Home Remedies for Bump on The Lips
Mucocele Home Remedy: When a bump appears on the lips and is following the course of an injury, it is most likely a condition that is called a mucocele. Mucoceles can also develop as a result of a blocked salivary gland duct. A mucocele is a type of a cyst and is filled with mucus on another type of fluid. Cysts are arbitrary growths that can occur in various parts of the body and can generally follow some kind of injury. Usually, cysts will develop near a gland where fluid is readily available to inflate a cyst. The sac that envelops a cyst is usually a result of the healing of the injury.
The exact reason for the development of cysts apart from being injury provoked is quite mysterious. Some of the more prominent and famous in the family of cysts include ovarian cysts that regularly occur in women. These can be follicular cysts that develop in the ovaries because of a malformed follicle. These cysts are asymptomatic and are usually expelled from the body over a few menstrual cycles though they can cause some disturbances to the menstrual cycle when they form. Other ovarian cysts are chocolate cysts of the ovary and usually accompany endometriosis, where the endometrial tissue proliferates into the ovaries. These manifest in some level of pain and disturbances of the menstrual cycle and are a cause for concern since they can cause infertility. There are also the dermoid cysts or teratomas that develop. These are perhaps the oddest type of cysts which contain hair, skin, teeth, and other tissue components within them. These have to be removed as they can even be fatal. A mucocele is usually filled with mucus and some of the white blood cells of the body since these are part of the wound healing process. A mucocele can be eliminated in time without any treatment and therefore does not even have to be treated; however, a cyst that is continuously inflating should be dealt with.
Mucocele Removal Treatment: A mucocele will sometime burst its contents forth at some point of time but it could fill up with fluid again once the wound is sealed. The best way to deal with a cyst is to go to the doctor’s office and get the cyst aspirated. After this, the supplying tissue that fills up the cyst also has to be removed and therefore requires some minor surgery.
What is a mucocele?
A mucocele can be described as a painless cyst, which is usually seen on the inner side of a person’s lip. Also known as a mucous retention cyst, mucoceles are quite common, and fortunately, harmless. These cysts usually occur because of the accumulation of clear fluid on the surface of the inner lip. In several people, these cysts heal on their own, but a person may face the problem of recurrent mucoceles. If these cysts are recurrent, they have the ability to leave permanent scars on the area that they form on. Mucoceles are common in both men, as well as women, of all ages. Studies reveal that it is mostly the younger people, who are below the age group of 20, that are affected the most by this affliction. In people who are above the age of 30, the formation of the mucoceles is mainly superficial.
In general, a mucocele looks like a clear, bluish bubble, which has been filled with a liquid. Some of them may also seem to have a rubbery appearance. While they do not really hurt, they could cause a bit of discomfort, if any pressure is applied on them. Although these cysts are mainly harmless, they could interfere with usual mastication process, depending on their size and location. Though this is rare, in certain instances a few types of mucocele formations could lead to complications, which require medical assistance. Hence, in such instances, mucocele treatment may be required. However, in order to use the appropriate treatment for mucocele problems, it is important to identify the exact factors that could be causing them.
What are the common mucocele causes?
There could be several factors that lead to the formation of mucoceles in the body. One of the most common causes of this problem is a blocked or a damaged salivary gland. A rupture or even a ductal obstruction of the salivary glands could lead to oral mucoceles. Another common cause of mucoceles in most people is the habitual and the excessive sucking of the lower lip area. This increases the pressure placed on the membranes on the inner lip, which increases the collection of clear liquid in the area, leading to a mucous cyst. It is also possible to get a mucocele on the upper lip due to the same reason. Some of the other common health conditions and occurrences that lead to mucoceles include:
• Biting an area on the inner lip repeatedly
• Trauma, in the form of a burn, inflammation, mouth infection or an injury
• A disease or a disorder known as oral lichen planus
• Taking drugs that could cause the saliva to thicken
• A piercing in the tongue or the lower lip
Most mucoceles, which are shallow, rupture on their own, without leading to any pain, bleeding, pus or anything else like that. Hence, in most people, the treatment of mucocele is not required. However, though it is not very common, in some cases the mucocele may go on for a longer period of time, without bursting or getting drained. In such instances, a person may need to seek mucoceles treatment or even go through a mucocele removal surgery, to prevent the cyst from turning into a permanent nodular scar.
Mucocele treatment
Before suggesting any form of treatment, mucocele home remedy or a mucocele removal procedure, a medical health care giver needs to confirm the diagnosis of the mucocele, by examining the area visually. At times, it could be continued trauma that is causing a delay in the healing of the mucocele. Hence after identifying the main cause of the problem, a doctor may suggest various options, right from home remedies for mucocele to mucocele treatment with laser. For longer lasting cysts, some of the common procedures that are usually suggested by doctors are drainage, aspiration, cryotherapy, surgical removal and laser treatment.
Mucocele home treatment
Several people swear by the home treatment options for oral mucous retention cysts. Many health experts too, recommend mucocele treatment with alum, since it causes the cyst to grow rapidly and then pop on its own. Moreover, alum reduces the possibilities of any infections or inflammations in the area. For best results, it is suggested that a small amount of alum should be applied on the mucocele for around 10 to 15 minutes and then, rinsed off using a good mouthwash.
Another common home remedy in mucocele treatment is salt therapy. Around a teaspoon of sea salt should be added to a glass of warm water and used as a mouth rinse, twice or three times each day. After about four or five days, the size of the cyst should have reduced considerably. However, it is important to regulate the size of the mucocele on a daily basis and continue with this remedy, only if the size seems to have reduced within a day or two.
Primrose oil can also be applied directly on to the cyst, in order to help it heal faster. This home remedy also reduces the chances of an infection. Some people use castor oil combined with honey too, in place of primrose oil.
In case the home remedies for mucocele mentioned above are not very effective in treating the condition, it is best to check with a doctor, for other medical treatment options. The doctor should also be consulted about mucocele treatment cost, effectiveness, side effects as well as the chances of the cysts recurring, before taking any decision.
Mucocele removal surgery
In case the home remedies or other treatment options for getting rid of mucoceles do not yield the desired result, it may be best to consider mucocele removal options. However, there is no guarantee that a mucocele will not return even after a surgical or a laser procedure. This is just a chance that several people decide to take and hope that they will not be bothered with mucoceles in the future. Since most of the procedures are as good as non invasive, mucocele removal care is minimal. However, mucocele removal recovery time could take up to a week, where a person may need to eat soft foods for about two days. Mucocele removal cost could range from a few dollars, to a few hundreds, depending on the doctor and the medical facility. It is important to discuss these aspects with a doctor carefully.