Dry Mouth

Dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is usually due to lack of saliva.

It does not only affect your enjoyment of food because of difficulties in chewing, tasting and swallowing, but it can be very painful as it can lead to tooth decay and other mouth infections.

Saliva is an important component of the mouth because it helps in the prevention of tooth decay. Saliva contains enzymes that attack bacterial growth in the mouth. It also washes away plaques and food particles left in the mouth to prevent formation of tooth decay.

Dry mouth may be manifested by a sticky mouth. Sores are usually seen at the corners of the mouth. Frequent thirst, bad breath, dry throat, dry nasal passages, hoarseness, cracked lips, or a dry, red and raw tongue are its symptoms.

Dry mouths are also manifested by burning or tingling feeling in the mouth, most especially in the tongue area.

Usually, dry mouth is a side effect of taking prescription medications such as anti-anxiety, anti-depressant, Parkinson’s disease medications, antihistamines, anti –diarrheals, decongestants, etc. - over 400 medications proven to cause dry mouths.

Another factor is aging due to the fact that most elderly take a variety of medicines that cause dry mouth. They may also have dry mouth due to other underlying health conditions.

Tobacco or cigarette smoking can also increase susceptibility to dry mouth. Radiation and chemotherapies can also result to dry mouth by damaging or disrupting the normal functioning of the salivary glands.

Natural Cures for Dry Mouth:

Oral Hygiene:

Home remedies and natural cures aim to not only to get rid of dry mouth problems, but also to keep the teeth away from tooth decay through brushing teeth using a toothpaste with fluoride and rinsing the mouth with alcohol-free mouthwash.

Healthy Lifestyle:

Fortunately, a home remedy for dry mouth can be as simple as sipping water regularly, or kicking the bad habits of tobacco or cigarette smoking and excessive intake of food and beverage containing caffeine.

These bad habits would even increase the drying of the mouth.

Artificial Saliva:

Additionally, you can use artificial saliva to compensate the lack of it or opt for a natural cure that is easy to administer and incorporate to anyone’s lifestyle.

Herbs:

Natural cures such as plants and flowers are also effective home remedy for dry mouth.

The herb yohimbe, which is an African folk aphrodisiac is known to stimulate salivation.

The flower multiflora rose is widely used in China as tea to treat dry mouth.

The plant red pepper when eaten can stimulate salivation due to its spiciness.

Evening Primrose:

Another type of natural cure is the oil called evening primrose.

It is rich in linolenic acid, which is an essential fatty acid, can be a natural alternative treatment for dry mouth caused by an underlying autoimmune disorder.