What could be the cause of itchy lips? Though common during pregnancy due to hormonal fluctuations and other factors, most people will develop itching once or twice in their lifetime. In most cases, the itching will be accompanied with bumps, swelling and dryness. Find more about the causes and home remedies in this article.
Itching is characterized by an irritating sensation of the skin. Mild cases of itching lips is not that serious. The lips can however become swollen, dry and bumpy. It is also possible for some people to develop blisters, rash that spread around mouth and cheeks, redness and for some people, the skin may start to peel off. Though the itching can be caused by a number of skin and medical condition, you need to seek medical attention if the cause is an allergic reaction or is resulting from an infection.
Some common cause of the itching will include allergic reaction, contact dermatitis and vitamin deficiencies. These and Other cause are discussed below.
Itchy Lips Meaning – Superstition
Different communities from different geographical locations have interpreted itching of different body parts to mean different thing. Below are some of the common superstition about itchy lips.
- That if your lip itches, you will kiss an older person
- Other say that in your lip itches, then a person with a mustache is coming
- In north-eastern Kentucky, if the upper lip itches, they say you will be kissed by a tall person
- On the other hand, if it is the lower lip that itch, then the kisser will probably be a short person.
Itchy Lips symptoms
The signs and symptoms of itchy lips will vary from person to person. Some people might experience mild symptoms whereas other will have severe symptoms. The duration of itching will also vary depending on the underlying cause of the swelling and itching.
For instance if the itching is caused by allergy to foods or drugs, then the duration of the symptoms will only last till that time when you avoid them. The same case goes for sun burn and pregnancy. Below are some of the common symptoms associated with itching lips.
- The lips may become dry and start to crack
- Swollen lips especially for pregnant women
- Some people may have hives on ether sides of lips
- Cracking and chapping of lips
- The lips become red and inflamed
- Dry and scaly lips
Itchy Lips Causes
Below we have provided some of the common cause of itchy lips. You should know that the information provided cannot be substituted for that from a physical diagnosis.
1. Lips Itching after Eating
Though rare, some people will experience itching on the lips after eating. This is a form of allergy known as oral allergic syndrome. The itching will be felt on the lips, mouth and throat. The condition is common in children but it is not dangerous.
Avoid these allergic food to prevent the condition. For severe cases of the itching and allergic reaction, seek immediate medical attention.
2. Vitamin deficiency
Vitamin B12 deficiency caused by a number of health complication such as digestion problems, heavy alcohol and auto immune disorder. This deficiency is the main cause of problems around the mouth including lips that itch.
Treatment
You doctor will recommend a balance diet. Vitamin supplement in form of tablets or injection can also be used to boost the
3. Exposure to sun
Exposure to sunlight can also cause the moisture and skin oils to evaporate. When this happens, the lips will become dry, stretchy and itchy. This is common in pregnant women.
Treatment
To remedy this, make sure you apply sunscreen before you go basking in the sun. Reduce the amount of time you spent out in the sun especially for kids. Lip balm may also help keep the lips moist thus preventing dryness and cracking.
4. Angioedema
Angioedema is a type of swelling that affect deeper layers of the skin. The condition is common around face and lips. Even without treatment, angioedema will not leave any lasting marks on lips and face. Mild cases of the condition can be left untreated. For severe cases, immediate medical attention is required.
If the angioedema causes the blocking of the throat or causes the swelling of the tongue, the condition will be life threatening.
Treatment
Antihistamine medication is the best way to treat angioedema.
5. Hay fever
Hay fever which is an allergy caused by pollen or dust can also cause the mucous membrane of mouth, the eyes and nose to become itchy. The membrane may also become inflamed causing watery eyes and running nose.
Treatment
Antihistamine, steroid and eye drops may be used to treat the damaged membrane.
6. Drug allergy
An abnormal reaction of the immune system to medication can also result in this kind of skin itching a rash. A good example is amoxicillin rash. To remedy the symptoms you need to avoid over the counter medication. Discontinue the use of the allergic medication and seek medical attention from a professional health care provide.
7. Physical trauma
Physical trauma from biting your lips can result in lip damage. This may cause irritation, burning sensation and itching. Reduce more injury and give time for the lips to heal. Aloe Vera gel may be used to soothe the lips and fasten the healing process.
8. Oral cancer
Persistent sores on mouth that bleeds can be a symptom of oral cancer. Other symptoms will include the following:
- Swollen bumps on lips
- Red or white patches on lips and mouth lining
- Numbness and unexpected loss of feeling
- Change in the way the teeth fit.
