and chapping of lips has just started or if you noticed that you tend to do lip licking quite often, it is advisable that you bring lip balms and creams with you. The truth is, when you lick your lips to moisten it, it actually dries it up more and puts more bacteria in the area since our tongue and saliva are also full of microorganisms that we are not aware of.
If the cause of the problem is due to poorly fitting dentures, then a visit to the dentist may help along with other above-mentioned angular cheilitis treatment. On the other hand, if it is found out that the culprit is hypervitaminosis A, and then you may want to cut down on your consumption of Vitamin A-rich foods such as sweet potato, carrots, spinach, and cod liver oil.
In order for the angular cheilitis treatment to be effective, the causative factor should be investigated first, so that a proper approach will be implemented. It won’t be long until you can smile, eat, laugh and talk again as much as you want. The key is to be patient and compliant to its treatment.