Why are your lips swollen when you wake up?

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Swollen lips after waking up can be an alarming health condition, especially if you have absolutely no wound in the mouth area. So what is waking up with swollen lips and how does this affect health?

1. Causes of swollen lips after waking up

Woke up with swollen lips as a result of inflammation or fluid accumulation in the tissue. Figuring out the cause of lip swelling can take a lot of different information. However, in most cases, the cause of swollen lips after waking up can be identified fairly easily.

1.1. Allergic reaction

Allergies to certain foods, medications, or insect bites and stings are quite common causes of swollen lips and other symptoms. Foods commonly associated with allergies include:
Milk; Egg; Peanut; Nuts ; Crustaceans; Fish; Soy bean ; Wheat. We can also be allergic or sensitive to certain spices. Hot peppers can cause a burning sensation in the mouth and swollen lips, but even milder spices can cause allergic reactions. Among them are:
Anise; Celery ; Coriander; Dill. Allergies to certain medications can also cause swollen lips after waking up. Penicillin and other antibiotics are among the common drugs that cause allergic reactions.
Mild allergic reactions may include rash or itching. More severe include rash, cough, wheezing, and angioedema. Angioedema is severe swelling in the deeper tissues of the skin, especially in the face and lips. The most severe and dangerous type of allergic reaction is anaphylaxis with symptoms such as chest tightness, swelling of the tongue, lips, and airways, and leading to difficulty breathing.
In general, anaphylaxis develops quickly in people with very sensitive skin, so it can happen right after eating something or taking a drug to which the body is extremely allergic.

1.2. Skin conditions and infections

Pimples on or near the lips can cause temporary swelling of the lips. Severe swelling can occur with cystic acne, a severe type of acne that can cause boil-like lesions anywhere on the body.
Cold sores, herpes infections, and coxsackievirus blisters around the mouth can also cause lips to swell. These changes are virus-related and can appear overnight, even though the virus has been in the body for some time before.
If you have been exposed to the sun all day without proper protection, your lips can be severely sunburned and symptoms such as swollen, chapped lips can appear. The effects of sunburn on the lips and elsewhere usually subside within a few days.
A common bacterial skin infection called cellulitis can cause swelling of the lips or swelling of any part of the body if infected.

1.3. Due to muscle and nerve

A variety of medical conditions affecting the nerves and muscles of the face can also cause swollen lips after waking up or similar symptoms.
Dystrophy can affect trumpet players and other musicians who spend hours pursed their lips while playing an instrument. The closed position of the mouth when playing a wind or brass instrument causes strain in the muscles of the mouth, which can cause the lips to swell and become numb. In addition, Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome is a rare neurological condition that causes swelling in the lips and face as well as paralysis of certain muscles. Outbreaks of the disease can occur days or years apart. These flare-ups usually begin in the childhood or teenage years. The cause of Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome is not fully understood, but it is thought to be genetic.

1.4. Dental problem

Dental problems like braces and other treatments can lead to lip swelling the day after work is done. Infection of the mouth or gums can also lead to swelling of the lips and inflammation inside the mouth.
Lip cancer is uncommon, but it can cause swelling. However, lip cancer usually presents first as an ulcer on the outside or inside of the lip.

1.5. Due to injury

Direct wounds on the lips can cause swelling and can develop slowly overnight. Injuries include cuts, scrapes and bruises.
You can accidentally injure your lips if you bite or chew on your lips without realizing it. Additionally, sleeping in an uncomfortable position or sleeping against a hard surface can put pressure on the lips, causing temporary swelling during sleep.

2. The degree of swelling of the upper lip compared to the lower lip

If the cause of lip swelling is due to trauma, such as an impact wound to the mouth or a cut... then the part of the lip that absorbs most of the force from the injury will swell the most.
Melkersson-Rosenthal syndrome tends to cause more swelling of the upper lip than the lower lip. If the patient is injected with anesthetic in the lower lip before the tooth is done, the lower lip will be swollen the next morning.
Some medical conditions that tend to develop only on the lower lip are cheilitis, which is a rare inflammatory condition that tends to affect adult males more than any other group and is also associated related to lip cancer.

3. Swelling on one side of the mouth

If lip swelling is limited to one side of the mouth, it may be due to trauma to that part of the mouth or the presence of a cyst or other tumor in that area. If the person wakes up and notices this, examine the mouth carefully and look for or feel for abnormalities that cause one lip to swell.
Be aware of other conditions that can also cause one side of the mouth to look different from the other. If you wake up and notice that one side of your mouth is drooping, drooling, or having trouble speaking, it could be a symptom of a stroke or peripheral 7th nerve palsy (also known as Bell's palsy).
Bell's palsy is a temporary condition caused by injury or inflammation of the 7th nerve (facial nerve), which paralyzes the facial muscles, however Bell's palsy is not a life-threatening condition.

4. How to treat swollen lips

4.1. Treatment at home

Applying cold by taking an ice bath and applying the affected lip can reduce the degree of swelling. Note that ice should not be applied directly to the skin because it can cause further damage.
If the lip swelling is caused by sunburn, the patient can use aloe vera lotion. Along with that, if the lips are severely dry or chapped, it can be improved if we use a gentle moisturizing lipstick.

4.2. Treatment at a medical facility

If waking up with swollen lips is related to an inflammatory response, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen or corticosteroids may provide some relief.
NSAIDs are also useful in case of a bruise or injury that causes it to swell.
Other neurological conditions (such as focal dystonia) may require more invasive treatments. For embolic dystonia, muscle relaxants (such as baclofen) may be helpful.

5. When do people with swollen lips see a doctor?

Severe food allergies can cause more symptoms than just swollen lips. If signs of a serious allergic reaction such as wheezing, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the mouth/tongue occur, call the nearest emergency medical attention.
Milder cases such as cystic acne require a visit to a dermatologist to evaluate for the presence of cysts or suspicious growths on or below the surface of the lips. Patients may be referred to a specialist if another condition is suspected.
If the swelling of the lips after waking up is mild and there are no other symptoms, the patient should note whether the swelling has disappeared or is still persistent. If the swelling persists for more than 24 hours, see your doctor. If accompanied by signs of a serious allergic reaction, seek medical attention immediately.
If you wake up with swollen lips for no apparent reason, consider the foods you've eaten and any medications you've taken. Also, check for injuries, infections, and any possible exposure to allergens in the surrounding environment.
In addition, seek emergency medical attention if the person experiences a severe allergic reaction, stroke, swelling of the face/eyes, or an infection of the face.

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Reference source: healthline.com