Treatment
Depending on how severe or the stage of the oral cancer, available treatment option will include surgery, radiation and chemical therapy.
9. Oral herpes
Oral herpes is an infection of the lips, mouth and gums. It is caused by herpes simplex virus. The condition is known to cause small painful blisters commonly referred to cold sores or fever blisters. The condition is highly infectious.
There is no medicine for the condition. However, OTC painkiller can be used to relive the itching and pain caused.
10. Itchy lips after eating food
You may experience itchy lips, mouth or throat after eating certain types of foods. It is not unusual for people with seasonal allergies to have itching or burning lips and mouth. This is condition is known as Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). It’s the common form of food allergy. The symptoms include itching and tingling in mouth and throat. You may notice slight swelling in the lips that occurs within seconds after eating the food. It is in fact an immediate reaction.
Itchy Lips during Pregnancy
Swelling otherwise referred to as edema is a common discomfort among pregnant women. The condition is caused by increased fluids and blood level in the body in preparedness for the baby development. Available statistics show that at least 75% of pregnant women will develop swelling, itching and skin irritation on one part of the body before they deliver.
During pregnancy, it is estimated that the body will produce at least 50% increase in blood and other fluids. These changes are control by hormones to meet the need of the developing baby. That is why mild cases of swelling and itching are considered normal.
The body of a pregnant women undergoes a lot of changes. With fluctuating levels of hormone, and the baby feeding on most of the nutrients, the skin will often become dull and dry. For some women, the pregnancy glow becomes just but a myth. It is common for some women to experience the dryness, itching and chopped lips through the 9 months of the pregnancy.
During pregnancy your doctor will tell you that anything you eat or drink contributes to your baby’s development. Your body will require more fluids and nutrients to cope with the demand. It is therefore common to notice signs of skin dehydration. These signs ca include dry, flaky patches. To remedy and relieve itchy lips during pregnancy, you can try the following:
- Use moisturizing creams and gels This will help create a sealing barrier to lock the skin moisture and prevent dry skin.
- It is also recommended to stay away from irritants that could exacerbate dryness. Use gentle lips and face products.
- To stay hydrated, your doctor will recommend drinking plenty of water and other fluids (not alcohol) these will help promote good health from inside out.
- Take cool or lukewarm shower to soothe the skin. Long hot showers are known to strip the skin of its natural oils.
- Avoid scratching and picking the lips to avoid worsening the itching.
- Seek help on the best lip balm that moisturizes and soothes the lips
- Avoid licking the lips or drooling
- Avoid long exposure to sun or wind, and apply a layer of moisturizing oil always before anytime you are out in the sun.
Itchy Lips with Bumps
Bumps on lips will vary in appearance in terms of color, the number and the size. Having these kind of bumps in lips can be very irritating let alone embarrassing. The bumps can be: Fordyce granules, milia bumps which are small hard white bumps or cold sores also referred to fever blisters.
Oral or lip cancer can also cause these bumps. You need to seek medical attention for diagnosis and early treatment to increase the chance of curing in cases of oral cancer. Avoid picking on the bumps to reduce the chances of bacterial infection of spreading the infection causing the itching and bumps to other people.
Other causes of the bumps will include Acne, bacterial infection, sun burn and contact allergy.
Itchy Lips and Roof of Mouth
In most cases, itching on the roof of mouth and the lips will indicate an allergic rhinitis. This is a condition where your body’s immune system reacts to either external or internal allergens. This allergen will include pollen grains, dust mites.
Apart from the itching, you may also have additional symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing and watery eyes. Mild cases of the itching can be treated at home with simple natural remedy.
Itchy Peeling Lips
Peeling of lips is the unintended damage to the upper layer of the lips. This can occur as a direct damage to the skin though exposure to sun of through an infection. To some people, an itchy peeling lips can be a sign of an underlying auto immune response or a medical condition.
In most cases, the peeling will be accompanied b:
- An itchy or an itchy less rash
- Dryness of skin
- Irritation
- Burning sensation of the skin
Seek early diagnosis and treatment before the above symptoms become severe.
Itchy Inner Dry Lips
Dryness and itching of the lips are mainly caused dehydration. Dehydration in most cases occurs due to overexposure to sun, cold or wind. Compared too other parts of the body, humans lips are more sensitive. When exposure in the sun for long, the lips will lose a lot of skin moisture and oils. The rate of lose will be higher compared to other body parts.
