Saliva has many advantages to our bodies. Without saliva, we can be prone to oral infections and diseases, have trouble digesting our food, and have pain and discomfort in our mouths. If you have dry mouth, Salese lozenges might be your best course of action. Of course, before you can treat dry mouth, you need to understand what it is and determine why you have dry mouth. In doing this, you can talk with your doctor and figure out the best treatment for you.
Causes of dry mouth
Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, occurs when your mouth doesn’t produce the proper amount of saliva to keep it healthy. Causes of dry mouth include:
- Side effect of medication. Some medications, like those used to treat depression, anxiety, diarrhea, allergies, and epilepsy, can cause dry mouth. You can talk with your doctor about switching your medication or lowering your dosage in order to cure your dry mouth.
- Side effect of diseases and infections. Some medical conditions, like HIV/AIDS, diabetes, Parkinson’s disease, anemia, diarrhea, and cystic fibrosis, are known to cause dry mouth.
- Side effect of medical treatments. Medical treatments like chemotherapy and radiation can cause dry mouth.
- Nerve damage. Injury to the head or neck that results in nerve damage can also damage the salivary gland, causing dry mouth.
- If you have a fever, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive sweating, blood loss, or burns you can experience dry mouth.
- Surgical removal or the salivary glands.
- Lifestyle choices like smoking or chewing tobacco can negatively affect your saliva production and cause dry mouth. Nasal congestion or mouth breathing can also cause dry mouth.
Symptoms of dry mouth
Not sure if you have dry mouth? Check out these following symptoms to determine if you have dry mouth:
- Sticky, dry mouth
- Frequent thirst that is hard to quench
- Sores in your mouth or cracked lips
- Dry throat
- Burning or tingling in mouth and on tongue
- Dry, red, raw tongue
- Trouble speaking, chewing, swallowing, and tasting
- Hoarseness, dry nasal passages, and sore throat
- Bad breath
Treatment for dry mouth
If you think your dry mouth is caused by your medication, you should make an appointment with your doctor to figure out which medication could be causing it, and the possibility of switching medications or lowering your dosage.
Other than medications and over-the-counter treatments, other steps can be taken to treat dry mouth:
- Suck on sugar free candy or chew sugar free gum. Salese lozenges are the most effective for dry mouth, because of their sustained release and ability to last over an hour. They are also sugar free and alcohol free. Nuvora’s patented sustained release technology uses essential oils to retain moisture and fight bacteria in those suffering from dry mouth.
- Drink plenty of water
- Use a toothpaste with fluoride and a fluoride rinse or mouthwash
- Avoid breathing through your mouth
- Use a humidifier to add moisture back into the air while you sleep, allowing you to breathe through your nose instead of your mouth.
- Use a saliva substitute to add moisture back into your mouth