All of us experience dry mouth, or xerostomia, from time to time when we are nervous or under stress, but if you experience this sensation frequently, it could be an indication of a serious underlying condition. Lack of saliva can make it difficult to swallow, impair your sense of taste and cause digestive difficulties. Untreated long term dry mouth affects your quality of life and can have serious health consequences, ranging from dental to digestive problems and even depression.
Symptoms
If you have dry mouth, you may experience related symptoms, such as bad breath, cracked lips or mouth sores. You also may have difficulty speaking or swallowing or you may have frequent sore throat pain. Loss of appetite can be related to dry mouth because lack of saliva can alter the taste of food and make it less appealing. Changes in your dental health, including increased plaque, fungal infection and gum disease also may signal insufficient saliva production.
Causes
Dry mouth is a side effect of many medications, including those used to treat high blood pressure, depression, urinary incontinence, anxiety, Parkinson's disease and diarrhea. Antihistamines, muscle relaxers and decongestants also can cause dry mouth. Tobacco, whether you smoke or chew it, dries out your mouth. Certain conditions and diseases cause dry mouth, including diabetes, Parkinson's disease, depression, HIV/AIDS, anxiety disorders and Sjogren's syndrome. Breathing through the mouth also can contribute to oral dryness.
Dangers
Saliva is a lubricant and it forms a protective layer in the mouth to keep out bacteria and fungus. Low saliva production makes you vulnerable to mouth infections, rampant tooth decay and mouth sores. Without this protective layer, you also may have difficulty swallowing and may be sensitive to acidic or spicy foods. Saliva contains enzymes that aid digestion, so insufficient saliva can provoke acid reflux disease. Prolonged and severe dry mouth can cause weight loss, fatigue, weakness and depression.
Treatment
Treatment depends on the cause of dry mouth. If your doctor believes medication is responsible, she may switch your prescription to another drug that does not produce this side effect or may reduce the dosage. If this is not possible, your doctor may prescribe a drug such as cevimeline or pilocarpine to stimulate your body to produce saliva. Your physician or dentist also may recommend artificial saliva to help you maintain oral moisture. If a disease is the cause of your dry mouth symptoms, treatment of that disease will help address the oral dryness.
Lifestyle Considerations
You should not attempt to cure dry mouth on your own because it may be a warning sign of a serious disease or condition, but here are some lifestyle changes you can make that will help alleviate the symptoms:
- Avoid caffeine, alcohol and tobacco because they dry out the mouth.
- Avoid spicy or salty foods, which may cause pain if you have lesions or cracking.
- Increase oral moisture by sipping water or sugarless drinks regularly.
- Eat foods that require a lot of chewing, suck on sugarless hard candy or chew sugarless gum to stimulate saliva production.
- Brush your teeth after each meal and use dental floss at least once per day to protect your teeth from decay.
- Breathe through your nose rather than your mouth.
- Use a humidifier in the room where you sleep.
