Dry Mouth and Tongue

Dry mouth and tongue is a condition when there isn't sufficient saliva to keep the mouth and the tongue wet. The medical term for dry mouth tongue condition is known as xerostomia. Anyone and everyone can suffer from dry mouth once in a while, due to nervousness, when the person is upset, or is under stress. However, like it is believed, it is not a normal part of aging. If a person has dry mouth most of the time or all the time, then it can be an uncomfortable situation and can lead to serious health problems.

Dry Mouth Causes

There are a number of factors which can cause the salivary glands to function improperly and produce less saliva than the required levels. Click to read on dry mouth reasons.

• Drugs and medications is one of the most common cause of dry mouth and tongue. There are a number of prescription as well as over-the-counter medications, which can cause this condition. The most common of them all are anti-histamines, decongestants, antidepressants, pain killers and diuretics.
• High blood pressure medications, muscle relaxants and medications prescribed for Parkinson's disease can also cause dry mouth syndrome.
• Chemotherapy and radiation treatments closer to salivary glands in the head and neck region reduces saliva production, thereby causing dry mouth and tongue.
• Side effects of certain diseases can also lead to dry mouth syndrome. The diseases which can give rise to this problem are Sjogren's syndrome, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's disease, mumps, hypertension, etc.
• Dry mouth and sore tongue can also be caused due to damage to a nerve in the head or the neck area, due to an injury or surgery.
• Dehydration is the most common cause of temporary dry mouth and tongue syndrome.
• Smoking and chewing tobacco has negative effects on saliva production and aggravates the dry mouth and tongue condition.
• A very common problem which we often neglect is when we breathe with our mouth open. This can also be a significant cause of the condition.
• Dry and burning mouth condition can also be caused due to other conditions such as menopause, nutritional deficiencies, and disorders of the mouth, such as oral thrush, etc.

Dry Mouth Remedies

Unfortunately, there is no dry mouth relief treatment. Some palliative treatments can be of help to improve the symptoms, however, they are not able to treat the underlying condition. Click to read on dry mouth cure.

• If dry mouth burning tongue is caused due to certain medications, then you can talk to your health care professional and get the drug causing the problem changed. May be reducing the drug can also be considered. Click to read on dry mouth remedies.
• When dry mouth white tongue is caused by dehydration, consuming sufficient quantity of water can prove to be helpful to treat the condition.
• Sucking sugar free candy or chewing sugar free gum can also prove to be useful while treating dry mouth syndrome.
• If you have the habit of breathing through your mouth, you may want to consider changing the habit and breathing through your nose as far as possible.
• You can use a room vaporizer to add moisture to the room before you go to bed. This can also help to solve the problem. Read on dry mouth treatment.
• There are also over-the-counter artificial saliva substitutes which can also be used to treat the problem.
• If you are not prone to cold, you can also consider sucking ice chips or cubes.

If these home remedies for dry mouth tongue do not help in treating the condition, it is recommended you talk your health care professional about the same. Treating the condition underlying dry mouth and tongue will help in curing the condition.