Dry Mouth: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

Dry mouth is a common occurrence when feeling thirsty or when a person is dehydrated or experiences anxiety. However, having a dry mouth constantly may be a sign of an underlying health condition. Treating the underlying cause may help get rid of dry mouth. If you are constantly experiencing dry mouth, it is better to consult the doctor. 

What is Dry Mouth Disease?

A dry mouth or xerostomia is a condition in which the mouth feels dry due to a lack of enough salivation to keep the mouth moist. The salivary glands are responsible for producing saliva to keep the mouth lubricated all the time. Saliva also helps to keep the mouth clean as well as facilitate chewing, swallowing, and digesting of food. 

Getting a dry mouth is normal occasionally, for instance, when being engaged in strenuous activities or in humid weather when we sweat a lot, causing loss of fluid and leading to a dry mouth. However, frequent instances of a dry mouth can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Sometimes, it may even be caused by certain medications such as antihistamines, decongestants, and some antidepressants. Finding the cause and adjusting accordingly may help treat dry mouth effectively.

Dry Mouth Symptoms 

Dry mouth is a sensation of stickiness in the mouth due to a lack of saliva. Sometimes, the tongue may even stick to the roof of the mouth. Having a dry mouth may cause gum problems and usually associated with a number of symptoms, such as:

• Bad breath
• Increased feeling of thirst
• Not being able to taste food properly 
• Constant hoarseness and soreness
• Difficulty while chewing, speaking, or swallowing 
• Painful sores in the lips, mouth, or in the tongue
• Feeling dryness in the nose
• Difficulty in wearing teeth dentures or braces 

Dry Mouth Causes

A lack of ample saliva production by the salivary glands may commonly cause dry mouth. It may be caused by a number of reasons, including the following.

• Medications: Certain medications like antihistamines, muscle relaxants, blood pressure medicines, decongestants, antidepressants, etc. can cause dry mouth.
• Age: Older people are more likely to experience dry mouth as they tend to take more of such medicines that may lead to dry mouth. 
• Cancer treatments: Dry mouth may be a side effect of many cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, especially when treating cancers around the face.
• Injury or surgery: Nerve damage in the head and neck region as a result of injury or after surgery may lead to dry mouth. 
• Tobacco products: Chewing or smoking tobacco may also cause dry mouth symptoms.
• Exercising or playing outside: Irrespective of the season, playing or exercising outside, which leads to sweat loss, may also cause dry mouth temporarily.
• Snoring or sleeping with mouth open: Many people have a habit of sleeping along with snoring with their mouths open, which inevitably leads to dry mouth condition.

Signs of Dry Mouth

Signs of dry mouth may also be observed in people with certain physical or mental health conditions, such as:

• Anxiety disorders
• Depression
• AIDS 
• Parkinson's disease
• Unregulated diabetes
• Stroke
• Alzheimer's disease 

Complications

When the dry mouth condition persists for a long time, it may cause complications like:

• Tooth decay
• Joint pain
• Mouth infections such as oral thrush 
• Dryness in the skin and eyes
• Skin rashes

Diagnosis

For people experiencing dry mouth chronically, it may be best to consult a doctor to identify any condition that may be causing it. A doctor may ask for any observable symptoms and perform an examination of the mouth. They may also order some blood tests and imaging tests along with testing of the saliva (sialometry). A biopsy of salivary gland tissue may also be performed if a doctor suspects cancer of the salivary glands.

Treatment

The goal of dry mouth treatment may be to increase saliva production, which may help reduce the risk of gum problems and tooth decay. If any medicine has been found to be the cause of dry mouth, the doctor may adjust the dosage or switch to an alternative medicine. If an underlying health condition causes dry mouth, treating it may also treat dry mouth.

Home Remedies For Dry Mouth    

• Sipping on non-carbonated fluids
• Avoiding alcohol-based mouthwashes
• Not wearing dentures while sleeping
• Using an air humidifier at home
• Quitting smoking or chewing tobacco 
• Limit intake of alcohol or acidic drinks
• Spicy, dry, or acidic foods
• Very hot or very cold drinks

When to see a doctor?

While temporarily dry mouth may be caused by excessive sweating and may resolve on its own with or without replenishing fluids, a persistent case of dry mouth that does not get better despite trying home remedies and pharma treatments should be checked by a doctor. It is also important to seek medical attention if having a dry mouth condition and experiencing one or more of the following symptoms:

• Difficulty chewing, eating, or swallowing 
• Difficulty talking 
• Problem with a sense of taste
• Pain in the mouth, along with bleeding or swelling
• Sore white patches on the mouth
• Frequent urination despite experiencing dry mouth
• Dryness in the eyes

Conclusion

The most important thing to do to prevent dry mouth is to stay hydrated. It is almost always possible to successfully treat dry mouth by trying home remedies or doing as suggested by a doctor. Sometimes, it may take some time to figure out the reason for dry mouth, but it is possible to find a cure for dry mouth. If symptoms of dry mouth don't go away despite trying home remedies and treatments, it is important to let the doctor know and any other symptoms that may be occurring.

FAQs

1. Is dry mouth a vitamin deficiency?

Deficiency of vitamin A or vitamin B12 may cause symptoms of dry mouth apart from other symptoms.

2. Is dry mouth a symptom of diabetes?

Dry mouth is a common symptom of diabetes. It may be a result of high blood sugar in patients with unregulated or undiagnosed diabetes.

3. What does a dry mouth at night mean?

Snoring and keeping the mouth open while sleeping may be a possible cause of dry mouth while sleeping at night. It may be due to allergies, sleep apnea, or narrowing of the nasal passage.