When Dry Mouth Goes Beyond Dehydration
If you’ve been experiencing the sensation of dry mouth that you just can’t shake, drinking water might not be enough. While dry mouth can sometimes be chalked up to dehydration or strenuous activity, when it becomes persistent and worsens over the course of several weeks, drinking a lot of water may not be enough to cure the painful symptoms. You most likely need medical attention and treatment for dry mouth.
What is Dry Mouth?
Dry mouth is a feeling that can occur when you don’t drink enough water. Clinical dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, is not simply the result of dehydration — it’s when the salivary glands don’t produce enough saliva, or produce saliva of poor quality. This results in a variety of uncomfortable and downright painful symptoms.
Dry mouth symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Dry, sore, and/or burning throat, tongue, and lips
- Hoarseness
- Bad breath
- Change in taste
- Poor oral health, including recurring infections, tooth decay, and gum disease
- Difficulty speaking, chewing, and swallowing
- Difficulty wearing dentures
Whereas dry mouth caused by dehydration or exertion can be easily treated by drinking more water, clinical dry mouth requires more extensive treatments. Usually, the treatment depends on the cause.
What Causes Clinical Dry Mouth?
The most common causes of dry mouth are medication, polypharmacy (taking more than one medication at a time), systemic diseases, and treatment for cancer in the head and neck.
- Medication: The most common cause of dry mouth, many medications cause this unpleasant side effect. The good news is, drug-induced xerostomia is often reversible, but the bad news is, most people can’t stop taking these drugs as they are crucial for the treatment of other conditions (like mental illness, heart disease, and more).
- Polypharmacy: Research has shown that polypharmacy, taking two or more medications concurrently, can cause xerostomia. While polypharmacy is more common among the elderly population, it can also cause dry mouth in a young or middle aged population.
- Systemic diseases: Sjögren’s syndrome is an autoimmune disease that’s known for directly causing dry mouth (and dry eyes), while other diseases that cause dry mouth include HIV/AIDS, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, anemia, and more.
- Radiation treatment for cancer in the head and neck: Radiation treatment for cancer that targets the head and neck regions can damage the salivary glands, causing them to malfunction and cease to produce sufficient saliva.
Dry Mouth vs. Dehydration: What’s the Difference?
Dehydration and dry mouth are sometimes confused with one another, as they present with similar symptoms. While related — dehydration can cause dry mouth — they are not the same.
Below you can see some of the main differences between dehydration and dry mouth.
Dehydration | Dry Mouth | |
Definition | When the body loses more fluids than it takes in | When the salivary glands don’t produce enough saliva |
Cause | Not drinking enough water, excessive sweating, certain medications, illness with vomiting and diarrhea | Dehydration, medications, polypharmacy, diseases, radiation therapy, lifestyle habits |
Symptoms | Thirst, dark-colored urine, dizziness, fatigue, dry skin, dry mouth, reduced urine output | Dry, cracked, and burning throat, tongue, and lips, bad breath, oral health issues, and more |
Systemic effect | Dehydration affects the entire body, impairing blood circulation, digestion, and even brain function if severe. | Dry mouth is primarily localized in the mouth and has a detrimental impact on oral health |
Treatment | Drinking more water, fluid intake via IV in the hospital | Electrostimulation, medication, saliva substitutes, lifestyle adjustments |
When Should You See a Doctor for Dry Mouth Treatment
If you’re experiencing dry mouth and a thirst that can’t be cured with drinking, you should make an appointment with a medical professional.
Symptoms to look out for include:
- Sore throat, difficulty swallowing, burning sensation
- Bad breath
- Mouth sores
- Thick, stringy saliva.
- Development of tooth decay or gum disease despite good oral hygiene practices.
- Weeks of persistent or worsening symptoms
If you take medications that list dry mouth as a side effect, take multiple medications, have an autoimmune disease, or have had radiation for head and neck cancer, you don’t need to wait weeks to make an appointment — you can do so immediately, as those factors are known causes of xerostomia.
Dry Mouth Treatment Options
There is no such thing as a miracle cure for dry mouth, or even as “the best” xerostomia remedy. There are several courses of treatment, and their efficacy depends on every individual’s unique case: The severity of their symptoms, their medical history and current medical conditions, and the cause of dry mouth.
Dependent upon those factors, medical professionals will typically offer one (or a mix) of the following treatments:
- Electrostimulation: Intraoral electrostimulation devices, like the FDA-approved SaliPen, are xerostomia treatment products that are non-invasive and non-pharmacological. They work by delivering small electrical impulses to the oral cavity, which in turn, stimulates that salivary glands to produce more saliva.
- Saliva stimulants: Sialogogues are prescription medications that are designed to increase the body’s natural production of saliva. These need to be taken under the guidance of a medical professional to make sure they are not contraindicated for other medications.
- Artificial saliva: Also known as saliva substitutes, artificial saliva products can be sold as over-the-counter dry mouth cures or prescription — these do not attack the root of the symptoms (dysfunctioning salivary glands) but they offer temporary relief of uncomfortable symptoms. Saliva substitute comes in the form of gels, sprays, mouthwashes, sugar-free gum, and lozenges.
- Lifestyle adjustments: Caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine are substances that exacerbate dry mouth symptoms. People who have clinical dry mouth can help ease their symptoms by cutting out these substances and drinking more water. Another way to achieve natural dry mouth relief is to make sure you breathe through your nose at night, which is better for xerostomia and healthier on many counts.
Dry mouth might sound innocuous or like not such a big deal, but when it becomes a persistent condition, symptoms can be painful and reduce your quality of life. When left untreated, dry mouth can lead to severe oral health issues and turn daily tasks like chewing, swallowing, and speaking into painful ordeals. If you’ve been suffering from persistent dry mouth for two or more weeks, it’s likely more than a dehydration issue, and you should seek medical attention.
FAQS
Can dry mouth be cured by drinking water?
Drinking water can help lessen the symptoms of clinical dry mouth, but it’s not a cure. Drinking water can treat dehydration, but that is not the same as dry mouth.
What’s the difference between dehydration and dry mouth?
Dehydration and dry mouth have different causes, symptoms, and treatments. Dehydration affects the entire body and can cause death if left untreated. Dry mouth mainly affects the mouth and causes extreme discomfort if left untreated.
When should I see a doctor about my dry mouth?
If your dry mouth symptoms persist for several weeks and don’t go away by drinking more water, you should see a doctor. Additionally, if you have Sjögren’s syndrome, diabetes, or another disease, have undergone treatment for head or neck cancer, or are taking one or more medications, you don’t need to wait a few weeks — you can make an appointment with your healthcare provider immediately.
What are possible dry mouth therapy options?
The most common xerostomia treatment options include medication, saliva substitutes, electrostimulation, lifestyle changes, and over-the-counter remedies.
Is the SaliPen an effective dry mouth treatment?
Clinical trials have shown that electrostimulation conducted via the SaliPen is effective in stimulating the salivary glands to naturally produce more saliva.
Where can I purchase the SaliPen?
You can purchase the SaliPen here.
