The danger of biting the cheeks and lips is that damage to the oral mucosa occurs, which sometimes does not heal for a long time. They can become entry points for viruses and bacteria that are pathogens of infectious diseases. Candidate of medical sciences, doctor, neurologist, Hemotest Laboratory specialist Ekaterina Demyanovskaya told socialbites.ca about this.
“Involuntary biting of lips and cheeks belongs to pathomimia, that is, obsessive disorders that occur when a person harms himself. Other possible symptoms of pathomimia are hair pulling, scratching and pinching the skin, and squeezing pimples. “The first symptoms can appear at any age, but they mostly occur in adolescents between the ages of 11 and 15,” he explained.
The reasons for this behavior have not yet been fully investigated. Some researchers associate the urge to bite cheeks and lips with emotional stress, an attempt to relieve tension during a fit of anger or jealousy. However, there are many examples of when a person is in an absolutely calm state – reading a book, listening to music, doing his favorite hobby – causing self-harm. This can then be attributed to stereotypes, for example within the framework of extrapyramidal disorders.
But infections are only a small part of the problems associated with lip and cheek biting. Frequent and prolonged trauma to mucous membranes can trigger precancerous diseases such as leukoplakia and even cancer.
Oral leukoplakia is a disease in which white thickenings consisting of keratinized epithelium (upper layer of skin) form on the inner surface of the cheeks and lips, on the tongue, gums and palate. Due to constant trauma, living epithelial cells turn into dense horny scales. Over time, such scales form plaques that gradually coarse and harden. At the same time, keratinized epithelial cells are prone to malignant degeneration – according to statistics, squamous cell carcinoma in the oral cavity develops in about 17% of patients with leukoplakia.
“You should not ignore such a habit as the consequences can be very serious. To begin with, you can consult your dentist: constant biting of your cheeks and lips may be associated with incorrect bite or chronic infections in the oral cavity. If everything is fine with the teeth, you should consult a neurologist or psychiatrist. “The doctor will understand whether the person has any neurological or mental disorders and develop a treatment plan,” Demyanovskaya summarized.
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Source: Gazeta
Barbara Dickson is a seasoned writer for “Social Bites”. She keeps readers informed on the latest news and trends, providing in-depth coverage and analysis on a variety of topics.