LIP SWELLING TREATMENT

Spontaneous lip swelling is usually painless. Itching may or may not be present. Cheilitis sometimes causes lip swelling, but patients typically present because of the painful inflammation and lesions.

By itself, lip swelling is not dangerous. However, when lip swelling is caused by angioedema, concurrent swelling in the oropharynx and/or lower airways can be fatal.

Lip swelling may be acute or chronic.

Acute lip swelling may be caused by

• Allergic reactions (e.g., to foods, drugs, lipstick, airborne irritants, nickel)
• Environmental factors (e.g., cold and dry weather, sunburn)
• Hereditary angioedema
• No allergic drug causes (e.g., angiotensin-converting [ACE] inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, certain fibrinolytic drugs)

Chronic lip swelling may occur with

• Acromegaly (often with coarsened facial features and/or enlarged tongue)
• Hypothyroidism (often with facial puffiness and/or enlarged tongue)
• Rare causes of chronic lip swelling include ongoing exposure to an unsuspected allergen, cheilitis granulomatosa, and Crohn disease.