Tackling dry mouth
ZAMBIA is blessed with beautiful weather consisting of sunny, rainy, cold dry windy seasons.
These are well distributed throughout the year, each of them coming with their own perfections and imperfections relating to our well being, currently we are enjoying the cold dry windy season.
Dreaded by most during the week due to the early morning abandonments of the cozy blankets to get to work or school.
During this time of the year most people tend to suffer from dry skin conditions leading to chapping and cracking of the skin, a mouth condition that isn’t directly caused by this time of the year is worth discussing at this point only because its name ‘xerostomia’ literally means DRY MOUTH and encompasses the word dry that most people may be experiencing during this time of the year be it dry skin to dry hair to dry mood during the week.
Dry mouth or xerostomia is a condition where the mouth becomes excessively dry due to decrease in salivary secretions.
Saliva is mucus like substance that is secreted by glands called salivary glands located in the mouth.
Saliva plays many roles which include helping us to chew and swallow our food. It also has antiseptic properties which prevent germs from thriving in our mouths, thus helping us maintain a healthy mouth/oral state; it also lubricates our mouths and makes it comfortable for us to speak.
This condition is brought about by so many factors. It may be due to a temporal cause such as anxiety, nervousness or due to the dehydration, this is a state when the body has reduced amount of water.
Dehydration may occur due to several causes like diarrhea, fever, lack of drinking water.
The dry mouth usually returns to normal once the dehydration, anxiety and nervousness is corrected.
Certain medications can also cause dry mouth if you are taking drugs that are giving you a dry mouth talk to your doctor.
Some of these medications include those that are used to treat depression, nerve pain and some pain medications. Cancer therapy can cause dry mouth; chemotherapy drugs can cause a change in nature and flow of saliva. Radiation therapy too can cause dry mouth.
Effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy maybe temporal or permanent.
Other causes include autoimmune diseases such as sjogrens syndrome; this is a condition in which the body produces substances against the salivary glands as well as the glands that produce tears.
So alongside no saliva one has no tears. Snoring and breathing with your mouth open also can contribute to dry mouth and tobacco use by smoking or chewing can increase dry mouth symptoms.
Dry mouth can lead to ongoing bad breath, cavities, and mouth infections and also cause a number of other physical, social and emotional issues.
This is because its absence or reduction makes the mouth susceptible to disease through loss of its antiseptic effects, loss of lubricative effects makes it uncomfortable for one to eat and speak.
When one has dry mouth the benefits of the role of saliva are lost and one may begin to experience the following
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Difficulty in talking
• Bad breath
• Changes in taste
• Drying and cracking of lips
• Mouth sores and ulcers
• Craked lips, split skin at corners of the
mouth, sore throat
• Increased plaque, tooth decay or gum disease
To counteract the effects of dry mouth here are a few health tips.
• Drink plenty of water and rinse your
mouth often to keep it moistened.
• Chew sugar free gum, especially
containing xylitol
• Limit caffeine products
• Avoid mouth wash containing alcohol
• Stop smoking or chewing tobacco
• To prevent tooth decay as the risk increases with dry mouth be sure to visit your dentist regularly.
With all this tips it is worth noting that the best way to treat any condition is to address the issue causing it.
Hence you can do so many things to relieve the dry mouth temporarily but all in all you will need to see your health care provider if the cause is other than anxiety, nervousness or mild dehydration.
In ending out reading for today, here are a few things to help you protect your mouth when suffering from dry mouth.
• Brush your teeth with fluoride toothpaste
at least twice daily
• Floss daily
• Avoid sugary or acidic foods
• Visit your dentist regularly.
Till next time remember to hydrate daily by drinking plain water.