Dry mouth is the condition of not having enough saliva, or spit, to keep your mouth wet.
Symptoms include:
- A sticky, dry feeling in the mouth.
- Trouble chewing, swallowing, tasting, or speaking
- A burning feeling in the mouth
- A dry feeling in the throat
- Cracked lips
- A dry, tough tongue
- Mouth sores
- An infection in the mouth
Why is saliva so important?
- Saliva does more than keep the mouth wet. It helps digest food.
- It protects teeth from decay .It prevents infection by controlling bacteria and fungi in the mouth.
- It makes it possible for you to chew and swallow
Without enough saliva you can develop tooth decay or other infections in the mouth. You also might not get the nutrients you need if you cannot chew and swallow certain foods.
What causes dry mouth?
People get dry mouth when the glands in the mouth that make saliva are not working properly. Because of this, there might not be enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. There are several reasons why these glands (called salivary glands) might not work right. Stress, anxiety, smoking and even sleeping with your mouth open can give rise to a dry mouth.
Side effects of commonly prescribed medications are, perhaps, the most common cause. More than 400 commonly used drugs can cause xerostomia. Check the medication you are taking to see if this is the case. Medicines for high blood pressure and depression often cause dry mouth
Long term or even irreversible dry mouth can be brought on by medical treatments such as radiotherapy or head & neck surgery. The salivary glands can be damaged if they are exposed to radiation during cancer treatment Chemotherapy used to treat cancer can make saliva thicker, causing the mouth to feel dry. Injury to the head or neck can damage the nerves that tell salivary glands to make saliva.
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