Swollen Lips: Causes, Symptoms, For No Reason, Treatment & How to Get Rid

What causes swollen lip? Why do you have lips for no reason? Can lip allergy, piercing, cold sore, infection, pimple or drinking alcohol cause swelling of lips? In this post, we have provided an insight on symptoms, treatments and how to get rid of lip swelling fast.

Swelling in the lips or lip oedema occurs when or both lips enlarge or distend occasionally beyond their normal size. This swelling can be caused due to a number of reasons including infections, build – up of fluids, injury, illness or allergies.

Lip swelling can be a sign of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) which requires urgent medical attention. Although some causes can be extreme, others are less and may disappear quickly. For instances, sunburns is a less severe case which should be able to heal on its own or with home remedies.

If you have a swelling on lips that develops over time and last longer, you should visit your healthcare provider. This could be a sign of an infection or a more serious health condition.

Swollen Lip symptoms

What are some of the signs and symptoms to check in lip swelling? When you have a swollen lip, you are likely to experience a number of signs and symptoms. The symptoms will range from mild to extreme depending on the cause. Here are some of the common symptoms associated with lip swelling.

Pain on lip
Lip discoloration
Dry and tight lip
Distended or fat lip
Discharge including pus and other fluids arising from infection
Blisters
Headache, high temperature and fatigue
Itchiness

There could be more than the outlined symptoms. Lip swelling symptoms entirely depend on the underlying cause. In some cases, lip swelling can be coupled with the swelling of the eyes or tongue. Inflamed lips can make you to have a difficulty in talking, drinking, eating and opening of mouth. If swollen lips causes you to have a problem in breathing, ensure you seek immediate attention.

Swollen lip causes, why is my lip swollen?

Swelling of lip can be due to a number of reasons starting from less severe to extreme cases. Why do you have swollen lips? It could be an infection, inflammation, injuries, allergies or an underlying health condition. Below are some of the possible causes of lip swelling.

1. Allergic reactions

Your bumpy lip could be a sign of allergic reaction. If you get contact to any allergen ranging from pet dander to certain foods, lip care products or cosmetics, you are likely to swelling on your lips. Your immune system tend to react in attempt to protect itself thus the swelling.

A severe allergic (anaphylaxis) reaction can be life threatening. Symptoms may include: swelling of the lip, mouth or throat, hives (nettle rash), itchy eyes or face. . You should visit your doctor for urgent medical attention. Anaphylaxis tend to trigger heart beat rate, feeling of weakness, fall in blood pressure. It can lead to death.

Food allergies that can cause a swollen lip include: nuts, shellfish, dairy products, egg whites, sesame seeds. You should find out which of these foods trigger allergic reaction thus swelling of lips.

2. Angioedema

Swelling of lips could be a sign of angioedema: it is a swelling that occurs in the deep layers of the skin. Angioedema tend to affect the eyes and lips. You are likely to get angioedema between 10 – 20% of your lifetime. Food allergies are the prime cause of cause of lip swollen lip due to angioedema. Identify the foods that triggers lip swelling. Such foods included shellfish, nuts, eggs and milk.

Though in rare cases, hereditary angioedema can also cause lip swelling. It is usually caused by a faulty gene affecting 1 in 10,000 and 1 in 50,000.

3. Cold sore

Another possible cause for lip swelling could be cold sore. Sometimes called fever blisters, cold sores are a group of small blister that appear on the lip and around the mouth. The affected skin tend to turn reddish, swollen and sore. These blisters may end up breaking up, leaking a clear fluid and then scabbing in a couple of days. It usually heal in several days up to 2 weeks.

Cold sores on lips and mouth are caused by herpes simplex virus (HSV). There are two types of herpes simplex virus: HSV -1 and HSV-2 both of which can cause sores around the mouth and lips.

To treat your swollen lips from cold sore begin by treating the virus causing the sore on your lip and mouth. If the sores cause you pain or make you feel uncomfortable treat them. Treatment include skin application of skin creams, ointment or some painkillers.

4. Swollen lip pimple and acne

Lips can swell if you a pimple along the edge of your lip and mouth. Even after you have popped the pimple and acne, the swelling can still be there. To treat lip swelling from pimple and acne, try icing the affected lip. Do not put the ice directly onto the skin. Here is how you can treat swelling on lip with lip.

