How to treat chapped and cracked angular cheilitis
Disease description:
My mouth is cracked—online sources say it's angular cheilitis. What should I do for dry, cracked angular cheilitis?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhang Lei
Angular cheilitis with dry cracking can be treated with wet compresses using baking soda. Angular cheilitis is a common inflammatory condition occurring at the corners of the mouth, where the upper and lower lips meet. It manifests as fissures, erosion, and crusting at the mouth corners. Factors such as internal heat ("shang huo") and viral infections can lead to angular cheilitis. When caused by herpes virus infection, antiviral medications are required. Antiallergic drugs such as cetirizine and astemizole can also be effective in treatment.
