Swollen lips: all the possible reasons related to this discomfort
Puffy lips occur as a result of irritation, infection, insect bites, or trauma.
Lip edema, or swelling of the lips, when it is sudden can be due to food allergies, drugs, insect bites. Swollen lips can also represent an important symptom that requires immediate medical attention, especially if accompanied by itching , nausea, vomiting, hives etc ... Before going on, there is a video for you with the most effective natural cures to remedy insect bites.
Typical symptoms of swollen lips
As we will see later, the main causes of swollen lips can be many. Depending on the triggering reason, swollen lips can be associated with numerous signs and symptoms such as, for example, a change in the color of the lips, fever, chills, feeling faint, chapped lips etc. These are the first signs that should not be underestimated, also because they are the first to be seen even with the naked eye.
If you suspect that the swollen lips may be linked to an allergic / anaphylactic reaction you should contact your doctor immediately or go to the emergency room. How can a reaction such as anaphylactic shock be recognized? Certainly through behavioral changes, difficulty in breathing, hypotension, reddened skin with obvious blisters such as hives, swelling of the ankles and wrists, itching, burning, dizziness, headache, vomiting.
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Swollen lips: main causes
If the lips are swollen most of the time the cause is an "inflammation. If the area is subjected to stress, it could react with a series of actions including swelling, which serves to restore the initial conditions. Let's see specifically what they are. the main causes of swollen lips.
- Allergic reactions
Many allergies are manifested by swelling of the lips. In predisposed people, contact with very small quantities of allergens is sufficient to trigger, within a few minutes, the typical symptoms of an allergic reaction, including lip edema. What are the elements that can trigger this phenomenon?
- foods such as nuts, crustaceans and shellfish, eggs, sesame seeds, soy;
- cosmetics: lipsticks and lip sticks;
- animal hair;
- insect bites;
- pollen;
- latex;
- medications.
- Systemic allergic reactions
A systemic allergic reaction is a reaction that extends to a large part of the body, with severe and generalized symptoms, which can also lead to anaphylactic shock. Typical symptoms are:
- flushing, redness of the skin, itching and hives;
- swelling of the lips, tongue and / or throat;
- runny nose, swollen eyes and watery eyes;
- drop in blood pressure, changes in heart rhythm;
- cough and / or breathing difficulties.
In all these cases it is good to alert the doctor immediately or go to the emergency room. Sometimes for less serious cases it might be enough to take antihistamines, but always under strict medical supervision.
- Pseudo-allergic reactions
In the so-called pseuodallergic reactions it is possible to be sensitive to the effects of some substances that can be found in food; high quantities of these substances can produce symptoms similar to those of an allergic reaction, even if there is no direct intervention of the immune system. The foods most commonly involved in the onset of allergic reactions are fish and crustaceans and fermented foods especially if stored incorrectly, it is also good to pay attention to fruit and vegetables, especially strawberries and tomatoes.
- Habits and daily actions
- habit of biting or wetting the lips;
- cold and wind;
- burns or scalds;
- substances contained in lipsticks or lip sticks;
- infections;
- defective dentures;
- insect bites;
- deficiency of B vitamins;
- malnutrition;
- application of fillers and treatments to volumize the lips.
How to diagnose swollen lips and what therapy to take
Often and willingly the cause of swollen lips is not immediately evident, which is why it may be appropriate to investigate the problem with your doctor who, through specific tests, will have to try to better outline the situation, marking any medications, foods or cosmetics taken before the swelling occurred.
The prescribed therapy will be aimed at solving the problem, but one thing can be done at home and can help immediately: treat the swollen area of the lips with ice. The cold effect will be essential to at least partially eliminate the swelling sensation.
If an allergy is ascertained as a cause of lip swelling resulting from an allergic reaction, antihistamines may help; if, on the other hand, the problem is linked to an infectious process, the doctor may decide to prescribe antibiotic, antiviral or antifungal drugs, depending on the type of infection. To relieve inflammatory states, NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) can help.
If, on the other hand, the swollen lips are due to very serious pathological conditions such as tumors, neurological disorders, angioedema, etc. it will be important to consult a specialist doctor.
Finally, for lip swelling following an anaphylactic shock, it will be important to act promptly by going to the emergency room, or calling 118.
