The saliva produced by your salivary glands is important not only to the enjoyment and digestion of food, but also to the health of your teeth. There are a number of situations, however, that can cause xerostomia, the medical term for dry mouth. These situations can stem from an external factor, such as a medication you are taking, or from an internal one, such as a disease.
Medications
Medications are one of the leading contributing factors to xerostomia, notes MayoClinic.com. Many prescription decongestants, blood pressure medications, diarrhea medications, incontinence drugs, depression and anxiety medications, and antihistamines list dry mouth as a possible side effect.
Tobacco and Alcohol
If you smoke cigars or cigarettes, or even if you chew, the tobacco introduced to your mouth can contribute to xerostomia. The heat and chemicals that accompany smoking or chewing interacts with the tissues of the mouth, changing the chemical balance and affecting the production of saliva. Alcohol can cause the mouth to dry out as well, indicates the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.
Disease
Several diseases and health problems count dry mouth among their symptoms. For example, Parkinson's disease, stroke, Sjogren's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety disorders, diabetes and HIV/AIDS all include dry mouth as a symptom of the disease, whether as a result of how the disease affects the production of saliva or how the disease affects the overall ability of your body to stay hydrated.
Nerve Damage
Nerve damage can also contribute to problems with dry mouth. An accident to the head or neck or surgery involving these areas can result in nerve damage. If the damaged nerves were those involved in the activation of the salivary gland, sufficient salivation might not be possible, explains the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. This will result in xerostomia.
Chemotherapy
Therapies involved in the treatment of cancer can produce dry mouth. Radiation for cancers of the head and neck, for example, is of particular concern. This treatment can interfere with the action of the salivary glands and cause dry mouth, explains the CancerCare organization. Further, antiemetics, drugs used to reduce the side effects of nausea and vomiting from cancer treatment, can also cause problems with dry mouth.
