Xerostomia is a condition characterized by dry mouth due to a lack of saliva. Along with a dry mouth, patients with xerostomia experience cracked lips, bad breath, difficulty speaking and sore throat. In addition to the discomfort it causes, xerostomia also can cause tooth decay, digestion problems and an inability to taste food. There are a number of different causes of xerostomia.
Medications
Medications are the leading cause of xerostomia, according to the Mayo Clinic. Medications can affect the salivary glands, causing a decrease in saliva production. There are hundreds of medications that can cause the condition. The most common categories of medications that result in xerostomia include those prescribed for high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, allergies and weight loss. If patients experience xerostomia as a side effect of medication, their physicians can usually change the prescription or adjust the prescribed dosage.
Aging
As the body ages, it naturally decreases its production of saliva. Although aging alone isn’t usually enough to result in xerostomia, older adults are also more likely to be on the medications that cause dry mouth. The natural decrease in saliva combined with the decrease in saliva caused by the medication can result in xerostomia.
Cancer Treatment
Radiation, a common treatment for cancer, can damage the salivary glands, decreasing or completely stopping saliva production, according to the Mayo Clinic. Radiation of cancers in the throat or neck most often causes xerostomia. Chemotherapy drugs can also change the composition of the saliva, often resulting in thick saliva that cannot flow freely, which can lead to xerostomia.
Nerve Damage
Saliva is produced when specific facial nerves signal the salivary glands to make it. Damage to the nerves in the face or neck can result in xerostomia. Nerve damage is most often caused by a severe head trauma or surgery. Even if the salivary glands are left intact, damage to the nerves can render the glands useless, according to the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Diseases
Xerostomia can be a symptom of underlying medical or psychological conditions or diseases that affect the salivary glands. Common diseases that cause xerostomia include diabetes, HIV/AIDS, anxiety, depression and Sjogren’s syndrome, which is an autoimmune disorder that causes dryness in the mouth and eyes. Stroke and Alzheimer’s disease may also result in the perception of dry mouth even though adequate saliva is being produced by the salivary glands, according to Mayo Clinic. Patients who have had bone marrow transplants are also likely to experience xerostomia.
