How to Treat a Swollen Lip

Lips are among the most visible facial features. They are vital for food intake as well as facial expressions. In addition, beautifully shaped and healthy lips give an attractive look to your face. Thickness of lips varies from person to person. Some people are gifted with thin and attractive lips, while others may have thick and swollen lips. Sometimes swelling of lips may be due to different medical conditions too. Let's read in detail about the causes and treatment of swollen lips.

What Causes Swollen Lips?

Swelling of lips is mainly due to allergies from specific food substances or other allergens in the environment. Various allergens such as pollens, dust, animal fur or contaminants can cause swollen lips. The allergic reaction generally begins with tingling and then leads to swelling. The swelling may persist for several hours. Food allergies cause swollen lips along with other symptoms such as itchy lips, swollen tongue and rash around the mouth. Lip swelling can also result from insect bites and stings, such as bees, hornets or wasps.

Swelling of lips can result as a side effect of certain drugs and medications such as some antibiotics. Certain medical conditions such as Crohn's disease, glucagonoma, hives, myxedema, psoriasis, eczema and hereditary angioedema are responsible for swollen lips. Swollen lips are also caused by Acromegaly or Muccopolysacharidosis. This medical condition is characterized by swelling of lips, accompanied by scaling and bleeding of lips as well as a change in the texture and color of the lips.

Swelling of lips is also caused by nutritional deficiencies, especially vitamin B deficiency. In this case, swelling is on the corners of lips. Patient finds difficulty in opening his mouth. Viral infections such as lip herpes can also lead to swelling and blister formation in the lips. Another important cause of swollen lips is trauma or injury to lips.

How to Treat Swollen Lips

Lip swelling is quite troublesome and causes difficulty in opening the jaws. The doctor decides the treatment option depending upon the cause of a swollen lip. If swelling of lips is accompanied by redness and itching, then it may be due to an allergic reaction. If there are blisters or sores on the lips along with swelling, then it may be due to a viral infection. Once these medical conditions are treated, swelling of lips reduces over the time. In case of allergic reactions, the medications like antihistamines are prescribed.

There are some home remedies to treat swollen lips. Apply some ice cubes covered in a towel on the swollen lips. Otherwise, keep a spoon in the freezer for some time and apply on the lips. You can also try hot packs. Hold a towel dipped in a warm water for 10-15 minutes. Heat reduces the accumulation of blood in the swollen area and thus, decreases swelling. These remedies are useful, if lip swelling is due to an injury.

Another useful remedy is to apply a mixture of turmeric powder, Fuller's earth and water. Fuller's earth possesses healing properties, which help reduce swelling. Use of Aloe Vera gel also help reduce swelling of lips. Application of a tea bag is another effective remedy.

Immerse a tea bag in warm water for a few minutes. Remove water and allow the tea bag to cool down. Place it on swollen lips for a few minutes, which will help reduce swelling. Apply a medicated lip balm in order to prevent dryness of swollen lips.

If lip swelling is due to food allergies, then identify the foods responsible for allergies and avoid eating those food substances. Avoid exposure to allergens as much as possible. Make sure that lip balms and lipsticks don't cause allergic reactions.

In addition, drink adequate amount of water to prevent dryness and keep the lips moisturized. Have a balanced and healthy diet to avoid nutritional deficiencies. Your diet should be rich in vitamins, especially vitamin B and C. Vitamin C plays a major role in curing bruised tissues and reducing swelling.

Take good care of your lips to keep them healthy and smiling always.