The
feeling you get when your mouth feels parched or you can’t seem to get enough
to drink is called xerostomia (ZEER-oh-STOH-mee-ah). Many people experience
this from time to time such as when they are under duress
or feel
anxious, a lot of stress or are upset. However, some people find it occurs more
frequently.
Your mouth
and what it does can help you gauge what is happening in your body as a whole.
Xerostomia can make your mouth feel dry and can signify a problem with your
salivary glands.
Symptoms of Xerostomia
·
Cracked
lips
·
Dry
tongue that feels rough
·
Mouth
feels like it’s burning or tingling
·
Oral
Infection(s)
·
Difficulty
tasting, chewing and swallowing
·
Difficult
to speak
·
Mouth
feels sticky and dry
·
Throat
feels dry
In order
for your mouth to be healthy the salivary glands to need to function properly.
Saliva helps your body in many ways such as: speaking, chewing, tasting,
swallowing and digesting food. It also help control bacteria and fungi in the
mouth which minimizes the risk for mouth infections and reduces your chance to
develop dental decay.
Therefore,
if you notice any of the symptoms, listed above, you may want to schedule an
appointment with your physician or dentist.
Dry
mouth
can be a sign or symptom of various things such as: diabetes, HIV/AIDS, nerve
damage or the result of some medications, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
Your
physician can run tests to find out if there is an underlying cause. However,
if you are currently taking medications the dosage may need to be adjusted to
minimize the parchedness that your mouth is feeling.
Tips to help keep your mouth Moist
·
Your
physician may give you an oral medicine to make your mouth moist
·
Sip
on sugarless drinks frequently
·
Chew
sugarless gum or suck on hard candy (without sugar) to stimulate saliva flow
·
Drink
water or a sugarless drink at meal time to help the chewing and swallowing
process to conducted easier
·
Use a humidifier, especially while sleeping
·
Do
not consume alcohol, caffeine or drinks that have caffeine because they tend to
dry the mouth
·
Tobacco
products can also dry the mouth, therefore, it is highly advised to not use
tobacco
In
addition to the tips listed above, it is recommended to not put salty or spicy
foods in your mouth in order to limit unnecessary pain. It is also important to
take care or your oral hygiene considering that you have a reduced amount of
moisture in your mouth.
Therefore,
you will want to visit your dentist to have checkups every six months and they
may prescribe special toothpaste to help prevent tooth decay. Between visits
you can floss your teeth everyday, brush twice a day using toothpaste with
fluoride and try to limit your consumption of sugary or sticky foods.
To find
out how you can improve the moisture in your mouth click here
www.breezecare.com.au
