What can cause an abscess on the lip? Possible causes and treatments
The appearance of a neoplasm in the form of a boil on the lip should at least alert you. Under no circumstances should you try to squeeze out such pustules yourself or pierce them. Otherwise, this may lead to the spread of purulent exudate throughout the adjacent soft tissues and, accordingly, to the development of complications. To understand how to get rid of such an unpleasant phenomenon, you first need to establish the cause of its occurrence. And for this it is better to contact a specialist. Read further in this article about why an abscess may appear on the inside or outside of the lip and what to do about it.
Methods of infection
There are several main ways of contracting a herpes infection.
Straight way
The virus passes to a healthy person from a sick person through direct contact. A prerequisite for transmission is the active skin manifestation of the herpes virus on the lips or other parts of the body. This route of transmission is possible through kissing (herpes on the lips), sexual contact (genital herpes), through hands, when the virus is actively released from herpetic vesicles.
Indirect transmission route
In this case, infection occurs through personal hygiene items, dishes, and cosmetics from a person with herpes at the stage of spreading the virus. For prevention, it is enough to use individual personal hygiene items - a toothbrush, comb, cosmetics - lipstick, creams, cosmetic pencils [2, 6].
Types of ulcers that may appear on the lip
The formation of a boil on the upper or lower lip is usually preceded by swelling and moderate pain. In the first couple of days, swelling and redness occur. Following them, a bubble with an abscess appears. Typically, patients complain of pain when trying to touch the tumor. If you do not respond to the symptom in time and do not start treatment, the boil will begin to fester. Sometimes, along with other symptoms, the patient’s health noticeably worsens and the temperature rises.
When herpes occurs, swelling appears
If this is a manifestation of herpes, then a blister with a clear liquid usually appears on the lip, which becomes covered with a crust after 3-4 days. This also causes itching, a feeling of tightness and pain. It is easier to stop an exacerbation of a viral infection if you start treatment at the reddening stage.
“Oh, I’m already tormented with this herpes. As soon as you get into a draft, it immediately pops up on your lip. All my life I have been saving myself with Acyclovir, as for me, they haven’t come up with anything better. By the way, regular toothpaste dries well, a proven old-fashioned method.”
Lenka1989, from correspondence on the woman.ru forum
Aphtha is an abscess inside the lip. Such rashes usually appear on the mucous membrane, and can be recognized by their white heads. As a rule, this is a sign of aphthous stomatitis, which can develop in both adults and children. In this case, neoplasms can be localized not only on the lips, but also on the inside of the cheeks and even on the tongue.
This is what aftas look like
Sometimes a lipoma is mistaken for a boil, but this is a pathological phenomenon of a completely different nature. This is a benign neoplasm, which is a dense node that forms inside the soft tissue. Essentially, this is a cavity filled with dead epithelial cells and fatty contents. Its removal is carried out surgically.
Types of stomatitis in adults
Effective treatment of stomatitis in adults begins with the diagnosis of pathology. Identifying the provoking factor is one of the main tasks of the dentist. The situation is aggravated by the fact that many reasons are similar - they overlap each other, distorting the clinical picture. For this reason, only experienced doctors treat stomatitis in adult patients.
There are a variety of classifications of stomatitis:
- according to the course - acute periodic, chronic, recurrent;
- by external manifestation - redness, aphthae, erosion;
- by localization - on the lip, on the tongue, on the palate, in the throat.
When diagnosing and selecting a treatment plan, dentists try to take into account the versatility of the disease - the form, causes, degree of damage to the mucous membranes, stage of the disease, and other classification parameters. Based on these factors, it is customary to identify the most popular types of stomatitis in adults:
- aphthous;
- ulcerative;
- herpetic;
- candida;
- prosthetic;
- allergic;
- ray.
Aphthous stomatitis
Aphthous stomatitis is characterized by the appearance of round ulcerative formations covered with necrotic plaque. This is the most common variant of the disease - it occurs in 65-70% of dental patients.
The causes of aphthae formation are viral and bacterial diseases. Localization of ulcers is on almost any mucous tissue of the oral cavity.
Initially, the patient is faced with the fibrinous form, when local blood circulation is disrupted. If left untreated, the disease turns into a necrotic form, accompanied by tissue death, or into a scarring form - the mucosal tissue changes structure.
Ulcerative stomatitis
Ulcerative stomatitis is characterized by the formation of deep, painful ulcers in the mouth. They usually arise due to:
- poor hygiene - a large amount of plaque on the teeth, tartar;
- problems with the gastrointestinal tract - metabolic disorders;
- chemical burns - abuse of especially spicy foods.
