Description

Dry mouth, also called xerostomia (zeer-o-STOE-me-uh), is when the salivary glands in your mouth don't make enough saliva to keep the mouth moist. Dryness in the mouth, often due to ageing, the side effects of certain medications or radiation therapy for cancer. Less often, a condition that directly affects the salivary glands can cause dryness in the mouth. You may also experience dry mouth temporarily if he is thirsty or feeling anxious about something.

For some people, dry mouth, it's just annoying. For others, a dry mouth can affect the general health and the health of the teeth and gums. Also, can affect the amount of people who eat and how much they enjoy what they eat.

The treatment for dry mouth depends on the cause.

Symptoms

If you are not producing enough saliva, you may notice these symptoms most of the time:

  • Dryness or feeling of smoothness in the mouth.
  • The Saliva that seems thick and fibrous.
  • The bad breath.
  • Having a hard time chewing, speech and swallowing.
  • Dry or sore throat and hoarseness.
  • Dry or grooved tongue.
  • A change of the sense of taste.
  • The problems of using dentures.
  • Lipstick stuck to the teeth.

The Saliva helps prevent tooth decay by washing away the sugar and food particles and the production of bacteria neutral and less harmful. When you do not have enough saliva, you may find that it is more difficult to taste, chew and swallow. You can also have a difficult time digesting food.

When to see a doctor

If you have a dry mouth symptoms do not go away, make an appointment with your health care professional.

Causes

The dry mouth is caused when the salivary glands in your mouth don't make enough saliva to keep the mouth moist. Sometimes these glands may not work properly due to:

  • Drugs. Hundreds of medications, including many medicines available without a prescription, can cause dryness in the mouth. Among the drugs most likely to cause problems are those of depression, high blood pressure and anxiety, as well as some antihistamines, decongestants, muscle relaxants, and analgesics.
  • Aging. Many older people have symptoms of dry mouth as the age. Certain changes in the way the body processes drugs, poor nutrition and long-term health problems can cause dryness in the mouth.
  • The cancer therapy. Medications to treat the cancer, called chemotherapy, can change the nature of the saliva and the amount produced. This may be for a limited time, with the typical salivary flow return after the end of the treatment. Radiation treatments to the head and neck can damage salivary glands, which greatly reduced the production of saliva. This may be for a limited time, or it could be long, depending on the radiation dose and the area treated.
  • Damage to the nerves. An injury or surgery that causes nerve damage to the head and neck may be due to the dryness of the mouth.
  • Other health conditions. Dry mouth can be due to certain health conditions, such as diabetes, stroke, a fungal infection of the mouth or Alzheimer's disease. Or a dry mouth can be due to autoimmune diseases, such as sjögren's syndrome or HIV / AIDS .
  • Snoring and mouth breathing. Snoring and breathing with your mouth open can lead to the dryness of the mouth.
  • Use of tobacco and alcohol. Drinking alcohol and smoking or chewing tobacco can cause dry mouth symptoms.
  • The use of legal or illegal drugs that can be sold on the streets. The use of methamphetamine can cause severe dry mouth, and can damage the teeth. The use of marijuana can also cause dryness in the mouth.

Risk factors

Risk of dry mouth was higher in people who:

  • Take the medications have dry mouth is listed as a possible side effect.
  • Are being treated for cancer.
  • You have damage to the nerves of the head and neck.
  • Have other health problems, such as diabetes, stroke, Alzheimer's disease, sjögren's syndrome or HIV / AIDS .
  • The use of tobacco products.
  • Drinking alcohol.
  • The use of street drugs.
  • Eating sugary or acidic foods or sweets.

Complications

Not having enough saliva and get the dry mouth can lead to:

  • The increase of bacterial plaque, tooth decay and gum disease.
  • Sores in the mouth.
  • A yeast infection in the mouth, also known as thrush.
  • Sores or split skin at the corners of the mouth or chapped lips.
  • Poor nutrition can cause problems with chewing and swallowing.

Diagnosis

To determine the cause of your dry mouth, your provider reviews your medical history and the medications you are taking, including medicines available without a prescription. Your health care professional is also seen in his mouth.

Sometimes you may need blood tests, imaging scans of your salivary glands or tests to measure the amount of saliva that is produced. These scans and tests that can help find the cause of the dryness of the mouth. If your healthcare provider suspects that Sjogren's syndrome is the cause of your dry mouth, a small sample of cells is taken from the salivary glands in your lip can be sent for testing. This procedure is called a biopsy.

