Rashes Around the Mouth

A rash is defined as any change in the color, texture, and look of the skin. It can sometimes irritate the skin, causing swelling, redness, and pain, in and around the skin areas where it occurs. A rash can be localized, i.e., restricted to only one body part, or it may be found all over the skin. Rashes that are seen in and around the mouth, occur because of numerous reasons. Here are some of the possible ones.

Mouth rashes in adults, especially women, could be due to a skin problem known as Perioral Dermatitis. A person suffering from this condition, has small red bumps in groups, all around the mouth. These skin rashes can spread to the chin, cheeks, and upper lip as well. This makes the skin very dry and flaky.

This condition occurs in people, who have an oily face. It can also be caused by the usage of certain creams and lotions, which contain strong chemicals in them.

Eczema is a skin condition, which causes both, inflammation and irritation on the affected skin areas. Besides the rashes around the mouth, eczema can cause rashes on the face, hands, feet, and the knees.

There are a number of reasons, which cause eczema in a person, such as, coming into contact with chemicals in soaps, feeling very hot or very cold, and sometimes, even stress cause this skin problem. Eczema causes redness, swelling, and itching in the skin areas where rashes occur.

Rashes on the face, around the mouth, can also occur due to a skin condition known as "hives". Hives appear due to the allergic reaction, which the body produces due to some food or medication. Stress is another trigger of this skin condition. Rashes, which occur on the lips, can be due to a skin condition called angioedema, which is quite similar to hives.

Angioedema, besides causing itchy bumps, produces symptoms, such as, swelling in the mouth and eyes, difficulty in breathing, and abdominal cramping.

• Rash around mouth in infants can be caused by drooling, especially if the saliva remains there for long.
• Pacifiers, the devices, which are given to the infants to suck or bite into, can produce rash on the corners of mouth.
• Mouth rash can occur in children, if after eating, food remains smeared on the mouth for a long time.

• Small children or infants often get these rashes when they rub their faces along their parents' clothes.
• It can be caused due to a bacterial infection, called Impetigo. When suffering from this infection, children get raised bumps, which are red in color with a light brown crust on their nose and mouth.

• Hand, foot, and mouth disease, which is caused by "coxsackie", a virus, is another cause behind mouth rash in children.

Mouth rashes, just like any other facial rash, do not require to be treated medically. This is because, in most cases, they are caused due to an allergic reaction, and hence, disappear on their own.

If they become severe, the person suffering can be given over-the-counter anti-histamines. These will help in reducing the symptoms, such as, itching, redness, and swelling.

If the rashes are caused due to medical conditions, such as, eczema or impetigo, topical antibiotics or hydrocortisone creams, which can be bought with prescription, can be applied to soothe the skin and to reduce the pain.