Causes and risk factors:
Any pathology of the salivary glands like blockages,growths, tumors cause decreased alteretd secretion of saliva. This lead to dry mouth. Smoking and chewing tobacco in the present era is one of the major causative factors of dry mouth. The other most common cause of dry mouth is dehydration caused due to diarrhea, vomiting or excessive sweating. It is also caused as an adverse effect of certain medications. Damage to the nerves of the head or neck region either due to some diseases of injury can also result in xerostomia. Dry mouth is common is certain medical conditions like diabetes mellitus, HIV, hypertension, rheumatoid arthritis, anemia, mumps etc.Radaition and chemotherapy adopted for treating cancer is one of the cause of dry mouth.
Clinical presentations:
As the name suggests the patient complaints of dryness of the mouth. Decreased salivation occurs. There is difficulty in speaking. Some patients also complain of difficulty in swallowing food and altered taste in the mouth. It results into irritation of the gums, tooth decay, chapped lips and tongue infection.
Diagnosis and investigations:
Diagnosis is confirmed on the basis of the symptoms narrated by the patient, oral examination carried out by the dentist along with certain sets of investigations done. Saliometric test is done to determine the flow of saliva. Saliography is advised by the doctor which helps to detect the abnormalities in the salivary gland. Certain other investigations like routine blood test, urine analysis, USG, and various imaging tests are done to detect the underlying diseases.
Treatment:
If there persist any underlying causative factor, treating it is of foremost importance.Artifical saliva producing substances like toothpaste, gels, mouthwashes are available over the counters. Saliva producing medications are prescribed. In order to keep the mouth moist one should frequently sip water or sugar free juices. The water intake increases to combat the dryness.
Other Modes of treatment
The other modes of treatment can also be effective in treating dry mouth. Homoeopathy is a science which deals with individualization considers a person in a holistic way. This science can be helpful in combating the symptoms. Similarly the ayurvedic system of medicine which uses herbal medicines and synthetic derivates are also found to be effective in treating dryness of mouth. Maintenance of oral hygiene like brushing the teeth twice daily, regular flossing, gargling, cleaning the tongue surfaces needs to be implemented. Use of mouth washes for rinsing can also be helpful. Adequate hydration and proper nutrition should be taken.
Recent updates:
A study carried out by the researches in California revealed that acupuncture may help some cancer patients who have severe dry mouth as a side effect of treatment.
