Skip to main content

Home Remedies For Dry Mouth

Each one of us has experienced dry mouth sometime or the other, especially when we were stressed out or left high-strung for any reason whatsoever or during the times when we suffered from fever or common cold. Saliva, definitely plays a very important role - it limits the bacterial and fungi growth in the mouth, aids digestion and keeps the mouth moist. When there is decreased production of saliva, there can be dryness and discomfort in the mouth.  It manifests itself as a a sticky, dry feeling in the mouth in addition to difficulty in chewing or swallowing, cracked lips, sores or split skin at the corners of the mouth, excessive thirst, and sometimes accompanied by a dry, burning sensation in the throat or a rough, dry tongue.

what causes dry mouth

What causes dry mouth?

Several factors contribute to dry mouth or Xerostomia. One of the common causes is the use of certain medications like antihistamines, anti-depressants, atropine etc. Some of these are the drugs used to treat depression, high blood pressure and heart disease. Apart from anxiety, situational or otherwise, fear and depression, dry mouth as a symptom is also caused by by pathological conditions like sarcoidosis, Sjogren's syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease etc., diabetes mellitus, anorexia nervosa and chemotherapy and radiation treatment for cancer among others. Dehydration is also one of the causes which cannot be ruled out. Fever, common cold  with blocked nose,  anemia, vigorous exercise, excessive sweating, diarrhea, vomiting, blood loss and burns can cause lack of moisture in the mouth. Some other causes are menopause, excessive cigarette smoking and chewing tobacco.

Dry mouth may lead to:

* Increased risk of dental decay due to lack of production of saliva.
* Altered taste sensation due to reduction in the number of taste buds.
* Trouble in swallowing and chewing
* Halitosis or bad breath.
* Incoherent speech or difficulty in talking.

What can be done

If you're frequently encountering a dry mouth, first of all try and find out what could be triggering it.
* Try and breathe through your nose and not your mouth.
* Avoid aerated drinks, coffee, tea and alcohol.
* Control stress with yoga, pranayama, meditation or just about anything you find relaxing.
* Consult your doctor and get a blood picture done to rule out complications.
* Do not use over-the-counter antihistamines and decongestants .
* Take care of oral hygiene. Brush with a fluoride toothpaste and floss your teeth.  Use fluoride mouth rinses to prevent rapid spread of dental caries.
* Visit the dentist to have your teeth examined for dental decays and removal of plaque.
* Use a room humidifier to add more moisture to the air at night.
* For people taking radiation treatment, the use of artificial saliva or the use of sialogogues, which stimulate salivary secretion, provide long term benefits.
* In alternative medicine, Electroacupuncture has been found to be effective to a great extent in treating dry mouth.

woman opening her mouth wide showing her tongue

Home Remedies that may help dry mouth

If your dry mouth isn't a symptom of any disease and there is no no underlying cause for it, try some of these home remedies: 

* Hydrate yourself adequately. Sip water or sugar free drinks throughout the day to moisten your mouth.

* Consume of good doses of vitamin C by having citrus fruits, juices and so on.

* Mix 2 tsp of black currant syrup, 1 tsp of olive oil and few drops of lemon juice. Sip a tablespoon of it thrice daily, it shall act as a lubricant to your mouth.

* Try oil-pulling with coconut oil. Oil-pulling is believed to improve oral health and thus may help in overcoming dry mouth symptoms.

* Chewing gum can also stimulate saliva production and help in combating dry mouth.

* As a part of lifestyle, perform Sheetali pranayama (cooling breath exercise); this can also clear mouth dryness.

So how do you tackle dry mouth symptoms? Have you tried any of these home-remedies? Do you know of any other home remedies or measures that are extremely effective in providing  relief in case of dry mouth? Do share in your comments.

References:
Similar reading: Dry eyes troubling you?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Comments posted on this blog are moderated and approved only if they are relevant, on-topic and not abusive. Avoid using links to your site/blog in the body of your comment unless it is highly relevant to the post.

