No one believes that dry mouth is a problem until they start to notice a lack of saliva. The medical name for this condition is xerostomia. It is a common symptom and generally a side effect of taking certain types of medications.
But it can be a consequence of dental problems, so do not delay treatment, as saliva cleanses the mouth of food and bacteria and acts as part of the digestive process.
We discovered what dry mouth can indicate and ways to keep it hydrated.
Causes And Signals Of Dry Mouth
First of all, xerostomia can occur due to stress and dehydration. Your salivary glands may stop producing enough saliva in these cases.
According to statistics, there are 400 prescription drugs that can cause xerostomia. Check your medicine for side effects. For example, pain relievers and antidepressants often have these side effects.
Xerostomia can indicate that there is a problem, such as a tooth decay. When you don’t have enough saliva, you can’t neutralize acids in your mouth and kill food and bacteria.
A dry mouth can be a sign of yeast infection and thrush. You may have bad breath and also trouble swallowing. You may have nerve damage that causes your salivary glands to make saliva.
If you have already faced this problem, there are some remedies that you can use to take care of your mouth:
Drink Plenty Of Water
Dehydration is a common cause of dry mouth. Doctors recommend drinking 8, 8-ounce glasses of water a day. That is about 2 liters of water.
Avoid Caffeinated Beverages
Did you notice that after breakfast you can feel more thirsty during the day? Avoid caffeinated beverages because caffeine is a diuretic that causes fluid loss. Coffee and tea can make dry mouth worse.
Eat Sour Food And Lemons
Acidic food stimulates the salivary glands. Squeezing half a lemon into a glass of water is the perfect solution, for example. But be careful with this, because the acid in lemon can damage the enamel on your teeth.
Avoid Using Tobacco Products
Tobacco can reduce saliva production, especially if you take medicine at the same time. Also, the tar from cigarettes can irritate the salivary glands.
Suck On A Piece Of Sugar-free Candy
Suck on sugar-free candy. This will provide you with short-term relief. It is always better than a normal candy, which can cause tooth decay.
Have you ever had a dry mouth? How did you handle it? Leave a comment below if our article was interesting to you.
