Know About Xerostomia Or Dry Mouth

Your saliva is a very important bodily fluid produced by the salivary glands. Although it is 98 percent water, it contains important substances such as digestive enzymes, antimicrobial compounds, minerals, mucus, proteins, electrolytes, etc. The purpose of saliva is to moisten the mouth for comfort as well as aiding in the digestion process. It also neutralizes harmful acids, helping protect the mouth and teeth.

Sometimes, due to multiple reasons, the saliva flow is reduced or absent. This results in a dry mouth condition, medically referred to as xerostomia. It is a common condition found in older adults, especially those taking some specific medications. Often called as having “cotton mouth” or “pasties”, a dentist in Karachi shared some important details regarding this condition. Let us have a look at those.

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Signs And Symptoms

In case you have xerostomia and are not producing enough saliva, you will notice the following symptoms:

Feeling of dryness as well as stickiness in the mouth
Bad breath or halitosis
Difficulty chewing and swallowing
Difficulty in speaking clearly
Sore tongue and throat
Changes in sense of taste and difficulty in eating dry foods.
Sticky saliva

What Are The Possible Causes Of Xerostomia?

Your salivary glands may malfunction for a number of reasons. This may either be natural or due to an underlying condition or external cause. Let us have a look at possible causes of dry mouth.

Dehydration – When you take inadequate quantities of water and fluid, the body does not have enough fluid to let the salivary glands produce enough saliva. This may cause thick saliva and dry mouth. Conditions such as fever, excessive sweating, diarrhea and blood loss may aggravate the status of dehydration and cause dry mouth as well.

Smoking – Cigarette smoking or chewing tobacco can lead to dry mouth condition. Nicotine is known to minimize saliva flow and cause xerostomia.

Cancer Therapy – People who get radiation therapy especially to the head and neck for cancer treatment are more prone to develop xerostomia. Sometimes, xerostomia may occur as an acute reaction to radiation due to an inflammatory response. At other times, a delayed fibrosis of the salivary glands may occur and cause xerostomia. This delayed response may occur up to a year after radiation therapy.

The secretory cells are permanently changed by the radiation therapy leading to a reduced salivary output. Another common complaint of radiation therapy is sticky and thick saliva. These changes are typically permanent. Chemotherapy may also cause this condition but this may appear to be temporary mostly.

Sjogern’s Syndrome – This is a chronic auto-immune inflammatory disease that mostly occurs in postmenopausal women. This causes enlargement of the salivary glands because the immune system attacks them and limits their production of fluid. There is no cure for the disease and only symptomatic management is possible.

Amyloidosis – This is a chronic inflammatory disease in which amyloid deposits into the salivary glands. These are abnormal, fibrous, proteinaceous deposits that are found in tissues. When these deposit on the salivary glands, xerostomia may result.

Medicines – Many medications are responsible for causing dry mouth. This is not a direct response, but usually occurs as a side effect to those medications. This is by far the most prevalent cause of xerostomia around the globe. Commonly used medications that lead to dry mouth condition include antihistamines, decongestants, antidepressants, anxiolytics, antipsychotics, antidiarrheals, bronchodilators, antihypertensives and skeletal muscle relaxants.

If someone has a continuous complaint of xerostomia, they should get a consultation with a healthcare professional in order for them to review the underlying cause. Slight changes in medication can be done after proper advice by the doctor to alleviate the symptom of xerostomia.

Nerve damage – An injury or surgery to the nerve cells can sometimes cause nerve damage leading to this issue.

Complications

Not having enough saliva while you chew food may lead to digestive issues. Amongst the many functions of the saliva, protection of teeth from harmful bacteria remains one of the most important ones. In case of reduced salivary output, the harmful bacteria in the mouth may thrive and grow. This ultimately leads to acidity in the mouth, plaque formation and dental decay. Another complication which is caused by xerostomia is gum disease. Reduced saliva may lead to cracked lips, mouth sores, yeast infections in the mouth and split skin at the mouth corners.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, there are many possible causes and risk factors which contribute to dry mouth condition. Your doctor may prescribe you an oral rinse to restore moisture balance in the mouth. Saliva stimulators, dry mouth lozenges, changes in xerostomia causing medications are some of the treatment options available. In order to avoid dental decay and other oral health issues, it is necessary that you timely communicate any symptoms to your healthcare provider.