Treatment

Your treatment depends on the cause of the dryness of the mouth. Your health care professional may:

  • Change medications that cause dry mouth. If your healthcare professional thinks a drug is the cause, your dose may be changed. Or you can switch to another medication that does not cause dryness in the mouth.
  • Recommend products to moisturize your mouth. These products may include prescription medications or mouth rinses available without a prescription, artificial saliva or moisturizers to lubricate your mouth. Mouthwashes designed for dry mouth, especially ones with xylitol, can be effective. Examples include Biotene Dry Mouth Oral Rinse or Act dry Mouth Mouthwash.

If your mouth is very dry, due to Sjogren's syndrome or radiation treatment for head and neck cancer, your healthcare provider may prescribe pilocarpine (Salagen) to help produce more saliva. Or cevimeline (Evoxac) may be prescribed to help produce more saliva if you have Sjogren's syndrome.

Lifestyle and home remedies

In addition to your health professional's advice, these tips may relieve the symptoms of dry mouth:

  • Drink water or sugar-free drinks or suck on ice cubes. Do this throughout the day to moisten the mouth. In addition, drinking water during the meals to make it easier to chew and swallow.
  • Chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free hard candy. Products that contain xylitol can also help prevent cavities. But xylitol, which is often found in sugar-free gum and sugar-free candies, may cause some people to have gas or diarrhea if eaten in large amounts.
  • Try saliva substitutes that contain xylitol and are available without a prescription. These include Mouth Kote or an Oasis Moisturizing mouth Spray. Or test saliva substitutes containing carboxymethyl cellulose (kahr-bok-see-meth-ul-SEL-u-lohs) or hydroxyethyl cellulose (hi-drok-see-ETH-ul SEL-u-lohs), such as Biotene Dry Mouth Oralbalance Gel.
  • Breathe through your nose, not your mouth. You may need to seek treatment for snoring if it makes you breathe through the mouth during the night.
  • Adding moisture to the air of the night. The use of a humidifier.
  • Hydrate your lips. This helps to soothe dry or chapped areas.

Stay away from products that may make your symptoms worse. These include:

  • Caffeine and alcohol. These products can lead to dryness and irritation. Do not use a mouthwash that contains alcohol.
  • Tobacco. If you smoke or chew tobacco, stop. Tobacco products can dry out and irritate your mouth.
  • Antihistamines and decongestants are available without a prescription. These medications can worsen your dry mouth.
  • Sugary or acidic foods and sweets. These foods increase the risk of tooth decay. In addition, stay away from spicy or salty foods, which can cause irritation.

Saliva is important for maintaining the health of the teeth and mouth. Taking these steps to protect your teeth, you can also help your dry mouth:

  • Brushing with a fluoride toothpaste and floss your teeth. Ask your dentist if you may benefit from the prescription of fluoride toothpaste, one toothpaste that contains betaine or a tooth gel to neutralize bacterial acids.
  • The use of fluoride or mouth rinses. To prevent cavities, your dentist might fit you for fluoride trays, which you fill with fluoride and wear of the teeth at night. Your dentist may also recommend that you brush your teeth in fluoride gel before bedtime or the use of a chlorhexidine rinse weekly.
  • See your dentist at least twice a year. Have your teeth examined and the plate removed to help prevent tooth decay.

Preparing for your appointment

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment.

What you can do

Before your appointment, make a list of:

  • The symptoms you have, including those that do not seem to be related to the reason why he made his appointment.
  • Key personal information, including any major stresses or recent life changes that can be the cause of your dry mouth.
  • All the drugs, vitamins, herbs, supplements, and medicines available without a prescription you are taking, including the dosage.
  • Questions to ask your health care professional.

Some basic questions to ask your health care professional include:

  • What is probably the cause of my dry mouth?
  • What are other possible causes?
  • Is my condition is temporary or will last a long time?
  • What is the best course of action?
  • I have other health conditions. Could this be related to any of them?
  • I need to follow any kind of restrictions?
  • Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you're prescribing?
  • Are there brochures or other printed material I can have? What sites do you recommend?

Do not hesitate to ask questions during your appointment.

What to expect from your doctor

Your healthcare provider will probably ask you several questions. Be prepared to respond to save time to go through any of the points that you want to devote more time.

Your health care professional may ask:

  • When did you start having symptoms?
  • Do you have symptoms all the time or only sometimes?
  • Have you started taking any new medications recently?
  • Do you smoke or chew tobacco?
  • How much alcohol do you drink?
  • Is there something to improve the symptoms or produce more saliva?
  • What, if anything, appears to worsen your symptoms?
Symptoms and treatment of Dry mouth