Swollen Lower Lip Causes

Lips, the soft, movable part of our mouth. We all love to keep our lips soft and moist. It not only helps us take in our food and articulation of speech, but are also important for one of the most intimate human actions. And by this I mean, a kiss. But, what would you wake up with a swollen lip in the morning? What can be the possible cause of swelling on lower lip? An allergy or may be you injured yourself accidentally? There are quite a few swollen lower lip causes and we shall discuss them in short in the following paragraphs.

Lower Lip Inflammation: Symptoms
I shall discuss the causes, but before that let us have a look at the symptoms. This will help understand the condition better and look for the possible causes. The symptoms are kind of straight forward. You know the normal thickness of your lips as well as their normal color. In case of lower lip inflammation, you will observe the skin fold at the corner of the mouth swelling. This will cause a huge lump and your mouth does not close properly. Sometimes, the entire lower lip swells and makes your lip appear larger than normal. The color may change to a deep red or may be bluish purple hue. The lip may bleed and will be very painful to touch. The normally soft lip, turns hard, rubbery in texture. Blisters may appear in some cases and the surrounding structures like lower cheeks too swell slightly.

Lower Lip Inflammation: Causes
Lower lip swelling can be temporary in many cases. The causes are many and discussed in the following paragraphs.

Injury
Lower lip injury can lead to swelling. You may have accidentally bite your lower lip while having food or eating something. Sometimes, it can so happen that you injure yourself while rubbing or washing your face. A late night beer bar brawl can also leave you with a swollen lower lip. Aggressive kissing can also be a cause of swelling. When your partner bites your lower lip in the heat of the moment, it can cause tissue tear and swelling of the lip.

Allergic Reactions
One of the most common causes of swelling on lower lip is allergic reaction. One can be allergic to specific food like peanuts, sun flower seeds, fish, lobsters, etc. Many people are allergic to dust, pollen grains, dander, etc. present in the environment. At times, an insect bite like a bee sting, wasps or hornet sting can also trigger allergic reaction and lead to swollen lips. When a person develops an allergic reaction it causes itchy lips, swollen tongue, tingling in lips and swollen lip as well.

Medications
Use of certain medications for hives, psoriasis, eczema, etc. can lead to swollen lips. This indicates the person has developed a side effect to the drug and medication and should discontinue the medication under the guidance of a medical professional.

Acromegaly
Acromegaly is a syndrome that occurs due to excessive production of growth hormone (hGH). It leads to soft tissue swelling that causes enlargement of hands, feet, nose, ears as well as lips. This condition usually affects people in their middle age.

Mucopolysaccharidosis
A group of metabolic disorders is called mucopolysaccharidosis. It occurs due to lysosomal enzymes that can no longer break down glycosaminoglycans. It causes development of rough physical features like flat nasal bridge, enlarged mouth, tongue as well as thick lips. There are many other symptoms associated with the condition, of which dwarfism is the most prominent one.

Environmental Conditions
Environment too plays a role in swollen lower lip. Too hot or too cold a climate can lead to inflammation of lower lip. In case of extreme heat, the UV rays from the sun damage the lips and cause it to swell and become extremely dry and hard. Too much cold too has the same effect, causing tissue damage and swelling. Eating or drinking too cold or hot food and beverages too can lead to a swollen lower lip temporarily. Smoking and chewing of tobacco also leads to the same. This is because tobacco leads to mouth or oral cancer and lips tend to swell due to growth of tumor.

Infections
Many times, cracked lips are an open invitation to bacteria and viruses to invade and cause infection. This causes painful infections and swelling of lips. Herpes virus is one such infectious agent that causes blister formation around the mouth and inflammation of lips.

Nutritional Deficiency
Deficiency of vital vitamins and minerals in the diet can lead to swelling lower lip. In many cases, lower lip inflammation indicates deficiency of vitamin B.

Cheilitis Glandularis
This is a disorder that causes inversion of position as well as swelling of the lower lip. The cause of this condition is unknown and leads to ulcers, crusts, mucous gland hyperplasia, abscess and swelling.

The inflammation on lower lip treatment generally involves application of ice compress on the affected lip. This helps reduce the swelling and treat the condition. It is also recommended to eat cold yogurt to reduce inflammation and avoiding any hot beverage. Many corticosteroids and inflammatory drugs help reduce the swelling. If the swelling persists for more than 5 days, it will be wise to visit a doctor for more help. He will be able to advise you correctly about how to treat a swollen lip. This is all about swollen lower lip causes. Hope you have found answers to what may have led to inflammation of lower lip in your case.