Wrap ice pack in a cloth
Put on the affected skin surface of the lip
Do this at least twice in a day for several days

5. Lip piercing, trauma, injury

Another common cause of lip swelling could be due to injury, trauma, lip piercing and or surgery. If you accidentally bite your lip, the swelling happens almost instantly usually accompanied by pain. Lip piercing can also cause swelling, treatment include taking painkillers to relief pain.

6. Lip swollen from sunburn

Your lips can get swollen if the skin of the lips get too much exposure from sunlight. Sun burn can be very painful resulting to swollen lips. Lip cancer is associated with excess exposure to direct sunlight. Swelling of lips from sun burn normally resolves on its own in a couple of days. However, if this condition makes you feel embarrassed you can apply petroleum jelly. This helps to keep the lips moisturized minimizing lips from irritating and peeling.

7 Insect bites and stings

Insect bites and stings from bees are yet another common cause of swelling on lips. You can treat bites and stings with simple home remedies. For bites, it is important to get the stinger before doing anything else. Try applying baking powder to the affected lips to reduce itchiness and burning sensation.

8. Lip infections

Infection on lips can be another common cause for swelling of your lips. Illness such as cold sores, cheilitis: an inflammatory of disorder affecting the lower lip, stomatitis, canker sores and other lip infections can be the cause you have swollen lips. Although rare, some medical conditions that tend to affect the entire body can cause swelling of lips. They include:

Obesity
Organ failure ( heart, liver or kidney)
Severe malnutrition
Nasal congestion
Dehydration
Fluid retention such pre-eclampsia during pregnancy

9. Swollen lips after drinking alcohol

Drinking alcohol excessively can lead to changes in your body including weight gain liver damage. Drinking too much alcohol can also cause your body tissues to get swollen changing your appearance. Some people can get allergic to alcohol. You may feel a tingling and stinging sensation just you take some shots of alcohols. Some of the signs and symptoms include: reddish, dry and a plump (swollen) lips. It can be very painful especially if you eat spicy foods.

Lip swollen for no reason

Do you get inflamed, enlarged lips for no apparent reason? What could be the cause for lip swelling for no reason? This could happen sudden or after a night out or late night at work. Some people would wake up the next morning to with a swollen face including the lips. Although this can be natural, it can be attributed to some health mild cases.

Some of the probable causes of lip swollen for no reason include: allergy, angioedema, cold sores, trauma, lip infections etc. the swelling tend to resolve on its own after a couple of days. However, if the condition persists longer than 2 weeks, you should seek urgent medical attention. Lip cancer can be treated successfully if it is early detected.

Swollen lip treatment, medicine and home remedies

A fat lip tend to go away on its own after a couple of days. If the affected lips makes you feel pain, itchy and a burning sensation, you may need to buy medicine to ease the pain and itchiness. Treatment will generally depend on the underlying cause. For cases of allergies, medical condition, or serious infection consult your doctor.

Angioedema can be treated with antihistamines and oral steroids tablets to relieve the swelling.

How to get rid with of a swollen lip fast with home remedies

For less severe cases of fat lips, you can treat with the following simple home remedies.

1. Cold compress

Cold compress can be used to relieve swelling of lips fast at home. It is one of the simple but effective ways to reducing swelling caused by injuries, trauma or lip piercing.

Wrap ice cubes in a washcloth or towel
Press gently on the affected lips for 5 – 10 minutes
Do this several times a day until the swelling reduces

2. Aloe Vera

Aloe Vera is known its medicinal properties. It has anti-inflammatory properties that can reducing inflammation as well as swelling on your lips. It is effective in reducing swelling caused by insect bites and bee stings.

Apply aloe Vera gel from freshly cut plant on the lips
Gently massage the area
You can do this two to three times a day

3. Honey

Honey is one of the effective simple remedy for cure of ailments. It has antibacterial properties that can effectively reduce inflammation and swelling of lips.

Apply honey on the affected lip
Gently massage the lip
Leave it for 10 minutes
For quick results, repeat the above procedure several times a day

4. Baking Soda

Inflamed lips from allergies, cold sore or insect bites can be treated effectively at home with baking soda.

Mix three teaspoon of baking soda with water, to make a paste
Apply the paste on the inflamed lip
Leave it for 10 minutes
Rinse with cold water
Do this several times a day until the swelling reduces
Use Coconut Oil to Get Rid of Swollen Lips Fast

Swollen Lip Video

SOURCES AND REFERENCES: