Sores on lips are described as small red blisters that often ooze out fluid and scabs after a couple of days. They are painful, itchy and are mostly accompanied with a burning sensation. Sore on lips are uncomfortable and are potent enough to spoil your day. They generally occur after you recover from a disease or are suffering from poor immunity. There can be innumerable causative factors for sores on lips. A few major ones are mentioned here.
Causes of Sores on Lips
Sores on lips are not caused by different factors that lead to sores anywhere else on the body. Some of the skin disorders that show sores on lip as their symptoms are mentioned below.
- Aphthous ulcer is a painful, sensitive, raised ulcer that is often found to arise on the lining of the mouth. This is called canker sore.
- A small sore that is accompanied with pain, itching and stinging sensation and is usually found to be located on the face, especially on lip demarcation is referred to as cold sore. It bursts and crusts over.
- Sores on lips may be caused by impetigo, which is an infection caused by bacteria like Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. The symptoms are reddening, itching and formation of pus-filled blisters that crust over later on.
- Dermatitis may give rise to sores. It occurs either by a direct contact with an irritating substance or as a part of allergic reaction produced by the body.
- Candidiasis is a fungal infection caused by Candida albicans. It may be a cause of sores on lips and tongue in people who either have a weak immune system or are on some kind of antibiotic doses.
- Dietary deficiency of zinc may lead to the formation of sores on lips and mouth.
- Presence of itchy, pink or purple spots on the lining of the lips may be caused by a skin disorder called Lichen planus. The exact causative factor is unknown, but it is found to be triggered by the usage of drugs like thiazide diuretics, antimalarials and phenothiazines.
- Cancerous growth of the lip tissues may appear as sores. Medical diagnosis is necessary to determine the presence of lip cancer.
- Behcet's syndrome is a chronic inflammatory disorder. It involves the small blood vessels and is characterized by ulcer on the lips.
- Fever blisters are symptomized by red eruptions, often filled with fluids. It is caused by herpes zoster virus (HSV). It results in cold sores.
Following are some of the easy-to-practice natural ways of getting relief from sores on lips.
Lysine: Lysine is one of the essential amino acids. It means that you need to take it from external sources, most commonly from foods. The foods rich in lysine are milk, red meat, eggs, wheat germ, cheese fish and brewer's yeast. Another amino acid, arginine, hinders the absorption of lysine. Therefore, you should restrict the intake of foods that contains arginine. These are chocolate, almonds and peanuts. You may take in lysine with lysine supplements available in the market. The recommendable dosage is 1,000 mg of lysine three times a day.
Acidophilus: Acidophilus will restore the balance of harmful and useful microbes in the mouth. You will get it in capsule form easily from a chemist's store. Take 2 - 3 acidophilus capsules with milk for 3 - 4 times a day. Continue taking it for about 2 - 3 days. If taken within 3 - 4 hours after the onset of itching and burning sensation on the lips will prevent further development of sores on lips. To be on the safer side, you should consult a doctor for its suitability in your case and proper usage directions.
Aloe vera: Aloe vera is known to have antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties. Therefore, it is near to perfect to be used as a natural remedy for sores on lips. Slit a leaf of aloe vera and take out some pulp. Place the pulp on the lip sore. Allow it to stay there for about an hour and then wash it off with water. Do it 3 - 4 times a day in an interval of 4 hours. Improvement in your condition is almost guaranteed.
Ice: Take an ice cube and rub it on the sores on lips for about 15 - 20 seconds. Do it for 5 - 6 times a day. This will bring down the pain in the sore. To add to this, it will prevent the migration of virus from the nerves nodes to the skin.
Amla: Amla or Indian gooseberry is a common rich source of vitamin C. This is the vitamin that is extremely necessary for the immune system of your body. A strong immune system will fight against the causative micro-organisms and will assist the body in restoring back the normal state. Thus, try to increase the intake of amla in your diet. If possible, drink a cup of amla juice once a day. This will not only treat sore on lips fast, but will also prevent its occurrence in future.
Apart from the above suggested natural treatments for sores on lips, you should try to keep your body well-hydrated, especially the lips. Drink plenty of water (about 8 - 10 glasses a day), sleep in a well ventilated room and spend a good amount of time in fresh air.
