Swollen mouth is usually a sign of allergy and can appear immediately or up to 2 hours after taking medication or eating foods that tend to cause allergic reactions, such as peanuts, seafood, eggs or soy, for example.
However, swelling in the mouth can also indicate other health problems, such as cold sores, dry and burnt lips, mucocele or other inflammation of the lips, which is why it is recommended to consult a general practitioner or pediatrician, in the case of children, always the swelling lasts longer than 3 days, or immediately to an emergency room if there is difficulty breathing.
Applying a small piece of ice to swollen lips can help to deflate and reduce discomfort, but the use of allergy medication can also be useful, in some cases, and it is important to use according to the doctor’s guidance. Check out the names of some allergy remedies.
The main causes of swelling in the mouth are:
1. Allergy
Food allergy is the main cause of swollen mouth and lips and usually appears up to 2 hours after eating food, and can also be accompanied by cough, feeling of something in the throat, difficulty breathing or redness in the face. However, other types of allergies can arise, being caused by lipstick, makeup, pills, homemade teeth whitening or plants.
What to do: the treatment is usually done with the use of anti-allergy pills, such as Cetirizine or Desloratadine, prescribed by the general practitioner. If breathing is very difficult, go immediately to the emergency room or call an ambulance, calling 192.
In addition, it is advisable to do an allergy test to assess what type of substances produce a reaction to prevent it from happening again. In cases where the allergy happens due to the use of lipstick, makeup or cosmetic products, it is also recommended not to use the same product again.
2. Herpes
A herpes infection in the mouth can cause a swelling of the lip, accompanied by small blisters, as well as a tingling sensation or numbness at the site. However, other infections, such as candidiasis, can also cause swelling of the mouth, especially when the lips are cracked, which increases the proliferation of many microorganisms, causing redness around the lips, fever and pain.
What to do: it is necessary to consult a general practitioner to evaluate the problem and identify the microorganism that is causing the infection and, thus, it is possible to start treatment with ointments or pills, and the use of antivirals, such as Acyclovir, is usually indicated. Anti-inflammatory or pain reliever pills such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, for example, can also be used to relieve symptoms of pain and tenderness in the mouth. Better understand the signs and how to cure herpes of the mouth.
3. Dry or burnt lips from the cold or sun
Sunburn, hot food, or acidic foods, such as lemon or pineapple, can cause swelling in the mouth that usually lasts about 1 or 2 days, being accompanied by pain, burning and change in color at the site. The same can happen when you are in extreme temperatures, in very cold or snowy places.
What to do: To reduce swelling and apply moisturizing cream, cocoa butter or Vaseline when lips are dry or burnt.
4. Mucocele
Mucocele is a type of cyst that causes a small swelling to appear in the mouth after biting the lips or after hitting, for example, due to the accumulation of saliva inside the inflamed salivary gland. Learn how to identify mucocele.
What to do: usually the mucocele disappears without any treatment after 1 or 2 weeks, however, when it increases in size or takes a long time to disappear, it may be advisable to go to the otolaryngologist to evaluate and drain the cyst, accelerating the treatment.
5. Dental abscess
Inflammation in the teeth, from decay or dental abscess, for example, causes swelling in the gum, which can extend to the lips. In this case, the person feels a lot of pain around the inflamed tooth, which can be accompanied by bleeding, bad smell in the mouth and even fever. The lips can also suffer inflammation caused by pimples, folliculitis or some trauma, such as the use of the device, for example, which can appear suddenly.
What to do: in the case of dental inflammation, the dentist should be sought for treatment of the inflammation, with analgesics, antibiotics or, if necessary, a dental surgical procedure. To relieve inflammation on the lips, a compress with warm water should be used, and anti-inflammatory pills, such as ibuprofen, prescribed by the general practitioner, can be used to relieve pain and swelling. Check out more details of treatment for dental abscess.
6. Fall, injury or bruise
A fall or accident can cause a mouth injury, which can leave the mouth swollen for a few days until the injured tissues heal completely. Usually the place is very painful and the skin can have purple or red marks, sometimes the tooth can hurt the lip causing a cut, which is very common in children who are learning to walk or who are already running and playing ball with the friends.
What to do: Cold compresses and cold chamomile tea bags can be applied directly to the swollen mouth, which can deflate the area within minutes. It should be used 2 to 3 times a day.
7. Impetigo
Impetigo can also make the mouth swollen, and small, crusty sores on the lip or near the nose are also identified. Impetigo is a common childhood infection that easily passes from one child to another, and should always be evaluated by a pediatrician.
What to do: You should go to the doctor for confirmation of impetigo and, thus, the use of an antibiotic ointment is indicated. In addition, some important care is needed, such as not ripping the skin off the wound, keeping the area clean, showering daily and applying the remedy immediately afterwards. Check out more care to cure impetigo faster.
Other causes
In addition to these, there are other causes of swelling in the mouth such as:
- Bug bite;
- Use of braces on teeth;
- Spicy foods;
- Preeclampsia, in pregnancy;
- piercing inflamed;
- Canker sores;
- cheilitis;
- Oral cancer;
- Heart, liver or kidney failure.
Thus, it is important to seek medical help if this symptom is present and you cannot identify the reason.
when to go to the doctor
It is important that the doctor is consulted when:
- The mouth is suddenly swollen and swelling of the tongue and throat is also noticed, which can make breathing difficult;
- It takes more than 3 days to disappear;
- It comes with other symptoms such as fever above 38ºC or difficulty swallowing;
- It is accompanied by swelling over the entire face or elsewhere on the body.
In these cases, the doctor can open the airways to make breathing easier, and if necessary, use medication, but it can also be useful to do blood tests and allergy tests to identify what made the mouth swollen, so that it doesn’t happen again. .
