bubble_chart Concept

Lip swelling refers to the swelling of the lips. In the literature, there are records such as "exfoliative cheilitis" and "lip carbuncle," which describe conditions similar to this.

bubble_chart Pattern Analysis

1. Wind-heat Binding︰The onset is sudden, with swollen, burning, red lips without scaling, slightly soft upon pressure, often accompanied by itching or fever and chills, sore throat or vomiting, aggravated by heat or wind. The tongue coating is thin white or yellow, and the pulse is floating and rapid. It is caused by lung heat accumulation combined with wind invasion, leading to wind-heat conflict. Treatment should focus on ventilating the lung, clearing heat, and dispersing wind. The recommended formula is Jing Fang Fang.
2. Wind-dampness Obstruction︰The onset is gradual, with pale and slightly hard swollen lips, often without subjective symptoms, absence of thirst or diarrhea, a swollen tongue with white coating, and a floating, tight pulse. This is caused by spleen deficiency leading to dampness accumulation, external invasion of wind pathogens, and obstruction of wind-dampness. Due to the different natures of heat and dampness, the clinical manifestations also have distinct characteristics. In cases of wind-heat conflict, the onset is sudden, with local burning heat, redness, and itching, and rapid resolution. In contrast, wind-dampness conflict presents with a slow onset, pale and hardened local skin. The treatment should focus on invigorating the spleen, drying dampness, and dispersing wind, using the Jianpi Chushi Decoction (Spleen-Invigorating and Dampness-Eliminating Decoction).
3. Qi Stagnation and Blood Stasis︰Recurrent lip swelling, prolonged and persistent, diffuse swelling with firmness, occasionally accompanied by dry scaling on the surface, thin white tongue coating, Jingmai obstruction, qi and blood stasis, leading to malnutrition of the skin. The clinical characteristics include a slow onset, prolonged duration, localized dark red skin, occasional dry scaling on the surface. Treatment should focus on invigorating the blood to unblock collaterals, regulating qi and relieving depression. The recommended prescription is invigorating blood and resolving stasis decoction.

Exfoliative cheilitis mostly belongs to the excess pattern. Rapid onset with local redness and swelling is often caused by the binding of wind-heat, while a slow onset with a dark or pale local color is usually due to qi and blood stagnation or the binding of wind-dampness. By combining the pulse and symptoms, it is not difficult to differentiate.

bubble_chart Documentation

1. Waike Zhengzong．exfoliative cheilitis》: "Exfoliative cheilitis is caused by the upward attack of stomach fire from the Yangming meridian. The condition manifests as itching and swelling of the lower lip, cracking like water from a river, painless but difficult to heal."