Have you heard about dry mouth or xerostomia? It occurs when your salivary glands don’t produce sufficient saliva to keep your mouth hydrated. Dry mouth is a common property of millions. Dry mouth causes difficulty in swallowing because saliva moistens your food. It can cause dental decay and increase the risk for mouth infections, including yeast infection, which protects your mouth from germs. Here in this blog, we will share the reasons and treatments to cure dry mouth. Have a look
Medication Side Effects
This one is the main reason for dry mouth when hundreds of medicines are being used to treat chronic health conditions. If you are using medicines for high blood pressure, depression and bladder control issues often cause dry mouth. Medications used to treat dry mouth include antihistamines to treat allergies and asthma, pain medication, and muscle relaxants.
These medications give the greater risk of side effects for treating dry mouth. All you need to do is talk to your doctor to treat dry mouth. These are the minimum side effects, but it’s essential to treat these symptoms earlier. If symptoms are severe, then chewing sugar-free gum or saliva substitutes can add moisture back. Tweaking your dose can help you out to relieve dry mouth.
Salivary Gland Diseases
If you are caught in infections, cancer, and other diseases affect the salivary glands. It can cause salivary glands to swell and limit the ability to do their job and produce saliva. This disease also causes dry mouth disease. Nerve damage to the head or neck can damage the nerves, which tell you salivary glands to produce saliva. Take the help of a doctor to get it to diagnose earlier to treat salivary gland diseases.
Alcohol Consumption
People who are into excessive alcohol consumption would have serious dry mouth issues. Alcohol can cause dehydration which leads to dry mouth. Drinking in moderation would help you, and you need to keep yourself hydrated for treating this. If you are in drugs or alcohol addiction, then detox from detox centers. There are various drug and alcohol treatment centers in Las Vegas providing detox facilities that are suitable for you. Detox in Las Vegas is provided with high-end treatment needs. They will help to eliminate alcohol and drugs from the body safely.
Tobacco Use
The use of tobacco increases dry mouth issues and has long-term side effects. Smoking, cigarettes or marijuana and vaping cause changes in the lining of the mouth and tongue that increase dry mouth issues. Quit all tobacco products to live a healthier life; otherwise, dry mouth triggers several health complications.
Stuffy Nose
Nasal allergies cause dry mouth issues. The nose and sinuses are responsible for moisturizing the air you breathe. When your nose is blocked, mouth breathing makes your mouth even dry. A stuffy nose is the main reason you wake up with a dry mouth. A stuffy nose could be a reason for viral flu or if you find it something else, discuss it with your doctor immediately.
Cancer Treatments
There are radiations to the head or neck region to treat cancer, which may cause dry mouth as radiation. If you find radiation dries out salivary glands, you can’t secrete salvia. Chemotherapy drugs make saliva thicker, causing the mouth to feel dry. Artificial saliva products help to secrete saliva, which can be helpful. Good dental care is essential because you can have bad dental health and mouth infections without salvia.
HIV/AIDS
HIV, the virus that causes AIDs, which may cause dry mouth. Some people with HIV and salivary glands can reduce saliva production and dry mouth. Dry mouth can also be a side effect of certain medications for HIV. All you need to do is drink more water to keep yourself hydrated. Regular dental care is necessary.
Diabetes
High levels of blood sugar in saliva cause dry mouth, and if you have diabetes, you will have less saliva. Drinking more water and bringing lifestyle change would help you get rid of these issues. Stay away from processed foods that increase the insulin level in the blood.
Anxiety
Stress makes your health condition worse, including dry mouth. People with a dry mouth would produce less saliva, and it also causes anxiety, depression and high-stress levels. Take out some time to de-stress yourself and take a walk regularly. Engage yourself in deep breathing or practice meditation as well.
Caffeine
High octane beverages such as coffee, tea, soda or energy drinks may restore your energy level, but these drinks keep you dehydrated and make your mouth dry. Cut back the caffeine and drink more water to stay hydrated to avoid xerostomia.
How to Manage the Dry Mouth?
Suck Sugar Free Candies
Sucking sugar free candies would give you short term relief from dry mouth, and you can have lozenges, cough drops and other candies to treat this.
Improve Oral routine
Oral hygiene needs to be taken care of to protect your mouth’s health. Make sure you are doing frequent flossing, fluoride toothpaste. Use alcohol-free mouthwash, which effectively improves overall hygiene that can cause dry mouth.
Get a humidifier
Creating humidity would help you get a dry mouth simply by adding more moisture to the environment. Humidification would improve dry mouth symptoms. Running a humidifier at night would reduce discomfort and improve sleep.
Try Out Herbal Remedies
Herbal remedies help stimulate saliva production to relieve dry mouth. Aloe vera, ginger, Marshmallow root, Nopal cactus and much more should be tried out.
These are the reasons for dry mouth which makes you dehydrated. Make sure you have diagnosed yourself immediately from the doctor to avoid further complications. This is not something to take it easy. Just consult with a doctor and follow all these remedies to get rid of the issue.
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