Dry mouth is no fun. It can be quite frustrating when water and fluids just can’t get rid of the cottony feeling in your mouth.
What can you do about it?
Well, before you treat dry mouth, you must first understand what causes it. Here are the most common causes:
- Chronic mouth breathing.
- Smoking or other tobacco use. These products can hinder your ability to produce saliva properly.
- High blood pressure.
- Diabetes.
- Other medical conditions.
- Medications.
- Dehydration.
Unfortunately, sipping water isn’t going to take care of the problem immediately. Here are some things you can do over time to relieve dry mouth discomfort.
- Eat more foods with high water content. Examples: water melon, grapes, and other fruits.
- Sip water or other healthy drinks throughout the day and keep a bottle of water by your bed for when you awaken during the night.
- Avoid breathing through your mouth when possible.
- Check your indoor humidity monitor
to see if it is low. Sometimes your home can be too dry. If this is the case, you can pick up a cool mist or warm air humidifier
to add more moisture into your home. This is really common in the winter when the heat is on to warm up the house.
- For minor cases of dry mouth, try chewing sugarless gum or sucking on a piece of sugarless hard candy.
If dry mouth is a chronic issue for you, don’t hesitate to contact our office for medical attention. Remember: Our bodies give us warning signs for a reason – and your dry mouth may be an indicator of a bigger problem.
