What are Chapped lips?

Chapped lips are characterized by dry texture of the lips and may possibly crack due to loss in moisture or evaporation of moisture in the lips. It is sometimes accompanied by swelling and redness that is often sensitive to touch. This condition is most common during cold condition in weather. The natural oil produced by the body that contributes in protecting and coating the lips is often not enough or could have been removed. The lips are protected from moisture loss by a thin oily film found on the surface of the lips.

There are however, different type of chapped lips in the form of severity and when medical attention is needed. Ordinary dry lips may be due to exposure to weather while other form of chapped lips may be due to an underlying condition and could be a symptom of such underlying condition.

Lips are soft muscle and visible part of the mouth. It functions for the articulation of sound and speech and serves as passage for nourishment. Lips are also defined as tactile sensory organ.

Picture : Difference between Normal and chapped lips

Dry Chapped Lips

Dry chapped lips are described as scaly or flaky in appearance and may also have fissures or cracks. It is often painful, irritating and unsightly. Most people suffer from this condition especially during winter season or cold season when the lips tend to dry out of moisture. Unless indication of a persisting health condition, dry chapped lips can be remedied at home and may be prevented.

Causes of Dry Chapped Lips

• Weather condition – extremes in climate can cause lips to dry and chapped. During cold season or winter season lips are more prone to dry and chapped.
• Exposure to sunlight or heat – too much exposure to sunlight or heat may cause the lips to dry as the moisture of the lips is loss due to evaporation.
• Frequent lip licking – licking or wetting the lips frequently may only cause further dryness as the moisture of the lips are more likely to evaporate.
• Smoking – cigarettes that regularly or frequently come in contact with the lips will harm it condition causing the lips to dry further.
• Dehydration – improper hydration of the body also contributes for the lips to dry. It is important that our bodies should be properly hydrated to continue proper function and good condition of bodily areas affected by insufficient supply of water in the body most especially the skin and particularly that of the lips.
• Pregnancy – it is common for pregnant women to suffer from dry chapped lips due to changes in hormones brought by pregnancy.
• Allergic Reaction – allergy to food and allergy on cosmetic products that comes in contact with the lips will cause it to dry and chapped as a reaction to allergen and irritants.

Chronic Chapped Lips

Chronic chapped lips occur when the capacity of the lips to retain moisture is lost due to cycles or repeated occurrence of dry chapped lips. However, it also a symptom of underlying condition such as chelitis and herpes simplex virus 1. Chelitis is a condition where the demarcation between the lips and skin pigment disappear due to whitish formation. Herpes simplex virus 1 on the other hand causes the lips to have red sores and peeling.

Causes of Chronic Chapped Lips

• Malnourishment or nutritional deficiency
• Dehydration
• Too much exposure to sun, wind and cold

Extremely Chapped Lips

Severe chapped lip is a suggestion of a serious medical condition. It is often associated with severe diet deficiency and a malfunctioning immune system in the body. It cannot be cured with treatments that are common with dry chapped lips and chronic chapped lips nor can it be remedied with simple solution such as those that can be used for simple dry chapped lips. This type of chapped lips is occur with cracks, sore, redness and swelling and may sometimes bleed. In this case of chapped lips, medical attention and treatment is required.

Causes of Extremely Chapped Lips

• Malnutrition
• Further damaged from dry chapped lips

Symptoms of Chapped Lips

• Flaky skin on the lips
• Constant lip licking
• Painful lips
• Sometimes may appear swollen
• Visible cracks or fissures

Diagnosis of Chapped Lips

There is no diagnosis for dry chapped lips except for the symptoms it is manifesting. Dry chapped lips normally happen especially during cold and winter season. This condition usually occurs and lasts for two days or until lips moisture is properly addressed.

