Dry Mouth Syndrome

Posted: Nov 26, 2010 |Comments: 0 | Views: 103 |

Sometimes, people get a condition called dry mouth, caused by the lack of saliva. It is an annoying condition that can affect not only swallowing of your food but also the overall health of your mouth. If you have this condition, do not let it go unnoticed.

Causes

Several factors can contribute to dry mouth syndrome. Everyone experiences it at some point, and the exact number of people suffering from dry mouth is unknown. It can affect any age range, but it is most commonly seen among older adults. Several cheap treatments for patients of any age are available to combat the problem. Medication is the most common cause. Nearly 400 medications, both over-the-counter and prescription, list dry mouth syndrome as a side effect.

Symptoms

The main symptom of this disorder is a burning sensation in your lips, tongue, palate, gums, throat or complete mouth. People affected by this syndrome feel hot or scalded sensation in the affected areas and this is similar to getting burnt with a hot liquid. Other symptoms are - bitter/ metallic taste, dry mouth, thirst, mouth pain and tastelessness.

Though there is no cure for Sjogren's, proper treatment can relieve symptoms for many patients. There are special toothpastes, mouthwashes, and lozenges to alleviate dry mouth. There are several different eye drops to moisten dry eyes. Some patients eventually have their tear ducts plugged to keep remaining moisture in.


Treatment of Dry Mouth:

1-Endocrinologists or primary care providers treat disorders such as hypothyroidism or diabetes.

2-Elimination of allergens can relieve BMS symptoms; for example, removal of certain dental materials, changing diet or avoiding flavorings.

3-Doctors may prescribe antifungal creams, gels or tablets. Dentures are removed and disinfected.

4-Imprinted or phantom pain may be treated with medication.

There are minor and serious problems associated with this. Difficulty with swallowing can result from too little saliva in the mouth thus causing people to not eat or get proper nutrition. People can also lose their sense of taste and smell from reduced saliva. Denture wearers also can suffer from too little saliva as it is needed to help keep dentures in place.

The problem with these short-lived remedies is that their active ingredients dissipate or are flushed away quickly. As a consequence of their short life in the mouth they do little to help xerostomia or the underlying problems caused by a mouth that is dry.

Most people don't realize they need help until it's too late. Many people will wake up in the middle of the night with their mouth very dry. They will also have difficulty in swallowing food as the saliva they need as a lubricant is diminished.

The condition of xerostomia occurs when the salivary glands are not able to function properly and there is deficiency of enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. There are so many factors that can contribute to condition of xerostomia. Xerostomia is not a part of normal aging; although, it is considered that the risk of developing the condition of xerostomia increase with age and more than half of the people over the age of fifty-five affected by dry mouth.

There are a number of reasons that could cause dry mouth and there are also a number of home remedies that you could use to alleviate the problem and restore moisture in the mouth. Conditions like Sjögren's syndrome or diabetes could also result in dry mouth if they are not treated properly. Other causes could include stress and anxiety, poor intake of fluids leading to dehydration, excessive breathing through the mouth.

Treatments

Traditional treatments for dry mouth have included sugar-free gums or candy, frequent sips of water, oral rinses and taking good care of teeth and gums. The problem with conventional mouth rinses, gums and mints is that their ingredients are flushed away too quickly, limiting their effectiveness.

Questions and Answers

Ask
200 Characters left
Rate this Article
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
  • 0 vote(s)
    Feedback
    Print
    Re-Publish
    Source:  http://www.articlesbase.com/alternative-medicine-articles/dry-mouth-syndrome-3736049.html

    Article Tags:

    treatment of dry mouth

    ,

    symptoms of dry mouth

    ,

    causes of dry mouth

    We have all experienced some degree of dry mouth. Normal dry mouth commonly occurs in the morning when we wake as our saliva flow decreases when we sleep.

    By: alex ml Health> Dental Carel Oct 20, 2009 lViews: 519

    Loss of moisture in lip skin causes chapped lips. The loss of natural oils may happen due to exposure to sun, cold dry winds or even repeated licking. Chapped lips are dry, red and painful. They may split and bleed causing immense discomfort.