Lesions affect the deep layers of tissue, so treatment of ulcerative viral or bacterial stomatitis in adults is carried out only by a dentist according to a carefully developed plan.
A separate type of ulcerative stomatitis is ulcerative-necrotizing gingivitis, Vincent's stomatitis. The cause of the disease is the active proliferation of pathogenic microflora, the influence of spindle bacillus and Vincent's spirochete. The disease is observed against the background of a sharp decrease in immunity and is characterized by reactive development. Patients complain of swelling of the gums, suppuration, pain, putrid breath, and loss of appetite. Without treatment, tissue necrosis progresses and tooth roots are exposed.
Herpes (herpetic) stomatitis
Viral herpetic stomatitis is a contagious variant of the disease provoked by the herpes virus. Transmitted through hygiene items, through negligence, by airborne droplets.
Externally it differs from other types, since the lesions look like fluid-filled blisters before turning into ulcers.
During treatment, the doctor conducts complex therapy, including taking medications.
Candidal stomatitis
The cause of candidal stomatitis is a fungus that causes the appearance of a cheesy coating on the oral mucosa. Underneath the plaque is a swollen, inflamed area. When the formations are removed, the tissue surfaces begin to bleed.
The causes of the disease are decreased immunity and poor hygiene. Treatment requires careful selection of drugs so as not to aggravate the situation.
Prosthetic stomatitis
The pathology is typical only for adult patients, as it is a consequence of improper prosthetics, individual intolerance to the crown material, and poor quality of care for the orthopedic product.
The disease manifests itself as inflammation of the soft tissues around the prosthetic structure, turning into ulcers and erosion.
Allergic stomatitis
A distinctive feature of the disease is dryness and itching in the mouth. This is how increased sensitivity to allergens manifests itself. At the site of the inflamed areas, aphthae and ulcers quickly form. In severe cases, an ulcerative-necrotic form may develop.
Pathology happens:
- acute - single manifestation;
- chronic - with constant relapses and complications.
Treatment requires an integrated approach.
Radiation stomatitis
The reason for the appearance is the patient undergoing radiation therapy or chemotherapy and, as a result, a decrease in immunity. It occurs acutely - with inflammation and ulcers. Requires careful attention from the doctor during treatment to avoid worsening the situation.
Why an abscess is dangerous - causes and possible complications
Sometimes an abscess on the lip appears as a consequence of a banal microtrauma of the skin. In such a situation, the symptom can be provoked by insufficient oral hygiene and the penetration of bacteria into the open wound. However, in other cases, the formation of a painful neoplasm is caused by overheating or hypothermia, stress and fatigue, disturbances in the functioning of the liver and kidneys, disruptions in the functioning of the sebaceous and sweat glands, taking potent medications, and vitamin deficiency due to a weakened immune system1.
Any neoplasm on the skin or mucous membrane carries a potential danger if you ignore it or try to remove it yourself. So, for example, with the development of herpes, there is a risk of infection spreading to surrounding tissues, reaching the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx, eyes or genitals.
If the problem starts, serious complications can arise.
Inaction against the background of the development of stomatitis leads to an obvious deterioration of the patient’s condition and the development of complications. In the most severe cases, a boil on the upper lip risks leading to inflammation of the tissue near the defect, spreading the pathological process to the deep layers of the epidermis and even brain tissue. Against the background of a weakened immune system, a boil can develop into phlegmon or even an abscess. This is not a complete list of possible problems, so if suspicious symptoms appear, it is better to start treatment as quickly as possible.
Treatment options
The appearance of a boil on the lip usually requires complex treatment, but the cause of its occurrence must first be determined. As part of maintenance therapy, vitamin therapy is recommended to improve immunity. The doctor chooses a specific treatment vector based on the prerequisites for the appearance of the tumor:
- herpes - Acyclovir, Penciclovir or Docosanol ointments are prescribed. All of these drugs are most effective if therapy is started at the redness stage,
- aphthae - first you need to determine the type of stomatitis, and then, based on an accurate diagnosis, you can begin adequate treatment. Antiseptics Inhalipt, Actovegin or Stomatidin are usually prescribed. If it is a fungal form of the pathology, “Mikozon” or “Levorin” is prescribed; if it is an allergic form, “Suprastin” is prescribed.