To avoid worsening the condition you need to avoid piking on the flaky skin on the dry lips. Also avoid the long exposure to sun can help prevent the lip skin from flaking and cracking, if the exposure is for long, then it will result in the bleeding of the lips. Petroleum jelly and other topical moisturizers can be used to keep the skin moist and prevent the itching and dryness.
Another possible cause of the dryness and itching is licking the lips and drooling in children. Drooling is refers to the unintentional flow of saliva from the mouth. In children the cause of drooling is often a weak or underdeveloped muscles around the mouth. Having too much saliva can also cause this kind of effects.
Given that the saliva dry faster, it will leave the lips dry, and out of moisture. This will intern result in dryness and cracking of the skin. In most cases, doctors will not prescribe treatment for the drooling for kids below 4 years. However, if the drooling starts affecting the daily activity of the infected person, then some treatment options may be considered.
It is recommended that you should take allot of water or fluids. Though people argue and dispute the fact that drinking at least glass of water a day is just an urban myth, I will not hurt t drink the water. Water will have a lot of positive effect for both the skin and the body.
To restore soft lip skin, you can apply a protective lip balm. The lip balm will help prevent further sun damage and restore the moisture content of the lips thus relieving the skin of the itching and burning sensation. Seek medical for cases of severe itching and dryness.
Swollen itchy Lips
Swollen itchy lips is a common condition among pregnant women. The main cause of the swelling is the increase in the levels of blood and other body fluids. This is caused by hormonal fluctuations that takes place in preparedness for the baby. This will cause changes to mood, taste and the general body physic.
As the lips swell, the skin become tight and start to crack or peel. The skin may also become itchy and some women will complain of a burning sensation. This is a periodic problem that clears up with time.
Applying skin moisturize and topical anti-itching cream will help relieve the lips of the itching. Natural remedies like aloe Vera can also can also be effective in soothing the lips. Always talk with your health care in cases of severe itching.
Itchy Burning Lips- Mouth
Itchy burning sensation on lips may result from abnormal sensation caused by nerve damage or dysfunction. Lip burn can also result in this kind of sensation and irritation. The symptoms of a lip nerve damage will occur not only on the lips but also on other parts of the body supplied with peripheral nerve.
Itchy burning lips is the main common symptom observed, however, the burning will start as tingling and change to numbness. Some people will experience a combination of all these symptoms- itchy, burning, tingling and numbness of the lips.
Treatment for Itchy Lips
The treatment for itchy lips depend on how severe the symptoms and the underlying cause of the itching. Above we have discussed the treatment option available for each of the cause explained above. Please referred under the subtopics above on how best to treat itchy lips.
Pregnant mothers, those with chronic condition like diabetes, those on chemotherapy and those using immune system suppressive, you need to avoid over the counter medication at all cost. If you feel the itching, dryness of swelling on lip has become severe or unbearable, you need to seek medical attention from a professional health care provider.
Failure to do so can have adverse effect on your health and might affect the effectiveness of the medication you are on.
How to get rid of Itchy Lips – Home Remedy
Rather than using chemical drugs to treat and heal itchy lips, you can use some of the following home remedies. Remember, the following are home remedies and cannot be substituted for medical health or diagnosis. Seek medical attention if you feel the symptoms are becoming severe, or the remedy is not helping.
- Drink plenty of water to not only keep the body hydrated but also the lips moisturized. Drink more water during winter since this are the times the weather is a little bit harsher during this periods
- Aloe Vera gel contains anti-inflammatory and anti-itching properties that can be useful when applied on the lips to relieve the itching, burning sensation and inflammation.
- Until the lips become better, you need to avoid smoking and drinking alcohol and acidic drinks that might worsen itching.
- You need to also avoid licking the lips as this may worsen the condition.
- Seek medical attention is the itching becomes too severe or takes long to heal.
- in cases of harsh weather apply a sun screen before going out
- Food rich in vitamin B or supplements can be used for those with malnutrition.
Topic Reference
- http://www.yogawiz.com/blog/home-remedies/itchy-lips-allergy-treatment-reason.html
- https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/lip-care-center/itchy-lips.html
- http://www.md-health.com/Itchy-Lips.html
- http://www.healthline.com/symptom/drooling
- http://www.vaseline.us/skin-health-care/dry-skin-and-pregnancy.html
- Itchy burning lips https://www.consumerhealthdigest.com/lip-care-center/itchy-burning-lips.html