    By: Dr. Lee Mikall Healthl May 06, 2011

    Saliva is a digestive enzyme; it is a cleansing agent and a moisturizer. It has also obtained germicidal properties and so prevents the mouth from micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungus

    By: eidenmackl Health> Dental Carel Mar 16, 2012

    Fortunately, there are many effective treatments for dry mouth. Sugar-free candy or gum stimulates saliva flow, and moisture can be replaced by using artificial saliva and oral rinses.

    By: Juliet Cohenl Health> Diseases and Conditionsl Oct 03, 2007 lViews: 1,410

    Dry Mouth – 8 tips for anti dry mouth, read possible causes of dry mouth, tips to overcome the dry mouth problem and the consequences

    By: Rajesh Kumarl Health> Dental Carel Jul 22, 2011

    In Neuro-scientific medicine, applied studies more popularly generally known as translational research. It aims to supply plausible diagnostic, preventive or treatment strategies. This research practice is anticipated to create technologies, drugs and methods aimed at prevention and treatments for diseases

    By: Terry Dancerl Health> Alternative Medicinel May 26, 2012
    Jonathan Berns, DC

    Sports tape, elastic therapeutic tape or athletic tape is a strip of cotton with acrylic adhesive used for treating injuries related to sports, athletics as well as other physical disorders. It is porous, non-elastic and lightweight but it also has a high tensile strength which makes it ideal for giving compression and firm support for the body.

    By: Jonathan Berns, DCl Health> Alternative Medicinel May 25, 2012
    codeblackincense

    Every time I stroll through a herbal or scented garden, I'm entranced by the way it calms my stress and relaxes my anxious mind. It's almost as if Nature laid the plants out especially for me. Parks and gardens are as old as civilization itself. In fact, even Adam and Eve are said to have had their own garden to explore.

    By: codeblackincensel Health> Alternative Medicinel May 23, 2012

    Ma Huang is also known as ephedra. The acrid, slightly bitter and warm herb has been used in TCM to promote urination and sweating, and rid of cold, sooth wheezing asthma, etc. as it calms dyspnea, asthma, cough, etc., by enhancing the functions of lung and bladder channels.

    By: Kyle J. Nortonl Health> Alternative Medicinel May 22, 2012

    Melatonin with valerian is considered to be a top notch pill which can surely assist a lot in getting rid of various sleep disorders and it is primarily utilized for better sleep when you are going through insomnia. Sleep is very important and one should get a proper sleep every night in order to stay perfectly alright in all perspectives. Life can surely excel in a better way if a good and healthy sleep is attained every day though people who are unable to get it on regular basis have to go thr

    By: dollerman32l Health> Alternative Medicinel May 22, 2012

    Enhancement of a short chin is usually done with an implant. With larger chin deficiencies in young patients, some plastic surgeons will cut and move the small chin bone forward (osteotomy) instead.

    By: larissabrownl Health> Alternative Medicinel Nov 29, 2010 lViews: 239

    Anterograde amnesia or short term memory loss is a predicament that may crop up either through brain injury or by certain drugs in which the individual is gravely enervated in learning new itemized information.

    By: larissabrownl Health> Alternative Medicinel Nov 29, 2010 lViews: 319

    Dehydration is a lack of water and moisture in the outer layers of the skin. The skin loses elasticity, much like a sponge without water in it and when facial movements occur it moves around without the suppleness of plump moist cells.

    By: larissabrownl Health> Alternative Medicinel Nov 26, 2010 lViews: 138

    Pneumonia refers to lung inflammation. There are 50 such lung inflammatory ailments. During such situations, the lungs inevitably experience build up of fluids. Several micro-organisms cause pneumonia.

    By: larissabrownl Health> Alternative Medicinel Nov 25, 2010 lViews: 129

    Discuss this Article

    Author Box
    Articles Categories
    All Categories
    Quantcast