The saliva in a person’s mouth has several health functions. For instance, saliva keeps the mouth clean and lubricated while fighting bacteria, keeping the teeth mineralized, and maintaining pH neutrality. A dry mouth, also known as Xerostomia, is a condition in which a person’s salivary glands don’t produce enough saliva for oral moisture. A dry mouth is usually not considered a disorder on its own but a side effect of specific therapies, aging, or diseases.

Symptoms of dry mouth
A healthcare professional can diagnose Xerostomia when the condition manifests itself in a patient through the following symptoms:

Difficulty in chewing or swallowing food
When food enters a person’s mouth, the saliva provides much-needed lubrication and moisture to help their teeth grind the morsels down. Additionally, saliva smoothens the pathway for the softened food to go down the esophagus. Therefore, a lack of saliva in the mouth can adversely affect these two processes and make ingestion harder.

Bad breath
As stated earlier, saliva keeps bacteria from entering the mouth and causing infections and diseases. As a result, people with dry mouths have bacteria festering in their oral cavity, giving their breath a foul smell.

Inability to taste food or drinks
Saliva plays a significant role in a person’s taste sensitivity too. Essentially, it keeps the taste buds moist and stimulated. Therefore, people with dry mouths cannot taste the vibrant flavors of different foods and drinks.

Dry or sore throat
Saliva is the best lubricant for any oral cavity, and no amount of water or drinks can replace its natural qualities in the long term. So, people with dry mouths will constantly suffer from dry throats. Long-term throat dryness often results in soreness too.

Cracked lips
People frequently (and sometimes unknowingly) moisten their lips by drawing them into their mouths and coating saliva on them. This is not an option for those who have a dry mouth condition. Therefore, such individuals tend to have dry and cracked lips in the long term.

Stickiness in mouth
The lack of lubrication due to Xerostomia causes a person’s mouth to become increasingly dry and sticky. As a result, phlegm and residual food particles may stay on the tongue and around the teeth instead of going down the esophagus.

Causes of dry mouth
Although there is no primary cause for this condition, certain factors contribute to the lack of saliva in a person’s mouth, including:

Stress and anxiety
When a person is worried, their body creates a hormone named cortisol (known as the “stress hormone”). This hormone is secreted into their saliva. Cortisol affects the composition of saliva and makes it thicker. As a result, people with stress, depression, and anxiety issues are more likely to develop dry mouth conditions than others.

Dehydration
The body produces less than usual saliva when dehydrated, so it is always advisable to drink water regularly to keep the mouth continuously moist and lubricated. Dehydration is especially pronounced when a person vomits, sweats frequently and profusely, has diarrhea, or loses large amounts of blood. Therefore, such persons need to compensate for the loss of fluids by extra hydration.

Radiation therapy
Radiation exposure often results in Xerostomia in individuals. Therefore, those undergoing radiation therapy for cancer or other conditions is more likely to suffer from dry mouths.

Natural remedies for dry mouth
While there are several therapies, such as surgeries to repair damaged salivary glands, and the usage of artificial saliva, to treat the dry mouth condition, one can use the following natural remedies that have a high success rate:

Chewing sugar-free gums or candies
Chewing gum is one of the better remedies to address dry mouth conditions. One must select the types of gum that contain xylitol, a central salivary gland stimulant that increases the moisture content in the mouth. Most importantly, sugar-free gums must be selected to check one’s blood sugar. Alternatively, sugar-free candies are also equally effective.

Resisting mouth-breathing
Mouth-breathing lets in dry air from the outside and, as a result, reduces the moisture content in the mouth. Therefore, breathing through the nose as much as possible is advisable.

Prioritizing oral care
Dry mouths, more often than not, result from poor oral hygiene. Therefore, one must make functions such as frequent flossing, brushing teeth with fluoride toothpaste, and rinsing the mouth with regular mouthwash habits.

Foods to eat/avoid for combating dry mouth
Caffeine, found in tea, and coffee, gradually reduce salivary production in a person’s mouth. Additionally, acidic foods like grapefruit juice, lemons, and oranges do the same. Therefore, these foods must be avoided. On the other hand, soft foods such as sugar-free puddings and scrambled eggs facilitate salivary production, so they must be consumed abundantly to counter Xerostomia.