engleski

The association between psychological stress, allergies and cheilitis

Introduction: Psychological stress is mentioned as a possible related factor or trigger for some types of cheilitis, eg. stress is considered as the most important etiological factor of recurrent herpes labialis infection. People under psychological stress are more prone to undesirable habits that can lead to exfoliative cheilitis. Self-harm due to stress and psychiatric disorders play etiological roles in etiopathogenesis of factitious cheilitis which is important for clinical practice as this cheilitis may resemble to exfoliative cheilitis. Also, allergic diseases can be triggered or worsen by psychological stress. Subjects and methods: We included 50 patients with recurrent cheilitis (reversible cheilitis) who were dermatologically examined and agreed to undergo allergy skin tests – a patch test to contact allergens and prick tests to food, preservatives and additives and inhalant allergens. Additionally, clinical pictures and patients' mental stress levels were examined using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS).Results: In patients with cheilitis, positive prick tests (atopy) were recorded in 84% of them. The most frequently found allergens were contact allergens (54%) (cobalt chloride, nickel sulfate and thimerosal) and inhalant allergens (46%). The patch-test positive subjects who used cosmetic, hygiene, and decorative products were significantly more likely to have swollen and red lips than the patch-negative subjects. Also, in the patients with confirmed allergies, low stress levels were recorded less frequently than in the non-allergic patients. Conclusion: The results confirm an association between psychological stress, allergies and lip lesions. Also, they indicate a higher incidence of cheilitis in the people prone to allergies (due to their atopy constitution).

psychological stress ; allergies ; cheilitis

nije evidentirano