The Link Between Angular Cheilitis and Poor Diet

Angular Cheilitis is an oral condition wherein one or both corners of the mouth are inflamed. A number of things such as fungi or bacterial infection, mannerisms (licking the lips, over-closing the mouth), wearing poorly fitting dentures, syphilis, or poor diet could cause this condition.

Angular cheilitis are painful; it makes eating difficult and causes shard pain when opening the mouth however slightly.

If left untreated, angular cheilitis takes several weeks to a few months to heal. Using the right treatment, angular cheilitis can be cured in a matter of days.

Signs and Symptoms of Angular Cheilitis

The most common signs and symptoms of angular cheilitis include lesions or fissures on the corners of the mouth, crusty blisters, inflammation, redness, and bleeding. If the inflammation progresses, the fissures will spread beyond the corners of the mouth — this will turn into impetigo or candidal skin infection on the facial skin.

Virtually 90% of angular cheilitis cases are caused by poor diet. The fact is, with the right kind of food, you can prevent angular cheilitis from coming back. Clinical tests show that although changing your diet and turning to highly nutritious fruits and vegetables won’t necessarily guarantee complete eradication of angular cheilitis, it could minimize flare-ups.

Looking to treat angular cheilitis through proper nutrition? Below are tips that illustrate how a healthy diet could prevent angular cheilitis outbreaks:

Boosting Your Immune System

Certain types of fruits and vegetables contain natural antifungal, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. These properties not only inhibit the development of angular cheilitis, they could also improve the immune system — making the body less vulnerable to infections and inflammation. A person with a weak immune system has higher chances of developing angular cheilitis over another who gets proper nutrition.

Boosting Your Essential Vitamins and Mineral Intake

You cannot get your recommended dietary allowance of vitamins and minerals from fast food and junk food. A balanced diet rich in proteins as well as carbohydrates from fruits and vegetables is still the best way to get optimum nutrients that protect the body from any type of inflammation, including angular cheilitis. To prevent angular cheilitis and boost your health, make sure you eat a lot of lean meat and green leafy vegetables. Antioxidant-rich fruits are also great to protect the body from cell damage.

Do Not Skip Meals

Skipping meals not only leads to overeating and stomach ulcer, it could also rob the body of essential nutrients that may otherwise prevent the proliferation of angular cheilitis. We recommend eating well-balanced meals throughout the day to give your body the nutrients it needs to fight infections.

Because pain from angular cheilitis is intensified by dry, cracked, blistered, and inflammed skin, we recommend periodical application of emollient ointment or lip balm to the affected area to minimize pain and swelling. Also, you could also take nutritional supplements to help the body heal the lesions faster and prevent infection from spreading to other parts of the face.

Tea tree oil—which is a powerful antifungal, antibacterial, and antiviral natural remedy—is also a great treatment for angular cheilitis. You can apply tea tree oil on the affected area to hasten the healing process and minimize redness and inflammation.