As with several parts of the body, your mouth needs to stay moist to be healthy. The fluid that keeps your mouth moist and healthy is the saliva. Being of such great importance, saliva is produced by several major and minor glands in and around the mouth. As long as the salivary glands perform their functions optimally, you enjoy enough saliva and your mouth is well- lubricated. Unfortunately if anything affects the function of salivary glands, the mouth becomes dry.
Common causes of this include:
*Medications: medications used to treat a "runny nose" also called antihistamines. Antihistamines and other medications like beta blockers, antidepressants and atropine cause dryness of the mouth by reducing the secretion of saliva. So, persons on treatment for psychological disorders, hypertension and urinary problems are prone to dry mouth.
*Aging: in spite of the assumption that saliva secretion decreases with age, research shows that only a minimal reduction of mucus secretion happens with age. The greater prevalence of dry mouth among the aged is rather related to medications use and the body's declining ability to handle medications, nutritional inadequacies, and long-term health challenges.
*Cancer treatment: the chemotherapy and radiation therapy used in the treatment of cancers often damage salivary glands directly resulting in reduced salivary flow and consequent dry mouth.
* Nerve damage: damage to some nerves in the head and neck region, due to direct injuries, viral infections, or medical procedures, could lead to dry mouth because these nerves control their secretion of saliva.
* Tobacco and alcohol use: alcohol causes dry mouth and when combined with tobacco smoke as nicotine in tobacco makes the mouth even dryer.
*Diabetes mellitus: diabetes makes you drink much and pee much. It gets you dehydrated and this leads to dry mouth.
What are the symptoms of dry mouth?
The symptoms of dry mouth include:
*Bad breath
* Cracked lips
* Cracked and fissured inner lining of the lips and cheeks.
* Split and sore skin of the corners of the mouth
* Reduced taste
* Oral thrush
*Painful, inflamed tongue
* Excessive thirst
*Frequent gum disease
* Tooth decay
*Speech problems
* Swallowing problems
* Difficulty wearing dentures
*Denture sores
*Tongue sticking to the roof of the mouth
*Infection of the salivary glands
*Sore throat
*Sticky/ropy saliva
How is dry mouth treated?
First, the underlying cause must be treated to keep dry mouth away. However, there are simple measures like frequent water seeps which help to keep the mouth hydrated and reduce the feeling on symptoms of dry mouth.
Some of these include:
*Increased water intake: The simple measure to counter dryness in your mouth is to increase your fluid intake. But be careful here, drinking sodas and alcohol to quench your thirst will only worsen it as these drinks cause dehydration.
*Chewing gums: These promote stimulate salivary flow but you must be careful to use sugarless gum because sugar-containing gums predispose you to gum diseases and tooth decay.
* Saliva substitutes can also be used in the treatment of dry mouth.
* Lastly, certain medications can be used in the treatment of severe cases of dry mouth. These medications work by stimulating production and flow of saliva in the mouth.
Take-home message: dry mouth is a common but serious condition that affects you much more than you think. Causes could be as simple as the medications you constantly use and underlying medical conditions, such as diabetes. If you notice your mouth always dry, seek help early and adopt simple strategies such as increasing your water intake and chewing sugarless gums.
