The 4 serious diseases you can spot on your lips – from cancer to pneumonia

WE use our lips all the time - from sipping on cocktails, to catching up with our mates, to of course, kissing.

Many of us get chapped lips, and as winter approaches it might even be time to dig out the old Vaseline pot.

But beyond the occasional dry and flaky lip, how much do you really know about your own mouth and what it says about the rest of your body?

According to Dr Bernard J Hennessy, a dentist from Texas, US, lips undergo many changes over the course of someone's lifetime.

"Some of these changes may indicate a medical problem," he said.

But many changes are "harmless", he says, such as thinning due to age.

Here, we look at the signs and symptoms of four different conditions that you can spot in your lips.

HIV

Having an ulcer on your inside of your lips that won't go away could be a sign of HIV.

HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) attacks the body’s immune system and, in rare cases, can lead to AIDS.

There is no cure for HIV, but there are drugs that enable people with the virus to live a long and healthy life, provided it's caught early.

It's estimated that around 106,890 people are living with HIV in the UK.

Dr Jon Hewitt, a dentist at , said oral lesions are found in the mouths of 70 to 90 per cent of HIV positive patients.

This is because a person with untreated HIV will have a weakened immunity.

"Other signs in the mouth include fungal infections, necrotising gum disease and a condition called kaposi sarcoma," he told The Sun.

Kaposi sarcoma is a rare type of cancer caused by a virus, which affects the skin and internal organs.

Pneumonia

Everyone gets chapped lips from time to time and it's normally nothing to worry about.

But in some cases, especially in children, flaky lips can be a sign of pneumonia.

Pneumonia is an deadly infection that causes inflammation in the lungs which often develops after having an illness like the flu, or other virus.

It affects around eight in 1,000 adults a year, and it's more common in autumn and winter.

While it can severely impact people of any age, it's mostly developed by, and more serious among, the young or elderly.

Symptoms may present differently in children than in adults.

According to the NHS, the condition usually begins with a fever, cough, breathing issues and poor appetite.

When the disease has progressed, children may suffer from dehydration, which presents with dry lips, a fast heartbeat and dry nappies.

Young sufferers may also have blue lips, also called cyanosis, and be slow to respond or not very alert.

It is essential you seek medical advice as soon as possible if you suspect your child has contracted pneumonia.

Children can be offered drinks with electrolytes to increase the pace of their recovery.

Cancer

Having a spot on the lip which won't heal could be a sign of cancer.

Rates of mouth cancers, which includes lip cancer, have doubled in the past 20 years, data from the Oral Health Foundation shows.

Some 8,864 cases were diagnosed in 2021 - an increase of 34 per cent compared to ten years ago.

Lip cancer occurs on the skin of the lips, but is most common on the lower lip.