If You Suffer From A Dry Mouth, Here Are 7 Ways To Help You
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We talk about dry skin, dry scalp, and dry lips. We talk about how much it bothers us and we try everything that our gyaan-wale aunties tell us to do. We try all the DIY remedies that we find on the Internet as well. But, have you ever paid as much attention to the occurrence of a dry mouth? We seldom notice it, but it is quite common.
What Is A Dry Mouth?
Dry mouth is caused due to lack of saliva in the mouth. Many of us face this problem, but we hardly pay any attention to it. Saliva is an extremely important component of our oral health. It protects us from contracting bacterial or fungal infections. It helps to cleanse our mouthand also keeps itfresh. Lack of saliva secretion results in a dry mouth and this condition is called Xerostomia (1).
Causes Of Dry Mouth
There can be many reasons behind the occurrence of dry mouth. Some of them are:
- It can be a side-effect of some medication that you have been taking.
- It can be a result of dehydration.
- It can also be a side-effect of a medical condition.
- If there is any nerve damage to your head or neck area due to a surgery or injury, that can also cause this condition.
- The nature of your lifestyle. If you smoke or chew tobacco, it can affect the saliva secretion in your mouth. Also, if you sleep with your mouth open, your mouth becomes dry quickly.
Why Is Dry Mouth Considered To Be A Problem?
A dry mouth can cause bad breath, sores in the mouth and one can also develop speaking problems or even tasting problems. Apart from all of these, dry mouth can also lead one to develop gum diseases like gingivitis, tooth decay problems, and mouth infections like thrush (2).
How Can You Treat Dry Mouth?
We will always suggest that you consult a doctor to get a proper diagnosis for your dry mouth. Apart from that we did a bit of research on our own and came up with a list detailing various ways to battle dry mouth. Read on and make the most of it.
1. Drink Lots Of Water
Dehydration is a common cause of dry mouth. Drinking adequate water everyday helps our body flush out toxins and keeps it fresh. Doctors recommend everybody to drink at least 2 liters of water every day (3). It keeps our salivary glands active, keeps the mouth fresh.It even gives your skin a healthy glow. Keeping your body hydrated solves almost all of your health problems.
2. Say No To Caffeinated Beverages
How do you feel after drinking a cup of coffee? It surely helps you stay awake while you feel sleepy, but the truth is that it even makes your mouth dry. Most of the caffeinated beverages make you thirsty upon consumption. This is because caffeine is considered to be a diuretic that causes fluid loss (4). Therefore, refrain from drinking caffeinated beverages on a regular basis. And consider switching your coffee dates for dinner dates instead (wink-wink).
3. Pick Foods Which Are Sour Like Lemon
Sour foods are known to stimulate our salivary glands and help produce more saliva (5). Consider drinking lime water every now and then. However, don’t overdo it as consuming a lot of lemon juice can stain the enamel of your teeth. And not just lemon, you can opt for other sour foods like pickles, vinegar, yogurt, sour cream, etc.
4. Say No To Tobacco
We all know that tobacco contains tar that harms our lungs. Turns out that the tar causes immense damage to our salivary glands as well by irritating them (6). Your oral health gets compromised greatly if you are a chain smoker. Therefore, make it a point to ditch tobacco in order to stay healthy.
5. Sucking A Sugar-Free Candy Helps
Sucking onto a candy like this will reactivate the salivary glands making them secrete saliva. Make sure the candies are sugar-free because you don’t want to cause cavity problems later on. Chewing on a sugar-free gum might also help. Here the idea is to stimulate the salivary glands.
6. Protect Your Lips From Drying Out
Dry lips can be very problematic especially when you are suffering from dry mouth. Always make it a point to keep a moisturizing lip balm handy and apply it on your lips every time your lips feel like a barren land.
7. Maintaining Proper Oral Hygiene
If you have been maintaining your oral hygiene then you need not worry about a dry mouth. It’s very important to brush twice a day and keep bad breath at bay. Rinse your mouth every now and then to maintain your oral health (7). And if the problem of dry mouth still persists, then visit a dentist and get an update on your oral health.
These were a few simple solutions for treating the problem of a dry mouth. Being healthy is the key here. We’re sure from now on you won’t be ignoring your dry mouth problem. If there is anything important that we missed out here, then let us know in the comments below.
