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Meteorological cheilitis
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Meteorological cheilitis is a disease caused by the influence of meteorological factors (high or low humidity, dustiness of the air, wind, cold).
Meteorological cheilitis is more common in men (women protect their lips from external influences with cosmetic lipstick).
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Symptoms
The whole lip is affected (usually the lower one). Characterized by slight hyperemia and swelling of the lip, which is slightly infiltrated and covered with tightly seated scales. Disturb the feeling of tightening the lips, peeling. This causes patients to lick their lips, which further contributes to their weathering and peeling. There may be erosions, cracks. The course is chronic. Meteorological cheilitis equally worries patients in winter and summer, but the clinical symptoms of the disease significantly weaken and even disappear when patients are less in the open air. The process is exacerbated in the autumn-winter time.
How to recognize meteorological cheilitis?
Diagnosis is based on clinical and anamnestic data.
Differential diagnostics
Differential diagnostics is performed with actinic cheilitis (absence of sensitization to sunlight), as well as with dry form of xylpholytic cheilitis (localization of the lesion only to the middle of the red border of the lips) and allergic contact cheilitis (anamnestic data, acute inflammation with spread to the skin).
Treatment
Treatment of meteorological cheilitis includes:
- protection of the red border of the lips from meteorological influences using hygienic lipstick, fatty creams (for example, irikar, radevit);
- use of photoprotective creams and ointments from the "Antigelios" series;
- at the expressed inflammatory phenomena use of glucocorticoid ointments (0,5% prednisolone ointment, aflomethasone (afloderm and others not more than 7-10 days);
- Inside - a course of vitamins of group В (В2, B6, PP).
What forecast does meteorological cheilitis have?
The forecast is favorable. Patients need a dispensary observation, since the meteorological cheilitis is referred to background conditions that promote the development of precancerous diseases. With a prolonged course, it is possible the appearance on its basis of obligate forms of precancer - cheilitis Manganotti, limited hyperkeratosis of the red border of the lip.