Popular posts from this blog

Kapalabhati Pranayam for wrinkle-free, radiant complexion

Did you know that Kapalabhati Pranayam / kriya can also be used to enhance your beauty and ward off skin aging? Done the right way,  Kapalabhati Pranayam can be used as a beauty aid - it can give you a wrinkle-free, luminous forehead and radiant complexion. Kapalabhati For Beauty   ‘Kapalabhati’ Pranayam breathing exercise is an excellent way of maintaining good health and fighting diseases. ‘Kapala’ means ‘skull’ (and ‘forehead’ also) and ‘bhati’ means ‘shining’. By doing kapalabhati, the ‘nadis’(nerves) of the brain get good exercise. This is achieved by exercising the diaphragm. There will be a glow on the forehead. After the age of 25, the tell-tale signs of ageing start making their appearance in the form of fine lines on the forehead. A regular practice of Kapalabhati for 10-15 minutes everyday will give you a tight forehead sans wrinkles for many years to come. Avoid Botox, try Kapalabhati Why resort to Botox   and other expensive chemical or surgica...
160 comments
Continue reading »

Aspirin for acne-prone skin

Aspirin has been around for a long time and its health benefits are wide and varied. Aspirin , or acetylsalicylic acid is a salicylate drug, often used as an analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains , as an antipyretic to reduce fever , and as an anti-inflammatory medication. Aspirin's greatest benefit is reducing cardiovascular events including heart attacks and strokes. According to the American Heart Assoc. virtually all women are at risk of heart disease and doctors should more strongly consider prescribing a daily aspirin for their female patients. There is growing evidence to suggest regular aspirin use may reduce cancer and dementia as well. Investigators from the Women's Health Study have reported important new findings demonstrating that aspirin reduces the risk of a first stroke in women. When given to someone immediately after a heart attack, aspirin decreases death by 25%.
293 comments
Continue reading »

Highly Effective Indian Home remedies For Delayed Periods

Delayed periods or Irregular menstrual periods have become very common these days for a lot of women in their reproductive age and they suffer great agonies when their period does not come on time. A delay of 4-5 days may be fine but if it exceeds 8 days, then it's certainly a cause for concern. In this post, I'll be sharing highly effective Indian home remedies for your delayed periods . I'd been a long sufferer of irregular periods during my teenage to early twenties. I've tried most of the recipes here, along with Kapalabhati pranayama, yoga poses, mudras and other lifestyle habits. Now my periods are extremely regular like clockwork; not a day less or more than 28. When I look back, I'm surprised how I managed those years of anxiety and fear about my late periods. 
567 comments
Continue reading »

Home remedies for sleeplessness

The day dawns beautifully for those who have had a night of good sleep. But the same day drags on for those who have spent a disturbing, sleepless night. Sleep is a biological necessity even as eating and drinking are. Sufficient sleep renders a person normally sociable, lively and high-spirited. It’s a nature’s way of rejuvenating the person for the next day. Realize all this, and make sleep a physiological habit. The consequences of long time sleep deprivation can be very grave. Lack of sleep takes its toll on the skin and hair. It causes acne-breakouts and makes one look aged and haggard beyond years. Experts opine that during sleep as our metabolic rate falls, blood goes to those areas which need the most repairing. This also steps up the production of collagen and keratin, which aid the regeneration of skin cells and help resist premature ageing. So for a younger looking and a problem free skin you need to have a good quality of sleep every night.
154 comments
Continue reading »

Simple ways of acquiring a clear & blemish free skin

It is not necessary to go to expensive beauty parlours or buy expensive creams and lotions to acquire a blemish free & clear complexion. A few homemade remedies are provided below which will serve the purpose equally well. Hope this will benefit the readers. 1. Always wash your face with mild soap so that the pores breathe fresh air. For a clear and attractive skin mix besan, turmeric (haldi), lemon and milk together. Make a paste. Apply it on the face. Let it dry. Wash with clean water. Wipe your face with a soft towel and pat it dry.
270 comments
Continue reading »