HOME HEALTH GUIDE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1943, Page 4

HOME HEALTH GUIDE

WHEN A SMILE HURTS. INFLICTIONS THAT MAKE LIFE TRYING. (By the Health Department.) . Even so gentle a thing as a smile can be a painful business if you happen to suffer from a cracked lip—one of those little inflictions that help to make life rather trying in the cold weather. In themselves they are not serious, but a tiny split in the lip can cause a disproportionate amount of pain. And it is a surprisingly common complaint. Owing to the way in which the face is developed the centre of the lower lip is a natural scar, without blood supply, and it is this part of the lip that so readily cracks. And once it cracks, if is not an easy thing to cure. Cracks may be prevented by rubbing the lips with cold cream or lanoline before going out in the cold. Should a crack develop in spite of precautions, try pulling the sides of the lips gently apart to open the crack, and fill it with friar’s balsam or zinc and lanoline cream. This is rather painful at the time but it is usually effective. Incidentally, in persons past middle life, cracks in the lower lip that do not heal readily call for attention. They may be the start of a cancer. Cancer of the lip is 26 times more frequent in men than in women, and of the lower lip 26 times more frequent than in the upper lip. However, cancer of the lip in its early stages need cause no alarm, because, if treated without delay, it can be cured.

Cracks at the corners of the mouth are sometimes a sign of deficiency of protective foodstuffs, so be sure you are getting sufficient vitamins.