Dry skin in corner of mouth

Cracked corners of mouth are a pretty common problem among people, especially during the winter months. There are a lot of reasons why this problem may occur. Some of the most common causes are excessive exposure to sun and improper diet. The medical term for cracked corners of mouth is angular cheilitis.

According to the experts, angular cheilitis occurs due to a fungal infection. Even though this condition is not serious it can provide a lot of pain and discomfort, especially in situations when people open their mouth. A person suffering from angular cheilitis will have his or she corners of the mouth appear swollen and red. It is not uncommon for the lips to turn dry and chapped as well. Even though severe infections are uncommon, they do appear and in those situations a person will experience a lot of problems when he or she wishes to move the mouth.

Causes of cracked corners of mouth

Even though there are a lot of causes that lead to cracked corners of mouth, experts agree that it is a lot more common among people who do not consume enough water and follow a special diet, especially if the diet excludes or lacks certain vitamins and minerals. Apart from these two reasons, cold or hot weather are also known to lead to cracked corners of mouth.

How to heal cracked corners of mouth?

People need to know that there are a lot of treatments that can be used when they are suffering from cracked corners of mouth. It is not uncommon for the condition to resolve on its own at times. However, it is best that people do use some remedy in order to make the healing time shorter. Using creams is one way of treating angular cheilitis. Topical anti-fungal ointments or creams are usually prescribed for this purpose. Since dehydration is one of the causes of angular cheilitis, people should drink a lot of water in order to treat it. Experts agree that people should drink at least 8 glasses of it every day. Following a proper diet is not necessary but it is important that the diet a person follows does not lack all the needed nutrients. Vitamin A, zinc and vitamin B2 are especially important. Milk, eggs and morning cereals are known to contain these nutrients. Using certain skin care products, such as lip balms is helpful in these situations as well.