Treatment for Chapped Lips

• Apply lip emollient such as unflavored lip balm and petroleum jelly
• Apply vitamin E ointment
• Increase fluid intake

Chapped Lips Remedies

• Rub a slice of cucumber
• Increase fluid intake
• Avoid frequent lip licking

What is Stills Disease

What is Stills Disease? Stills disease is a form of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis characterized by high spike fever, intermittent rashes and arthritis. It is known to be common in children and rarely affects adult over 40 years of age. Dr. George Still first described this disease in 1897. This disease can also be associated with inflammation of the internal organs.

Stills Disease in Adult

Stills disease is more common in children although it can be present in adult. Adult Still’s disease is a rare inflammation condition that may lead to chronic arthritis and other medical complications. It is now more commonly termed as Adult-onset Still disease. Adult onset still disease is more common to women than in men.

Stills Disease in Children

Stills disease in children is also known as Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis often affecting children 16 years old and below. It affects the joint and may also affect the internal organ. Children with this disease experience stiffness in the joint and swelling in the joint that cause reduced motion. This type of disease may hinder growth of children.

Stills Disease Symptoms

Adult still’s disease symptoms

• Fever – intermittent fever that last for a week or longer is experienced usually in the late afternoon or early evening. It usually occurs in two spike fever a day and the temperature in between are usually at normal range.
• Rash – rash appears when provoke by rubbing and this rash described as salmon pink in color and is sometimes bumpy or flat usually appear during onset of fever and can be found on trunk, arms and legs.
• Painful swollen joints – the joints such as the knees, ankles, wrists, shoulders and hands usually have stiffness. Accompanied by stiffness is pain and swelling in the joints.
• Muscle pain – muscle pain exists with fever and also subsides together with the fever although the pain is severe that it can be uncomfortable and hinder daily activities.

Children still’s disease symptoms

• Limping – a child experience limping usually in the morning due to stiffness in ankle joint
• Extreme fatigue – it usually occur with onset of fever
• Fever spike – occurs daily at 39C or even higher and return to normal temperature rapidly. The fevers usually happen approximately the same time every day.
• Rash – salmon-pink colored rash appears although not itchy

Other symptoms include:

• Poor appetite
• Nausea
• Weight loss
• Sore throat
• Lymph glands swelling
• Spleen enlargement
• Liver enlargement
• Pericarditis
• Pleuritis
• Pericardial effusion
• Pleural effusion
• Joint swelling

Stills Disease Rash

Stills disease rash is characterized as bumpy and or sometimes flat. It is salmon pink in color and is not itchy. The rash can be found on the trunk, arms and legs. When provoke by physical contact such as rubbing, the rash will appear.

Picture : Stills Disease Rash

Stills Disease Causes

Causes of adult still disease have been unknown although it has been correlated with viral and bacterial infection.

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis has been said to be a disorder of the autoimmune system in which the body’s own immune system is attacking and destroying tissues in the joint area with unknown reason. Other factor considered for the cause of this disease is genetic predisposition. It is also believed that sex hormones may be the cause since women are more affected with still’s disease than men.

Still’s Disease Diagnosis

No single medical test is done to confirm still’s disease as it is difficult to identify the cause because joint pain can be from various causes. Combinations of test are used to isolate still’s disease. Below are list of test or procedures that may be combined to diagnose still’s disease.

• Clinical presentation
• Blood test
• X-rays
• Ultrasound
• Fluid aspiration and analysis

Stills Disease Treatment

Treatment for stills disease is geared toward regaining physical and social activities and managing areas of inflammation.

• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Intra-articular corticosteroid injection
• Methotrexate
• TNF alpha blockers like etanercept
• Surgery
• Physical therapy

Stills Disease Prognosis

Children affected with stills disease can lead a normal life and resume normal activities if the disease is addressed properly. It is also important for family and patient of stills disease to be educated on the case of the disease in order for them to understand and to provide significant care to member of the family afflicted with stills disease. Poor growth and worsening joint function may occur to patient who is not properly and promptly treated for this disorder.