Dry mouth: 9 reasons and 9 ways to fix the problem

Why there is a feeling of dry mouth and when to make an appointment with a doctor.

A feeling of dry mouth occurs due to a lack of saliva. The salivary glands secrete about 1.5–2 liters of saliva per day. It is necessary for moisturizing and cleaning the oral cavity, and also helps to digest food and protects against germs.

However, if for some reason it is not produced enough, discomfort and a feeling of dryness occur in the mouth, lips may crack, sores in the mouth may appear, the tongue will become irritated, it will be difficult to distinguish taste, and fresh breath will appear.

In addition, dry mouth can lead to digestive difficulties, hoarseness, problems with teeth and increase the risk of ENT diseases.

The causes of dry mouth are varied and not always symptoms of the disease, and are also not always associated with serious health problems. We will understand if dry mouth is a consequence of objective factors, and when you should consult a doctor to fix the problem.

Causes of dry mouth

Dry mouth appears for the following reasons:

1. Lack of water. Dry mouth appears if you are thirsty to drink or you have lost too much fluid, for example, during intensive exercise in the gym or while jogging. Dry mouth due to thirst occurs in the summer, when it is too hot outside. Also, dry mouth can occur due to dehydration if you have food poisoning or vomiting.

2. Colds. If you have a cold, and because of this, you can only breathe through your mouth, as your nose is clogged, dry mouth will appear, since the mucous membrane dries faster.

3. Smoking. Often, dry mouth is a side effect of smoking, because tobacco smoke dries the mucous membrane and reduces the production of saliva.

4. Stress and excitement. In stressful situations, people often notice that they suddenly have nothing to breathe, and also dry out in their mouths. When you are too worried, the body is not up to salivation, therefore, dry mouth appears.

5. Morning. You can wake up with a feeling of dry mouth, as during sleep, the body slows down and the salivary glands produce less saliva than during the day.

6. Starvation. Saliva will be produced far less if you are starving.

7. Medicines. If you are taking medications, dry mouth can be one of the side effects. Most often, it occurs when taking antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants, high-pressure drugs and other pills.

8. Diseases. Dry mouth can be a symptom of various diseases:

Diabetes mellitus;

Pathologies of the thyroid gland with reduced function;

Anemia

Vitamin deficiency;

Chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, biliary tract, liver;

Autoimmune disease;

The beginning of menopause;

When undergoing procedures related to the treatment of cancer, the functions of the salivary glands may be impaired.

9. Damage to the glands. With medical interventions in the oral cavity, injury to the salivary glands can occur and, as a result, their correct operation will be disrupted, which will lead to a decrease in the amount of saliva secreted.

How to get rid of dry mouth

The most effective way to get rid of a dry mouth is to identify and eliminate its root cause.

Getting rid of a dry mouth:

1. Rinse. Rinse your mouth more often with water, you can use lemon or special solutions prescribed by your dentist.

2. Drink. If you play sports, do not forget to drink. Also restore water balance if you are dehydrated due to poisoning or vomiting.

3. Chew more actively. The more you chew, the more active your salivary glands are, and saliva is produced.

4. Breathe through your nose. If a cold has caused a dry mouth, try to speed up your overall recovery, because even if you drink a lot of water, you will not be able to cope with the discomfort of a dry mouth. If it is difficult for you to breathe through your nose not because of a cold, and dryness constantly torments you, you need to see a doctor - the cause may be a curved nasal septum or polyps.

5. Check the glands. See your dentist to see how your salivary glands work. The doctor will be able to help them work better with medications and certain procedures.

6. If the most obvious methods do not help, you should consult a doctor. He will schedule an examination, such as a blood and urine test. Sometimes dry mouth is the first symptom of the onset of diabetes, so do not neglect this seemingly insignificant symptom.

7. Also, you can’t do without visiting a doctor if the cause of dry mouth is the prescribed medications that you are taking. Only a specialist will be able to choose an adequate replacement for them.

8. Try to be less nervous and worried, learn to control yourself in stressful situations.

9. Stop smoking and play sports.

Don't let yourself dry

In the summer, it seems, you drink so much. But the body sometimes as if does not notice it and clearly signals: it will not be enough!