To get injured, you don't have to get into fights or engage in extreme sports, just an awkward turn or an accidental fall. Simple bruises and abrasions are quite common; a person becomes familiar with them in childhood, but a cut lip can frighten not only the injured person, but also everyone around him. What to do and how to quickly provide first aid? How can such damage be dangerous?
Causes of injury
In everyday life, lip dissection occurs most often due to negligence or accident. You can trip, fall and hit your face, or find yourself in the path of a stone thrown by someone. Traumatologists note that some of the injuries people receive are the result of curious and incredible coincidences. There was a recorded case where a man went to the emergency room after being attacked by a chicken.
The consequences of a fight, beating or robbery do not belong to domestic injuries, but belong to the sphere of offenses. A split lip may be accompanied by associated injuries that complicate the healing process. Any complicating factor is a strong argument in favor of refusing self-medication and contacting a traumatology department.
Under no circumstances is it possible
- Warm the swollen surface with all sorts of lotions; such actions will only make the swelling even worse. The same recommendation applies to warming ointments.
- Use decorative cosmetics to mask the damage, since these products contain many substances that can cause even greater harm to the damaged surface.
- Eat a meal, especially hot and cold dishes, as well as various solid foods.
- It goes without saying that you should forget about alcohol and smoking during the entire recovery period of the damaged area.
- You should not constantly touch a swollen lip. Firstly, it increases skin irritation, and secondly, it creates favorable conditions for the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms. If there is bleeding, then you can’t stop it with anything, use only sterile materials for this.
It is also advisable to protect the swollen area from direct sunlight and any mechanical influences, including kisses.
To treat edema, use traditional medical and folk remedies. But remember one thing - if you can’t eliminate the swelling on your own, then you need to contact a specialist at a medical facility. This will protect you from the serious consequences of such an event, seemingly insignificant at first glance.
First aid and proper damage assessment
A large number of small blood vessels, close proximity to the mucous membrane, a complex muscular structure that provides rich facial expressions - all these factors directly influence the immediate aggravating symptoms that accompany even a slight cut of the lip.
Severe and rapidly worsening swelling and heavy bleeding make it difficult to quickly assess the severity of the injury. Therefore, it is recommended to follow a simple algorithm: if possible, stop the bleeding and wash the wound, apply cold.
Important: an ice compress can be applied for no more than fifteen minutes, after which you must take a break of equal duration.
The main parameters of dissection are the length of the relative red border of the lips and the width of the resulting wound. If the tear extends beyond the red border of the lips, then serious damage to the muscle fibers can be suspected, and a width of more than 7 mm is a clear indication for surgical help.
Pharmacy products
A broken lip requires mandatory treatment with antiseptic drugs. Hydrogen peroxide comes first. It can be used if there is an injury to the inner surface of the lip. After a child, man or woman has cut the soft tissue, lubricate the wound with this product. Hydrogen peroxide does not leave burns; it can be used to treat an open wound surface. The drug immediately has an active effect - bubbles and hissing appear. Disinfection is carried out through the release of atomic oxygen. To treat damaged mucous membranes, a 0.25% solution of hydrogen peroxide is used.
Another effective drug is chlorhexidine. With the help of this substance, the wound is disinfected. The antiseptic is designed to help tears heal faster to prevent infection of the wound surface.
Another effective disinfectant is Miramistin. The main advantage of this drug is the absence of any negative reactions. The product is applied to damaged areas without leaving burns. With its help, pathogenic microorganisms are actively eliminated and the inflammatory process is eliminated. The drug is used to treat burned tissues, to treat candidiasis, and gynecological diseases.
Potassium permanganate solution is an effective way to wash festering wounds. Be sure to prepare the medicine correctly - add a few crystals of potassium permanganate to a glass of warm water. The solution should be light pink. It can also be used to rinse your mouth if the injury occurs from the inside.
A simple and affordable remedy is furatsilin solution. To prepare it, you need to dissolve ten furatsilin tablets in a liter of warm water. Next, you need to smear the medicine on the damaged areas. The prepared solution should be stored in the refrigerator.
What should I use to speed up tissue healing? An effective remedy is an ointment called traumeel. This is a homeopathic medicine that can help eliminate infection, inflammation, and relieve severe swelling. To relieve swelling and speed up recovery, the instructions for use state that the medicine should be applied to the skin in a thin layer several times a day. Duration of use is two weeks. Such wound care makes it possible to prevent lip scars and other lip problems. This product is used only for external treatment of wounds.
