Dry mouth is a common symptom when you are on certain prescription medications or if you are pregnant. The uncomfortable feeling of a pasty and dried out mouth is not unknown among the masses. Blaming it on dehydration or your choice of a meal plan, you may shrug off dry mouth as a simple inconvenience. However, if you are routinely suffering from a dry mouth and bad breath, you might want to look into it. If you are discouraged by the way your dry mouth has become a regular for you, don’t give up yet.   

Whilst there is no prescribed cure for dry mouth caused by various conditions, you can improve your quality of life by following these tips to remedy it!

Dry mouth can often result from your body overworking and overheating. When the pressure put on the body functions are high and the water loss becomes more than the level of water intake, you can suffer from dehydration. A dehydrating body means that your mouth goes dry and you are left with little to no energy.

• Get rid of dehydration and dry mouth by drinking enough water to sustain your everyday activities. The standard recommendation for water intake is eight glasses of water which equates to about 1.2 liters.

Diabetes mellitus type 1 and type 2 can cause dry mouth due to high blood glucose levels. High blood pressure occurring as a result of diabetes can put you at a higher risk for dry mouth as medications that are prescribed for high blood pressure can cause thick, ropey saliva and dry mouth.

• Consult your doctor to find replacements for the medications that lower saliva production and risk your oral health.
• Remember to drink lots of water to stay hydrated. 
• Maintain a proper well-balanced diabetes-friendly diet.

In cases where you are suffering from Sjögren’s syndrome that infringes on your oral moistness and health, you may need to be meticulous about the treatment remedies you look for.

• Limit your consumption of foods that are likely to cause inflammation and worsen the symptoms of dry mouth such as yogurt or other dairy products. 
• Include natural sialogogues that enhance the production of salivae like ginger or anti-inflammatory foods like fatty fish, fruits and leafy greens.

If you have noticed a pattern in your sleeping regimen where you wake up with extremely dry and painful mouth and airways, you may be a mouth breather. Regularly breathing through the mouth dries out the mouth and causes many other problems.

• Regularly practice breathing through the nose instead of the mouth. 
• Install a humidifier in your room so that your mouth can remain moist. 
• Ask your doctor for treatment options of mouth breathing that are best suited for you. 
• Mouthguards to be used at night can help sleep apnea or snoring and consequently mouth breathing. 
• In cases where your mouth breathing is as a result of problems in your nasal tract, use decongestants that do not further worsen dry mouth.

A common symptom of pregnancy is mouth dryness and can occur due to dehydration and increased demand for water intake for the developing baby.

• Keep dehydration away by drinking at least 8 to 12 glasses of water every day.
• Keep your blood glucose level in check to prevent gestational diabetes from occurring.

Some medications like anti-depressants, appetite vitamins or antihistamines can cause dry mouth, so consult your doctor for a replacement.

If you are on the keto diet, you may have noticed your mouth getting drier than usual. Take artificial saliva or other saliva substitutes that can help keep your mouth moist. Chew on sugar-free chewing gums or pastilles from theSt Andrew’s Trust Dry Mouth range that help stimulate saliva production and drink lots of water to keep away dehydration. 

Don’t get used to your desert-dry mouth and the feeling of your throat being scorched. Take action today!