What would cause a swollen upper lip?

A swollen upper lip can be uncomfortable and embarrassing, making it difficult to eat or speak properly. But fear not! We’re here to help you understand what might be causing your puffy pout.

The Lip Anatomy

Before we dive in, let’s get familiar with the parts of our lips that are responsible for puckering up. Our lips consist of three main layers:

  • Epidermis: outermost layer
  • Dermis: middle layer
  • Subcutaneous tissue: innermost layer

Any inflammation within these layers could lead to a full-on puff fest!

Causes of Swollen Upper Lips

There are several reasons why your upper lip may have gone from thin and pliable one minute, then wholly unrecognizable the next. Each section below will cover different factors that could make your top lip suddenly resemble that “you know who.”

Allergic Reaction

“Holy histamines Batman!” Have you changed toothpaste brands lately? Doing some remodeling and just threw out all those old cleaning supplies? An allergic reaction might be at play.

Common allergens include foods like nuts or kiwi fruit; chemical-based products such as makeup or skincare items; environmental elements such as pollen so thick y0u need a machete; insect bites – this list goes on & on …

Injury or Trauma

Okay, so maybe Kylie Jenner-esque lips aren’t worth sacrificing safety over… but we’ve all seen fight club (even if everyone knows about fight club):nose vs knee = drippy flippy blood capsule motion effect right?!
Well… heads up Johnny Cage, getting punched in the face isn’t good for any body part — especially not our beautiful mouths.

Accidental traumas cause your most stately features bloody boo-boos which could easily lead to swollen lips. Other common causes include accidental bites whilst eating, falling, or hitting your upper lip on an object.

Infection

You might think wearing a mask is just dumb sometimes…but the world’s still going to throw germs at you – even now that we’ve all become experts in Covid-19 prevention!

One’s lips aren’t immune either; bacteria & fungi can very much take residence on our beloved kissers (and as everyone knows “unwanted tenancies” always lead to rebellion!)

Some of these infections include herpes labialis, cold sores caused by herpes simplex virus (HSv) infection – chapped lips and kissing grandma? You better hope she was worth it! Mouth ulcers or candidiasis are other possible offending agents.

Angioedema

Watch out — here comes the tongue-twister: Idiopathic angioedema

Don’t be put off by what sounds scientific & lab coat-y. For those who fall victim to this little-known offender(s), it manifests through swelling and rapid spreading around facial and throat areas without known triggers or allergies…so just SO many possibilities…

It goes along for months on end with multiple development episodes which could last around 24 hours each time making it difficult for doctors/helpers/swollen-lip-sufferers/frustrated-spouses to find any pattern/inference et al/etc….

Cancer

Yes, there is that too … but STOP – Do not panic!! The truth about cancer-related swollen lips is they’re incredibly rare…if you have a tumour growing in/on/around yr mouth then its likely unlikely/not obvious until diagnosed somewhere medically/professionally/scientifically legit! It wouldn’t begin this way either with sudden/large noticeable inflammation.

When Should I See A Doctor?

If your swollen upper lip feels like Will Smith’s after he went all hitch doing some allergy self-diagnosing, it’s not something you should ignore. Knowing the right time to seek medical attention is crucial :

  • The inflammation lasts longer than a week
  • There are accompanying symptoms such as fever and chills
  • Notice any bleeding or oozy sores
  • Itchiness in your lips persists

Treatment

Swollen upper lip treatments depend on the underlying cause.

Here are some of the more typical home remedies that could help soothe those pouty-pillows:

Icepacks
Wrapping ice cubes with a towel & pressing on affected area helps reduce swelling .15 mins every hour’s ideal!

Salt Water Rinse
Gargling 1 tspn dissolved in water tends to temporary relieve soreness/itching/pain/swelling after an injury/infection.

Ointment
Topical creams for
Herpes labialis
, acne plugs or mouth ulcers. Consult your GP if itchy/worsens -don’t cover ‘bad stuff’ with cream!

For angioedema serious cases require high doses injectable medication; anything else just wait till its gone?< that’s humour people!

Pro tip: Avoid kissing strangers, sticking toothbrushes into unfamiliar places (applies both literally and figuratively), and other things…you decide what makes sense here…

Lastly….

Prevention

Prevention is ALWAYS better than cure!! Suit up like you’re going to war – avoid allergy triggers by double-checking ingredient labels skincare/makeup / jewelry/gloves/don’t even get us started at food allergies!/keep vaccine records current when required etc. And yes, make sure we wash hands before putting them anywhere near our mouths!

Stay safe & carry chapstick…or truncheon..depending what might happen next 🙂

Random Posts