How to quickly heal injured tissue? Panthenol cream is used for treatment. It helps damaged areas to heal faster, without leaving a scar. Before applying the drug, you need to stop the bleeding and take measures to disinfect the damaged area. If necessary, the cut lip is sutured. Panthenol is safe, there are no adverse reactions after use. Lubricate the lip injury with it in the morning and evening until there is no trace left of the hematoma on the lip. The cream is used for external use only.
How to treat a split lip
If the wound needs to be sutured, then it is better not to argue with the doctor on this issue. The fact is that due to the specific location of the injury, healing can be seriously complicated, and it is better to put stitches. As a rule, it is not possible to bring the edges of the wound closer together with a plaster on the lip.
It is better to wash a broken lip with chlorhexidine. Hydrogen peroxide can be used if there is contamination in the wound, in which case the internal tissue may turn white. This is not pus; you should not try to remove the white inclusions formed due to the initial treatment. Zelenka, iodine, and any alcohol solutions are strictly contraindicated; do not aggravate the damage with a burn.
At first, you can cover fresh stitches with a sterile gauze pad and secure them with a band-aid, but in most cases this is not required.
Treatment
Conservative therapy
Patients are advised to avoid eating too hot and too cold food, staying in cold and high humidity conditions, and applying decorative cosmetics. They use medicinal and non-medicinal methods. Treatment tactics are determined by the cause of lip swelling:
- Mechanical damage
. For bruises and hematomas, apply cold; for burns and abrasions, apply ointments with an anti-inflammatory and wound-healing effect. - Allergy
. Antihistamines are used. In severe cases, general glucocorticosteroids are indicated. - Cheilitis
. Depending on the type of disease, sedatives or anti-inflammatory drugs, protective creams, hormonal ointments, and vitamin preparations are prescribed. - Herpes
. Antiviral ointments are applied to the affected area 5-6 times a day. - Erysipelas
. Antibiotics from the group of macrolides or penicillins are recommended, treatment of the affected area with antiseptics, and subsequent application of ointments.
Among the physiotherapeutic methods for some pathologies, UVB, ultrasound, and laser therapy can be used. For diseases that occur due to decreased immunity, immunocorrectors, general tonics, and multivitamin preparations are prescribed.
Surgery
Surgical interventions for lip swelling are rarely required. Taking into account the pathology, the following operations are performed:
- Mechanical damage
: primary surgical treatment of maxillofacial wounds, plastic surgery after burns. - Dental diseases
: opening of a subperiosteal or submucosal abscess, tooth extraction during periostitis, removal of salivary gland stones. - Tumors
: lip resection.
In the postoperative period, antibiotics, analgesics are prescribed, and dressings are performed.
Healing process
In order for treatment to be quick and effective, the specific location of the injury must be taken into account. A healing lip cut is constantly exposed to various influences, because in most cases a person cannot ensure absolute immobility of fresh sutures. The wound is disturbed during conversation or eating, so at least for the first couple of days it is recommended that speech rest and a diet that does not require active chewing movements. This is especially true if the dissection is accompanied by injury to the gums and teeth.
Drug therapy. What drugs are used?
If you have a broken lip and you trust traditional medicine, then the following tips are for you. So what to do in such cases? To relieve swelling, you can use the following medications:
- Bodyaga. It is better to buy it in gel form and rub it in an unlimited number of times throughout the day.
- Ointment "Rescuer". It will improve the overall condition of the lip and also disinfect it.
- Various ointments (Ketonal, Nurofen-gel, Troxevasin and other similar medications).
- Lotions with lead water. The product must be refrigerated before use. Lead water has an analgesic effect. In addition, the product quickly solves the problem of swelling.
Child's split lip
If an adult is injured, it is to some extent easier to bear. But at such a moment the child becomes more frightened and may scream, involuntarily aggravating the problem - when screaming, the mouth opens wide, the lips become tense, and the cut receives additional negative effects. Therefore, first of all, the baby needs to be reassured, consoled, and persuaded to be patient.
What to do if a child has a cut lip and is it worth self-medicating? Even if you think it is a minor injury, it is better to consult a doctor. Parents are responsible for the child, and it is better to be safe. It is important to remain calm and confident, because panicking adults only worsen the condition of an already frightened baby.
Otherwise, the treatment process follows the same rules as for adults, except that you should pay closer attention to the cleanliness of the wound, especially in small children.
