Q: I have a problem with painful sores and cracked skin at both
corners of my mouth and on my lips. They come and go. A friend said
that it might be due to a vitamin deficiency, but I always take a daily
vitamin C tablet of 500 milligrams and it doesn’t seem to make much
difference.
A: I believe that you have a condition known as angular stomatitis or
angular cheilitis. It is called angular because it affects the angles
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at the side of the mouth. The lips and outside corners of the mouth
become fissured and inflamed, which can be unpleasant and painful.
As your friend suggests, angular stomatitis can sometimes be caused by
vitamin deficiencies, usually vitamins A or B, but there are other
reasons for your problem.
More commonly, these sores are due to simple factors such as
overexposure to sunlight and cold weather, or badly fitted dentures.
This leads to excessive saliva production and continuous slight
dribbling at the corners of the mouth.
Sometimes there is also a yeast infection present at the same time,
which may need treatment with preparations such as Monostat cream. This
does not have to be prescribed, but I recommend you still go and see
your doctor to get some one percent hydrocortisone ointment as well.
You could also take some vitamin B complex tablets, which contain
riboflavin, or you could eliminate the vitamin C and take one or two
multiple vitamin tablets a day instead.
Artherosclerosis research
Researchers are still working on a suspected link between infectious
diseases and atherosclerosis, also called hardening of the arteries.
The latest studies are being done in Mainz, Germany, where they
observed 572 patients admitted to hospital for cardiac
catheterizations. They were tested for the presence of antibodies to
such viruses as herpes simplex and Epstein-Barr and some common
bacteria.
These patients were followed for a three-year period and death rates
were found to be 3.2 percent for those with three of the pathogens, 9.8
percent for those with up to five, and 15 percent for those with six to
eight.
There have been other studies, such as one performed by researchers at
McMaster University, that found no correlation between the presence of
Chlamydia pneumoniae antibodies and the progression of arterial disease.
Unfortunately, the use of antibiotics has not been proven to have any
effect on prevention or treatment of atherosclerosis.
Clare Rowson is a medical doctor with a practice near Belleville, Ont.
Her columns are intended for general information only. Individuals are
encouraged to also seek the advice of their own doctor regarding
medical questions and treatments.
