You must have experienced dry mouth when you were scared beyond wits! So, what is it that causes the mouth to go dry? Let's explore the many dry mouth reasons.

Saliva is a useful biological secretion that not only assists in digestion of food, but also keeps germs at bay. Obviously, the lack of it can lead to several oral problems. You may think that dry mouth (medically referred to as xerostomia), may not be of any serious consequence, but the truth is that, not only does it aggravate the growth of bacteria and fungi in the mouth, but it also gives rise to numerous dental and gum deseases. Before initiating the dry mouth treatment, one must first understand what is the exact cause behind it.

Symptoms of Dry Mouth

Here is a list of symptoms for dry mouth that will help you to identify, if you have xerostomia:

Frequent and excessive thirst.

Red tongue with mouth sores.

A painful, burning sensation inside the mouth and on the tongue.

Pain while swallowing food or drinking.

Difficulty in speaking.

Sores inside the cheeks or at the corners of the lips.

Diminished taste sense.

Sore throat or hoarseness of voice.

Halitosis or bad breath.

Dental problems; difficulty in wearing dentures.

Frequent oral yeast infections.

Dry Mouth Reasons

Underlying Disease

Dry mouth may be a symptom of some underlying disease like Sjogren's Syndrome or Parkinson’s disease. Also, in case of Alzheimer’s disease, a person may experience dry mouth even though he does not have one. Since, dry mouth is directly related to the functioning of the salivary glands, diseases that affect salivary glands, also cause dry mouth.

Side Effects of Drugs

Certain drugs and medications are known to affect the working of the salivary gland. These medications have direct impact on the amount of saliva secreted by the salivary glands. There are over 400 medications that are likely to cause dry mouth as one of their side effects. However, it is necessary to consult your physician before discontinuing the medications, as he may have already considered this factor while prescribing the dosage.

Cancer Treatments

Cancer treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy have adverse effects on the salivary glands. If the glands are exposed during radiation therapy, then the radiation renders them dysfunctional, resulting in decreased amount of saliva. Additionally, the drugs that are used for chemotherapy make the saliva thicker, which leads to dry mouth.

Nerve Damage

Salivary glands secrete saliva, upon the stimulation by the nerves. Damage to these nerves affects the production of saliva by the salivary glands. Normally, injuries to neck or head can affect the nerves concerned with saliva production.

Dry Mouth Remedies

Dry mouth can be prevented by taking small sips of water regularly.

Cut down on your intake of tea and coffee as they tend to dehydrate you.

Use a fluoride toothpaste to prevent the tooth decay caused due to dry mouth.

Quit smoking and alcohol.

Try some sugar free candies or mint candies to stimulate the saliva production.

Brush at least twice a day, especially at night to prevent dry mouth at night.

Floss your teeth without fail, at least once in a day.

Use a mouth wash that is free of alcohol and peroxide.

Avoid dry, salty, sticky, sugary foods.

You may also try over-the-counter saliva substitutes or oral moisturizers that are available at a pharmacy shop.

As you must have noticed, dry mouth reasons are serious and difficult to avoid completely. Hence, if you are susceptible to dry mouth due to any of the above dry mouth reasons, then the only way to prevent the problems caused by dry mouth is to go for the remedies given above.