Not Recommended Actions
What not to do if a child has a cut lip:
- Use alcohol solutions. Some parents, even knowing the rules of first aid after a cut lip, use alcohol solutions to speed up wound healing. However, they do not know what the consequences may be after such actions. If you do make this mistake, then urgently treat the damaged area with anti-burn products;
- or its derivatives (Betadine) or brilliant green to treat the wound Many parents are not familiar with the rules of first aid after a cut lip, so they use medications that can harm the child. For example, iodine or its derivatives (Betadine) or brilliant green are often used to disinfect a wound. These solutions, even in minimal concentrations, can damage the delicate skin of the lips and cause chemical burns. In addition, after treating the lips with brilliant green or iodine, a scar may remain on the damaged area;
- Apply ice without a protective coating. Other moms and dads apply ice without a protective coating, which can cause additional tissue damage or hypothermia. The ice must be wrapped in a cloth and kept for no longer than 15 minutes;
- Touch the wound with unwashed hands. Many parents panic so much at the sight of a child with blood on his lips that they completely forget to wash their hands before treating the wound. Then the risk of infection in the damaged area increases, especially if the wound is located on the inner surface of the lip.
Possible misconceptions and complications
Any damage to the face seriously spoils the appearance and attracts unnecessary attention, so all victims are concerned about how long it takes for a cut lip to heal. If there is no inflammation, then after a few days you will notice a significant improvement. The exact timing depends on the severity of the damage.
Getting an infection into the wound aggravates the problem. The inflammatory process begins, the rupture can “turn out”. Redness of surrounding tissues and swelling, accumulation of purulent exudate - if all of the above symptoms are observed, the doctor will prescribe appropriate medications. However, fibrin plaque is taken as a sign of inflammation, which should not be peeled off or washed.
Caring for the wound is actually very simple. You need to try not to disturb the fresh seam, and Levomekol ointment, which has weak antibacterial properties, is perfect for softening. It is not worth drying with alcohol solutions; they can provoke the formation of a rough scab, which, contrary to common misconceptions, does not contribute to a quick recovery.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of diseases and pathological conditions accompanied by swelling of the lips is carried out by a dentist. According to indications, patients are referred for consultation to an allergist or oncologist. Objective examination methods are of key importance. The diagnostic program includes the following procedures:
- Survey
. The doctor finds out the time and circumstances of the onset of the symptom, determines other manifestations, and examines the dynamics of the course of the disease. - Physical examination
. The specialist evaluates the localization, severity, and extent of swelling, detects other changes (discoloration, cracks, crusts, ulcers), examines the mucous membranes and skin of other areas, and conducts a dental examination. - Lab tests
. If an endogenous cause of edema is suspected, a biochemical blood test is prescribed. To determine the type and level of differentiation of neoplasms and distinguish cheilitis from other pathologies, a biopsy is performed followed by histological examination. - Allergy tests.
Indicated for allergic reactions, prescribed to clarify the allergen. Skin tests, provocative tests, and other studies are performed. Allergy testing is carried out in a specialized office.
Allergy tests
The use of folk remedies
You can supplement home treatment for a cut lip in a child with effective folk remedies that will destroy pathogenic microorganisms in the damaged area and accelerate tissue regeneration. If a child has a broken lip from the inside or outside, then the injury can be treated with safe and effective folk remedies:
- First of all, after cutting your lip, wash it with chamomile decoction. For this purpose, you can use an infusion of other medicinal herbs (sage, oak bark, etc.). If the wound is on the inner surface, then apply a cotton swab dipped in liquid to it.
- The wounded area can be smeared with honey , but provided that the child is not allergic to it. Honey has antiseptic properties and will speed up healing. You can also use propolis; to do this, you need to thoroughly grind it and melt it in a water bath. Then the liquid is mixed with honey and the wound surface is treated. It is best to lubricate your lip before going to bed; overnight the product will have time to be completely absorbed into the skin.
- speed up tissue regeneration . However, this remedy can be used if the wound is not very deep.
However, consult your doctor before using them. Before a walk, lips should be lubricated with hygienic lipstick or emollient cream. This is necessary so that the healing wound does not cause discomfort.
When to see a doctor
As mentioned, if the wound is shallow, then it can be treated at home. But at the same time, parents should carefully monitor the child’s condition in order to seek medical help if necessary.
You should immediately visit a doctor after a cut lip in the following cases:
- The wound is too deep or the inner surface of the lip is damaged;
- Not only the lip is damaged, but also the gum, tooth or frenulum. In such cases, you need to contact a dentist who will assess the consequences of the injury and prescribe the necessary treatment;
- The body temperature increased to 37.5°C or more within 2 days after the lip cut. Heat indicates infection of the damaged area;
- Blood continues to flow from the wound for half an hour;
- There are suspicions that there is a foreign body in the wound;
- The injured lip is numb;
- The swelling and redness does not go away for a long time.
