Angular Cheilitis is known by the painful lesions that appear in the area of the corners of the mouth. These lesions become more painful when the sufferer eats, drinks, or smiles because the lesions will break open in these scenarios. The good news is that this condition is rarely serious, but can often be an indication of a more serious underlying condition.
Four of the most common causes of Angular Cheilitis are:
Candidiasis
Iron deficiency
Malnutrition
Glucagonoma
But the major contributing factor to the onset of this condition is traced back to deficiencies in the diet of essential minerals like zinc, iron, and vitamins like Vitamin B. If you are not eating a diet that contains these trace minerals, you may be putting yourself at risk of contacting the condition or preventing it from going away if you currently suffer from it.
This makes the quality of foods that you consume that much more important. Medical science has not been able to fully explain why these mineral deficiencies have an effect on the onset of Angular Cheilitis. However, medical science has been able to indicate that there is a strong correlation between a diet missing these vitamins and minerals and the onset of this condition.
This is because these minerals and vitamins are absolutely essential for the maintenance of a healthy immune system. As the body becomes depleted of these vitamins and minerals, the immune system increasingly gets weaker. This will enable otherwise harmless microorganisms to colonize and grow out of control, which will then lead to any number of infections. <
One such microorganism is Candida. This is a fungus that is found in every healthy body. Under normal conditions, it is kept in check by healthy bacteria within the body. When the immune system is compromised, Candida can grow out of control and be the cause of many different infections and ailments. For this reason, Angular Cheilitis is often associated with oral thrush.
Age is also another major contributing factor to the likelihood of experiencing this condition. As people age, the skin becomes looser and skin folds can emerge in the area of the face, which creates an ideal breeding ground for infections. Children also put themselves at risk also by not eating a healthy diet. This is further complicated by an immune system that can become easily compromised simply because it has not yet fully matured. Other causes of Angular Cheilitis include the use of some medications that dry out the skin and lips.
If you want to avoid Angular Cheilitis causes, the best thing you can do is live a healthy lifestyle and eat a balanced diet. You should also regularly introduce healthy bacteria into your system to give your immune system an added boost in fighting off infections caused by fungus like Candida.
