8 Tips to Relieve Dry Mouth

Curated News:

By Timberlake Dental curated from ClevelandClinic.org

– Image Courtesy of Flickr – Hamza Butt

“If you’ve ever experienced dry mouth — even for a short while — you know it can be very uncomfortable. A number of things can cause this problem, but certain medications, infections, dehydration, as well as cancer treatments are the most common causes.

Some medications, radiation and chemotherapy can actually damage the salivary glands, leaving you to deal with the result: dry mouth.”

See full article on ClevelandClinic.org

Commentary:

As stated in the article, “Left untreated, dry mouth, which doctors call xerostomia, can lead to various problems.

Over time, you may experience changes in taste, difficulty swallowing, and in some cases, speech changes,” says family medicine physician Neha Vyas, MD.

You may also notice cracks and cuts on your lips at the corners of your mouth, or you could experience a burning sensation on your tongue.

“Dry mouth usually resolves on its own one to two months after completing chemotherapy, but it can last six months to a year after radiation to the head and neck,” says Dr. Vyas.”