Is lip biting a normal condition? What does lip-biting indicates? According to studies, people with this condition are known to be sensible, logical and excellent at completing complex tasks.
Sometimes lip-biting brings out individual characters such as being short-tempered, highly stressed, and also arrogance. Get more insight from the information on lip-biting including meaning, causes, effects, symptoms, treatments and swollen lips from biting.
Lip biting meaning
Biting lip refers to the condition that one may acquire as a habit in order to relieve anxiety or stress. This has been noted as a kind of obsessive-compulsive disorder that is presented by the impulsive biting of the lips along with biting of the insides of the cheeks.
Although this chronic condition is not meant for harming your lips it somehow occurs on rare occasions.
There are many times that a person is unaware that this is a problem. This is due to the fact that injury has not been implored. The said disorder surfaces are due to unrelieved stress and feelings of worry.
Lip biting causes – why do I bite my lips
Why do I keep biting my lip? Here is brief information about what causes lip biting:
Stress and anxiety
This is suggested as the common cause of this condition. Lip biting is a rare condition but becomes a bad habit to some as one compensates for the stress and anxiety that he or she is currently feeling.
This has also been an unconscious problem to some, while others are quite aware of the problem. This is truly considered a problem when it has become a compulsive habit of the affected.
Drugs or prescriptions
There are certain medications that provide side effects that induce lip biting. Those sufferers from such conditions are advised to wear orthodontic lip bumper that is necessary for avoiding such bad habits.
Temporomandibular joint syndrome
This is a disorder that involves the jaw joint that would predispose a person to have this bad habit.
Malocclusion
This is a condition that literally means bad bite (biting). This state is also related to teeth misalignment. There has been a study going on by orthodontics in order to correct such a problem.
Some of the lesser causes of lip biting that can result in lip sores include:
- Braces, poorly fitting dentures, or other physical irritants
- Vitamin B12 or folate deficiency
- Serious infection or abscess
Lip biting symptoms and signs
Suffering from lip biting mostly causes damage either on the upper or lower lip. This would include lip licking while biting comes afterward. Some of the signs and symptoms associated with this disorder include:
- Lip soreness
- Lip peeling because of dryness
- Inflamed lips with bleeding tendencies as the habit becomes uncontrolled
- Scarring is a possibility as this has become chronic and truly damaging to the lips
Lip biting effects – harm
Lip biting has some of the side effects that can be harmful to your health. Here are some of the side effects:
- It causes swollen lips that are red and chapping. This can make it difficult to swallow or eating food.
- Swollen glands might occur in areas near the bite as the lymph glands react to protect the body.
- Increasing pain and tenderness in case the bite is infected.
- In case of deep bites, it may bleed a lot or appears to be more than a scrape that needs thorough cleaning and examination.
- Constant trauma to the delicate lip tissues is detrimental, resulting in dryness and abrasion. Stripping of the thin outer layer of tissue on the lips causes the peeling of the tissues even extending out past the vermilion border of the lips.
Lip biting bump
Lip bump appears due to many causes apart from biting. Lip bump sore resulting due to minor trauma, such as biting your lip or eating extremely hot food. Some of the other common causes of lip sores include herpes simplex virus infection resulting in a cold sore, as well as canker sores.
In most cases, lip bumps sores are not serious. Occasionally, lips bump sores may be due to serious disease, and failure to seek treatment can result in serious complications and permanent damage.
Once the underlying cause is diagnosed, it is important for you to follow the treatment plan that you and your health care professional design specifically for you to reduce the risk of potential complications.
Lip biting images and pictures
Lip biting can be another way many men use to seduce women. You might have seen people flirting with each other on movies, and wondered how they did it. Biting your own lip tenderly while in the midst of a flirtatious encounter can be a very seductive act.
However, the pictures in the article bring out how lips look like after being bitten either accidentally or as a habit. But according to many studies, lip biting as many myths associated with it apart from the literal meaning.
Swollen lip from biting
Swollen lips may have a range of different causes, from mild conditions to more serious disorders. Swollen lips can be due to a number of reasons, some of them avoidable and others not. Here are some possible causes apart from lip biting:
Allergic reactions
Swollen lips are a common symptom of an allergic reaction. Contact with an allergen, from pet dander to certain foods or the wrong lip care product, can cause the immune system to react and protect it. Swelling is one of the effects.
Angioedema
Swollen lips are a common symptom of angioedema. This is a swelling that is in the deeper layers of the skin that usually affects the eyes and lips. Angioedema is a quite common condition affecting people during their lifetime.
Environmental factors
Environmental factors like temperature or certain weather conditions may cause swollen lips. Lips don’t have hair, sweat glands or a protective layer, making them more susceptible to extreme heat or cold, causing:
- Sunburn
- Drying out
- Chapping
Injury, accident or irritation
Swollen lips can be caused by a trauma to the mouth. This includes:
- Bruising or lacerations – when teeth are forced against the lips causing bruising or lacerations and a “fat lip”. This is very common and can happen during sports or in an accident.
- Burns – when lips are irritated or harmed by burns from chemicals or hot foods.
- Insect bites – particularly a bee or wasp sting that causes the proverbial “bee-stung” lip.
- Dental appliances – such as braces, can cause temporary swelling in the mouth and lips.
- Hot and spicy food – such as curry or peppers can cause temporary irritation of the lips that can lead to numbness and swelling.
- Lip surgery, fillers, enhancement or augmentation can result in swollen lips during the recovery period after the operation.
Lip biting treatment and home remedies
The following are ways how to stop biting lips at home:
Baking Soda
It is highly recommended to treat a swollen lip caused by an allergic reaction, a fever blister, or an insect or mosquito bites. It will help reduce the pain as well as inflammation.
What to do:
- Make a thick paste by mixing three teaspoons of baking soda with one teaspoon of water.
- Apply the paste on the affected lip.
- Leave it on for a few minutes and then rinse it off with cold water.
- Repeat a few times a day until the swelling subsides.
Black Tea Bag
It contains compounds known as tannins, which have excellent astringent qualities that can reduce swelling in the soft tissues of the lips.
What to do:
- Soak a black tea bag in warm water for about 10 minutes.
- Remove it from the water and allow it to cool.
- Gently apply it over the swollen lip for 10 minutes.
- Repeat several times a day for quick results.
Cold Compress
As soon as you notice your lip swelling, apply a cold compress. In fact, this is one of the best ways to help reduce the swelling caused by lip piercing.
What to do:
- Wrap some ice cubes in a paper towel or washcloth. You can also use a bag of frozen peas or a cold spoon.
- Press the cold compress gently over the swollen area for 10 minutes, take a break and repeat.
- Do this until the swelling goes down and you get relief from the pain and discomfort.
Note: Do not apply ice directly on your lip as it can result in soreness or mild frostbite.