There are a number of uncomfortable and embarrassing symptoms that affect sufferers of eczema. Many of the sufferers claim that swollen lips cause more discomfort and embarrassment than any of the other symptoms put together. Swollen lips dont just look bad, they can also hinder the speech and possibly even limit what the person can eat.
The form of eczema that affects the lips is known as cheilitis. This causes roughness to the lips and can make them very sensitive, causing them to itch. Contrary to popular belief, this type of eczema is by no means contagious.
For most people this eczema starts off with just a few rough patches on both of their lips, sometimes they are difficult to see, however the sufferer is perfectly aware of them because they are painful to the touch. These rough patches are not normally located inside the mouth, normally they are located where the lip joins onto the normal skin of the face. The swollen lips sometimes come hand in hand with red patches and dryness of other parts of skin.
The affected areas should be moisturized on a frequent basis, sometimes the use of steroid creams could be considered. Desonoid is one such cream that is approved for use on the lips and face.
Good old Vaseline can be used to relieve the sufferer of the symptoms of extreme dryness. Lip balms containing help oils are believed to be especially beneficial to sufferers, and shea butter lip balms can also provide some much needed relief.
Everybody is different, so what works for one person may not work for you. You may have to experiment with a number of different lip balms before you find the one that works for you. As a general rule of thumb however you should steer clear of any lip balms that contain fragrances as these can dry out your lips.
Chemicals contained in toothpaste or mouthwash can be a contributing factor to eczema, and so this should be considered.
If the condition doesnt clear up by using over the counter medications then you should defiantly go to see your doctor or dermatologist. Its a good idea to get to the root of the problem, and so you could consider having an allergy test done to find out what you are allergic to.