We all love to sleep soundly at night - and we do it right, because, as neurologist Alexey Danilov, professor of the department of nervous diseases of the First Moscow State Medical University, explains in his interview, lack of sleep leads to worsening mood, depression and decreased concentration, increases the risk of obesity and the development of a number of chronic diseases. diseases. To be in shape, a person needs to sleep a certain number of hours. But sometimes we wake up in the middle of the night, and one of the main reasons for this is dry mouth. If you have ever encountered this problem, it will be useful for you to know what causes it, how to deal with it, and when you should see a doctor.
Symptoms of dry mouth
Common symptoms include dry tongue and throat, cracked lips, and a sticky, sticky feeling in the mouth. Some people with dry mouth have difficulty recognizing the taste of food, chewing and swallowing food, have difficulty speaking, have sores, and have a burning sensation in the mouth. If you have several symptoms of dry mouth, consult your dentist or physician - such symptoms may be a sign of diseases that require medical attention.
Symptoms
Lack of saliva causes discomfort and provokes pathological changes in the mucous membrane. A minimum of fluid in the mouth is no less irritating than excessive salivation.
Main patient complaints:
- poorly healing wounds, traumatic injuries;
- inflammatory processes of gum tissue, redness, slight swelling;
- the appearance of carious cavities;
- formation of erosions, ulcers, oral candidiasis;
- burning of throat, tongue;
- coughing attacks;
- chapped lips, “jams” in the corners of the mouth;
- putrid odor from the mouth.
What causes dry mouth?
It is important to know not only the symptoms, but also the causes of dry mouth at night. It may occur due to snoring or sleeping with your mouth open, smoking, drinking alcohol, or experiencing stress and emotional overload. In addition, dry mouth at night may be a sign of Sjögren's syndrome or a side effect of medications such as sinusitis, anxiety and depression.
Causes
If a person feels dry during the night and immediately after waking up that his tongue is dry and there is literally not a drop of saliva in his mouth, it is important to find out as quickly as possible why this is happening. The situation is complicated by the fact that there are many factors that can cause such symptoms, ranging from banal summer stuffiness in the bedroom to serious health problems.
Triggering everyday situations
Why does my tongue dry out at night? Fortunately, the reason for this does not always lie in illness - various internal and external factors can affect the production of saliva, and by eliminating them, you can quickly get rid of the problem.
One of the most common causes of dry mouth at night is dehydration—if a person doesn't drink enough, their saliva becomes viscous and produces less volume.
The condition of the oral cavity can also be affected by:
- The temperature or humidity in the bedroom is too high. It’s easier to correct the situation during the day - just drink a glass of water, and the condition of the mucous membrane will return to normal. But in a dream, a person is deprived of this opportunity, so if the thermometer in the room shows more than 22-23 ⁰C, and the humidity level has dropped below 50%, dryness can make itself felt at any moment.
- Contaminated air. People living in industrial areas with unfavorable environmental conditions are more likely to experience dry mouth in the morning and during the night.
- Nasal congestion. During a runny nose, a person often has to spend the whole night with his mouth open in order to simply breathe. This means that the flow of air passing through the oral cavity for several hours in a row will greatly dry out the mucous membrane.
- Snore. People who snore in their sleep most often have to breathe through their mouth, which affects not only the quality of night's rest, but also the condition of the mucous membranes and tongue.
- Unhealthy habits. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs and even too much coffee cause dehydration and poison the body with toxins.
In addition, in older people, the causes and relief of dry mouth at night are directly related to the medications they are forced to take daily. For example, many drugs for lowering blood pressure have a diuretic effect, which means they sharply reduce the amount of fluid in the body, causing dry mucous membranes.
Internal pathologies
Among other things, go to the dentist.
Severe dry mouth during the night can be associated with various diseases that cause intoxication, loss of fluid and important microelements, and malfunction of the salivary glands. This is about:
- disturbance of water and electrolyte balance as a result of severe diarrhea or vomiting;
- acute respiratory diseases;
- alcohol or drug poisoning;
- hormonal imbalance;
- diabetes mellitus;
- stroke;
- Parkinson's disease;
- head injuries;
- arthrosis, arthritis;
- gastritis, pancreatitis, ulcers, etc.
In addition, the answer to the question of why the mouth and tongue dry out at night often lies in the field of dentistry: diseases of the teeth and gums also affect the condition of the mucous membrane, especially if treatment is delayed for quite a long time.
Associated symptoms
Dryness and discomfort in the oral cavity are often accompanied by additional symptoms, from which the doctor can also draw a conclusion about the causes of the problem. For example:
- Dry mucous membranes and constant bitterness in the mouth are signs of problems with the liver, bile ducts or pancreas.
- A deficiency of saliva in combination with headache and dizziness may indicate a tendency to low blood pressure.
