What Does a Red Bump on Your Lip Mean?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

A red bump on your lip can be from several causes like irritation, injury, or a viral infection. It’s important to watch it for changes and talk to a doctor if it doesn’t go away or gets worse.

Explanation

A red bump on your lip is typically indicative of an area of swelling and irritation. This can happen for many reasons. Sometimes, trauma to the area can cause pain and swelling. Other times, a virus like the one that causes cold sores may lead to a red, blister-like bump along your lip. Allergies or irritants, such as harsh weather or cosmetic products, can also make the skin red and bumpy. In some cases, the redness may be part of a condition called cheilitis, which is an inflammation of the lips. Cheilitis can arise from dryness, irritation, or other underlying issues. A number of other issues can also cause a bump on the lips. It is important to keep an eye on any bumps. If they start to hurt more, grow larger, or last for a long time, it might be a good idea to see a doctor for a more complete evaluation.

(References)

McNamara KK, Kalmar JR. Erythematous and Vascular Oral Mucosal Lesions: A Clinicopathologic Review of Red Entities. Head Neck Pathol. 2019 Mar;13(1):4-15. doi: 10.1007/s12105-019-01002-8. Epub 2019 Jan 29. PMID: 30693460; PMCID: PMC6405795.
Lugović-Mihić L, Pilipović K, Crnarić I, Šitum M, Duvančić T. Differential Diagnosis of Cheilitis - How to Classify Cheilitis? Acta Clin Croat. 2018 Jun;57(2):342-351. doi: 10.20471/acc.2018.57.02.16. PMID: 30431729; PMCID: PMC6531998.
InformedHealth.org](http://informedhealth.org/) [Internet]. Cologne, Germany: Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG); 2006-. Overview: Canker sores (mouth ulcers) [Updated 2022 Oct 17]. Available from: [https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK546250/

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