The Symptoms And Causes of Dry Mouth (Xerostomia)
Dry mouth or xerostomia is often a sign of dehydration. When you don’t have enough fluid in your body, there is now way that your salivary glands will be able to produce adequate saliva. Drinking plenty of water should be able to get things back to normal. However, if things don’t get back to normal after drinking plenty of water, there may be other things that are causing mouth dryness. Other causes of dry mouth in Yorba Linda include:
- Medications
There are many medications that can make you have a dry mouth. If you are suffering from this condition, it will wise to re-examine the medications that you have been taking. Find out whether dry mouth is one of the side effects that have been listed on the label. If it is listed, it will be best to talk to your doctor so that he/she can recommend a different medication. There may be other medications that serve the same purpose that do not lead to mouth dryness. Even if mouth dryness is not listed among the side effects, you should talk to your doctor if you realize that you started suffering from mouth dryness after you started taking a particular medication.
- Diabetes
Diabetes is a condition characterized by high sugar levels in the blood. People suffering from diabetes are more likely to suffer from xerostomia than the general population. The best way to prevent mouth dryness because of diabetes is to keep your blood sugar levels in check. You should also talk to your doctors so that he/she can tell you the things that you need to do to prevent mouth dryness.
- Cancer treatments
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are used to treat cancer. Chemotherapy can affect the production of saliva by your salivary glands. A decrease in the production of saliva as a result of chemotherapy will lead to mouth dryness. Radiotherapy on the other hand can damage the salivary glands and the nerves in the neck and head regions. When this happens, your salivary glands will not be able to produce saliva as effectively as they used to. The end result of the damage caused by radiotherapy treatment for cancer is a dry mouth.
- Breathing through the mouth
Your mouth will become dry every time you breathe through the mouth. For most people, this is something that usually happens at night when sleeping. The best way to deal with dry mouth that is a result if breathing through the mouth is dealing with the cause of nasal blockage.
- Aging
Aging does not have a direct relationship with mouth dryness. People suffer from mouth dryness when they get older because they use more medications that they used to when they were younger. If you have to use a given medication, ask your doctor whether there is an alternative that will not lead to mouth dryness.
These are the most common causes of dry mouth Yorba Linda. If you are suffering from this condition, you should not hesitate to seek a solution from a qualified doctor as soon as possible.
Contact Dr. Cilderman in Yorba Linda today to set up a dental exam! Contact our office at 1-714-695-9992.