One of the things that we don’t really pay a lot of attention to is our lips. They are very delicate and thin, and because they have no moisturizing glands, we need to keep them safe and protected… plus, your lips can also tell a lot about your health too.
Here we have collected ten lip symptoms and signs to help you know and recognize what they could mean for your health.
10 – Lip bumps
Usually, most of us will not take those lip bumps seriously. These might be caused by an allergic reaction. Also, HSV can be the cause of these cold sores on your lips.
Sometimes these can spread around your mouth and can be painful or uncomfortable. HSV, in particular, will be activated if you are stress, go through some hormonal changes, or you are exhausted. These lip bumps are harmless, if you want to get rid of them, you need to manage your stress level and get a good rest.
9 – Tingling lips
When you feel that your lips are tingling, chances are that you have been exposed to very cold temperatures, you have an allergic reaction to food, medication, or you are super stressed. Tingling lips can also be a sign that you have a stroke.
8 – Black spots on your lip
Black spots on the lips can indicate many things, from dehydration and vitamin deficiency to a large variety of skin conditions.
A common and inoffensive skin problem is melasma or hyperpigmentation. Protect your skin from the sun.
Smoking and alcohol, dental fixtures, angiokeratoma (a skin lesion), sunspots, or even a hormone disorder can be the cause for your black spots on the lip. Might be a sign of cancer too, but you will also have to look out for some other things like open sores, a significant increase of the black spots and so on.
7 – Pale lips
In case you see your lips are pale, that means you might be suffering from anemia. Either that or you have a lack of sun or low blood sugar. When you see a little blue hue in there too, then that means your body is not receiving enough oxygen, so you have to take this problem very seriously.
6 – Chapped lips
You might have chapped lips due to dry weather, heavy use of cosmetics, lip licking, and so on. You can treat them with lip balm, drinking more water, and stay hydrated.
5 – Swelling lips
Swelling lips can be caused by inflammation or sudden trauma, but some conditions like oral allergy syndrome or allergic reaction might cause it as well.
Angioedema can also be a problem; in this case, you need to go to the doctor as quickly as possible.
4 – Burning lips
There are times when you feel your lips burning. This effect tends to be associated with B12 deficiency. Some studies also suggest that it might be caused by malfunctioning nerves. Also, if you suffer from anxiety or depression, you might feel your lips are burning.
3 – A red ring around your lips
This is unusual, but it appears mostly if you have lip licker’s dermatitis. Your skin is irritated because your saliva is drying out your skin’s natural oils. It can also be caused by allergies to various foods. You should eliminate that unwanted habit or change your diet, depending on what causes this issue.
2 – Twitching lips
Most of the time, this is caused by a lack of connection between the lip muscles and lip nerves. It can be due to drinking too much coffee. Yet at the same time, it can also be related to a more significant medical issue; some of the signs and symptoms of Parkinson’s disease include this tremor.
1 – Cracked mouth corners
When saliva gets caught in the corners of your mouth, it dries out skin that can crack. You might lick your lips often, heat and moisture in the corners create the perfect circumstances for infections.
A well-known cause of these cracks is an infection. If it happens too often, please don’t hesitate to go to a doctor.
Also, as soon as you see any problems, you should consider talking with your doctor as quickly as possible. You never really know what is hiding under even a simple lip problem, so having a professional look at it might be the best approach!