- boils - local therapy is carried out using antiseptic solutions twice a day until the abscess ruptures. Compresses with Ichthyol ointment are also recommended. In some cases, the formation has to be opened in a hospital setting. Next, the wound is treated with antiseptics and ointment, for example, “Vishnevsky” is applied. Be sure to prescribe multivitamin complexes to strengthen the immune system.
For each specific case, you need to select the appropriate treatment. You
should consult a doctor if the boil has become of an impressive size, if there is a sharp deterioration in the condition, or an increase in temperature. The most important thing is not to try to open it yourself. Only a specialist can do this correctly and without the risk of undesirable consequences.
Self-treatment
If there is no purulent content and if the damage is small, it can be treated independently. For this purpose, ointments or creams are used: acyclovir, tetracycline, oxolinic ointment, metrogil denta. Products such as fucorcin, brilliant green or iodine are also used, but when using them you need to remember that they dry the skin. For quick healing, it is necessary to treat your lips as often as possible. If suppuration occurs, you should immediately visit a doctor who will decide what to do next.
The most common folk remedies that are used for speedy healing include: garlic juice, plantain juice, earwax, fish oil, cucumber juice, decoction of medicinal plants (chamomile, celandine, white string). Therapeutic measures also include treatment with baked apple mush. The maximum effect can be obtained from the therapy performed by using medications and folk remedies. Additionally, you can treat with oil solutions of sea buckthorn and vitamin A.
What does traditional medicine offer?
To speed up the maturation of the abscess and the healing of the wound, experts also recommend traditional medicine. But it is better to use them with the permission of a doctor. Otherwise, independent attempts to solve the problem can easily lead to the development of dangerous complications.
Thus, brewer's yeast, honey and baked onions effectively draw out purulent masses and promote the breakthrough of neoplasms. Since the appearance of ulcers on the lips is often preceded by disturbances in metabolic processes and a weakening of the body’s protective functions, first of all care should be taken to restore the immune system. Brewer's yeast contains useful components such as magnesium, zinc, calcium and iron - they help to quickly stop the pathological process and prevent its reappearance. Yeast should be taken before meals, approximately 1 hour before meals, 1 tablespoon at a time. People with hypersensitivity to the listed components and with kidney pathologies should refrain from this method.
The use of traditional medicine helps well in treatment
You can make a medicinal paste from honey. To do this, the product should be mixed with flour and a small amount of grated laundry soap in equal proportions. The result should be a substance resembling plasticine. A small ball should be applied to the boil as a compress, secured to the sore spot with a band-aid and left there for 3 hours. Another proven method that helps speed up the breakthrough of tumors is based on the use of baked onions. It is necessary to bake one head, then cut it into small pieces, wait until it cools completely, apply it to the causal area and secure it with a band-aid. It is recommended to carry out the procedure at night, leaving the compress on until the morning.
Treatment of herpes
If you have herpes, it is not necessary to immediately contact an immunologist, because the manifestation of this disease up to 4 times a year is considered normal. If the disease bothers you more often, then contacting a specialist is necessary.
To get rid of herpes, drug treatment is most often used. Antiviral ointments are used, which are sold at any pharmacy, and immunostimulating drugs can also be used.
If the necessary medications are not available when symptoms of herpes appear, then you can use folk remedies: garlic, toothpaste or fir oil. Use garlic internally, as it is considered a good antiviral agent, and smear the area of inflammation with either toothpaste or fir oil. Our patients note in their reviews that folk remedies sometimes help to cope with a sore faster than proven medications.
Remember the most important thing: if herpes begins to bother you more than 4 times during the year, contact a specialist.
Prevention measures
To prevent the appearance of a white abscess or boil on the lip, you need to ensure a high level of oral hygiene. It is important not only to regularly brush your teeth twice a day, but also to wash your face thoroughly and use suitable skin care products. Experts include the following measures as other preventive recommendations:
- try to avoid injuries to the skin, lips and mucous membranes,
- support immunity and lead a healthy lifestyle,
- move more and be outdoors more often,
- try to eat healthy foods, more vegetables and fruits,
- give up cigarettes and reduce the amount of alcohol consumed,
- promptly respond to any signs of a pathological process.
A healthy lifestyle will help strengthen the immune system.
If a wound or abrasion appears on your lip, you need to treat it with an antiseptic solution as soon as possible. If the tumor has already begun to form and, judging by all the signs, it can grow to a significant size, it is better to immediately consult a doctor and get professional recommendations for quick and effective treatment.
1Barer G. M. Therapeutic dentistry: textbook: Part 3. Diseases of the oral mucosa, 2009.
