HOME REMEDIES FOR TREATING DRY MOUTH

There are many things that can cause dry mouth or xerostomia, as it's called in medical circles. People need to learn what causes it so it can be prevented and/or treated.

Causes of Dry Mouth

1. Salivary glands can degenerate with age and produce less.
2. Can be caused by excessive stress or nervous conditions.
3. Occurs as a side effect of at least 400 medications. Prescription medications for
treating hypertension and depression are two of the most common offenders.
4. Certain diseases can cause the condition such as AIDS, Parkinson's disease,
diabetes, and, most commonly, Sjogren's syndrome. Sjogren's syndrome is an
incurable autoimmune disorder that is common among older people. It is
caused by viral infection or genetic factors.
5. Chemotherapy causes dry mouth. The chemo thickens the saliva, inhibits it from
getting enough saliva into the mouth, and decreasing its moisturizing
properties.
6. Radiation therapy in the head and neck region for cancer treatment is one of
the leading causes and can result in severe cases of xerostomia.
7. Sometimes the salivary ducts get occluded due to stone formation or
inflammation. The onset can be acute. There is severe pain. Pressure builds
and the pain gets worse.
8. Accident which cause trauma to the mouth and throat and certain surgeries can
cause damage to the nerves of the mouth and throat and result in dry mouth.
9. It can be the result of obstructive sleep apnea. Combined with fatigue during the
day and a very uncomfortable night, it may be something to alert your doctor
about so she/he can refer you to a sleep specialist.

Treatment: Home Remedies

Dry mouth can usually be easily treated except in the instances where damage has been severe. If a mouth infection is causing the problem, the infection can be cured and the problem is solved.

A person with dry mouth needs to drink water all day long. Saliva production is stimulated by sucking on sour hard candies or chewing sugarless gum. They should avoid sugar because without saliva the mouth has no way to clean it off the teeth.

It is important to brush and floss as often as possible and keep up good oral hygiene.
Be sure to brush the tongue as well because saliva is not cleaning it. The tastes of mint or cinnamon-flavored toothpaste will encourage your mouth to produce saliva, just as it normally does when you smell something good to eat.

Avoid drinking caffeinated beverages and alcohol because both dehydrate the body by making you urinate more with the result of more dry mouth. Don't drink beverages which contain either citric or phosphoric acid and this usually includes soda and orange juice.

Suck on fruit pits from nectarines, cherries or peaches which will help increase saliva flow. Be sure not to swallow them.

Avoid real lemonade, but sipping some diluted lemon juice or rinsing with a small amount of lemon juice and glycerin will help stimulate the flow of saliva. Don't use if the dryness has caused you to develop mouth sores or it will sing.

Eat mushy foods which will also stimulate saliva. The best choices are soft foods and those moistened with sauces or gravies that go down easily.

You most likely need to run a humidifier in your home to add moisture to the air. If you are not sure about the level of humidity in your home, you can buy a hygrometer to measure it. A normal level is 40 to 60 percent humidity.