What is Angular Stomatitis?

Posted on 2009-09-25, 05:56, by sprouts, under Conditions and Diseases.

Angular Stomatitis is more common than you might think.  It affects millions of people worldwide. Some have suffered for most of their lives before finding some kind of reprieve from this painfully devastating and socially awkward disease.  Angular Stomatitis can literally happen to anyone, regardless of age or gender, albeit the majority of those who suffer from Angular Stomatitis are children and the elderly.

Angular Stomatitis, also known as Pérleche, Cheilitis, and Angular Cheilitis, starts innocently enough.  It begins as small cuts or slits in the corners of the mouth.  These cuts then get inflamed and sometimes a rash appears around the sores.  Often, it is mistaken for nothing more than a cold sore or cracking caused by dry lips.  Angular Stomatitis is preceded by very dry, chapped lips.  Again, nothing out of the ordinary.  We often get dry, chapped lips, especially in the winter time or if we go to a drier climate. If left unattended, these seemingly harmless, and even irritating, sores on the side of the mouth become the more serious diseases of Angular Cheilitis, Cheilosis and Pérleche.

When Angular Stomatitis begins, it is only slightly irritating.  It is occasionally painful, but comes and goes. But after a few days, the tissue underneath the open sores becomes exposed to deadly pathogens.  These pathogens — any disease-producing agent, such as a virus, bacterium, or other microorganism — are usually harmless on the skin's surface. However, when introduced to the subdermal layer, they become quite dangerous. When the pathogens worm their way under the skin, the individual begins to experience the severity and enormity Angular Stomatitis.  What started earlier as just something trivial and treatable has now turned into something much more complicated and painful.

The small cracks at the sides of the mouth begin to deepen, cracking further.  They turn into nasty, swollen, unsightly sores, oozing with blood and pus.  The surrounding area is still riddled with rashes, albeit more severe, and adds insult to injury. When the sores get to this stage, almost any movement of the mouth becomes a painful, frustrating, and embarrassing experience: Eating, talking, singing, breathing hard (such as when exercising) and even opening the mouth to take a drink. Every time the mouth opens, these sores crack further and tear the fragile layer of skin which the body tries to create during the natural healing process, undoing every effort the body makes to heal the sores.

Licking and wetting the lips actually worsens the condition.  While licking the lips may provide temporary relief, it only introduces more pathogens into the open sores and tires the sores out even more.

Many theories are out there regarding the contraction of Angular Stomatitis.  Medical research indicates that a weak immune system is the largest and most obvious reason for getting Angular Stomatitis.  This would explain why the elderly and children are the most susceptible.  The elderly are more at risk of getting this condition because their aging bodies are unable to effectively combat infections, which occurs naturally as we age.  Children have very unsanitary oral habits such as continuous lip licking and bottle overfeeding. Children are constantly putting their fingers, feet, and every other object they come in contact with into their mouths.

About the Author

The Angular Cheilitis Center is devoted to helping those who suffer from Angular Cheilitis, Pérleche, and Angular Stomatitis.

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