- Nausea and dry mouth at night can be signs of overeating, and in combination with diarrhea - symptoms of an intestinal infection.
- A dry tongue, constant thirst and frequent urination are some of the main external manifestations of diabetes.
However, the most dangerous is considered to be a combination of acute lack of saliva and general weakness - these signs may indicate that the patient has blood diseases or malignant neoplasms.
The Best Strategies for Combating Dry Mouth
The first thing you should do is talk to your dentist, who can determine the causes of dry mouth and, if it is a symptom of a medical condition, offer you treatment options. While waiting for your visit to the clinic, try to relieve your condition on your own:
- Keep a glass or bottle of water on your bedside table to quench your thirst at night
- Dentists also recommend using sugar-free chewing gum or sugar-free candy throughout the day.
- Use a humidifier in your bedroom at night
- Reduce your caffeine and soda intake
- Quit tobacco and alcohol
- Drink more fluids throughout the day to avoid dehydration
In addition, careful care of your teeth and gums provides significant assistance in the fight against dry mouth. Be sure to use an alcohol-free mouthwash, brush your teeth twice a day, and floss, which helps remove food particles stuck between your teeth in areas that are hard to reach with a toothbrush.
Don't let dry mouth interfere with your night's rest. Take the necessary steps and wake up in the morning in a good mood, fully prepared for the new day.
Therapeutic and prophylactic agents
When dryness rarely bothers you, for example, only in the mornings, in the heat or after intense workouts, to normalize salivation, your doctor may recommend:
- therapeutic and prophylactic toothpastes;
- anti-inflammatory, antiseptic rinses;
- sprays and gels with moisturizing polymers;
- chewing gum and lozenges for dry mouth.
Most of the listed products are included in the product line of such well-known manufacturers as Miradent (Miradent Aquamed xylitol lollipops with passion fruit flavor), BioXtra, Dentaid (Dentaid Xeros tooth gel for dry mouth) and others. Branded products are developed and created specifically to improve the quality of life of patients suffering from xerostomia and its manifestations.
Diagnostics
Who should I contact if I have frequent dry mouth? Make your first visit to a dental surgeon.
The specialist will check whether the salivary glands are working correctly, determine the volume of liquid, and evaluate the viscosity and transparency of the secretions. After examination, stones in the ducts and infection of the salivary glands are often discovered.
The highest qualifications are those who practice maxillofacial surgeons in hospitals, rather than in outpatient clinics. If the problem is caused not only by the condition of the salivary glands or stones in the ducts, the jaw surgeon will prescribe an additional examination.
To clarify the diagnosis and identify underlying diseases, laboratory tests are required:
- blood for sugar;
- Analysis of urine;
- blood chemistry.
Important! Consultation with a gastroenterologist, ENT doctor, or dentist is required. If autoimmune pathologies are suspected, a visit to an immunologist is recommended.
Solution
You can solve a problem if you eliminate its cause. The main goal of therapy is to get rid of the disease that causes dryness, or to achieve remission and reduce the frequency of exacerbations if the disease is chronic. For diabetes, insulin therapy is recommended; for infections, immunomodulators, antifungals or antibiotics (depending on the pathogen). Hypertension requires taking medications that lower blood pressure. For diseases of the digestive system, antacids and enzyme preparations are taken. The course of menopause will be facilitated by hormonal therapy and herbal remedies. If dry mouth is caused by internal or external factors, eliminate them. It is also important to establish nasal breathing.
Important! Treatment, regimens and dosages are prescribed by the doctor after examination.
Help with dry mouth
You can get rid of dryness using the following methods:
- Try drinking some water if you feel any discomfort.
- Mint or sour candies, dried fruits, and chewing gum will help increase salivation and moisturize the mucous membranes.
- You can suck or chew a piece of ice.
- When dryness begins to occur, rinse your mouth with water or herbal infusions.
- It is useful to do inhalations with mineral water, decoctions, and pharmaceutical preparations (“Vitaon”).
- You can add a moderate amount of chili pepper to your food: the product contains a substance that causes salivation.
- There are special medications that stimulate the salivary glands or replace saliva, but they should be taken on the recommendation of a doctor.
Home Recipes
Folk remedies will help get rid of dryness:
- Regularly rinse your mouth with herbal decoctions with moisturizing, regenerating, anti-inflammatory properties. Chamomile, calendula, coltsfoot, and string are suitable.
- The decoctions described above can be heated and the steam inhaled through the mouth to moisturize the mucous membranes. These are a kind of simple inhalations.
- Chew a few fresh mint leaves to freshen your breath and relieve oral discomfort.
- Use a soda-salt solution rinse. Add a teaspoon of each ingredient to a glass of water, mix everything and rinse your mouth several times a day and before bed.
Diagnostic measures
If your mouth is dry at night and you are very thirsty, you should not wait for the symptom to disappear. Contact your general practitioner and undergo an examination, which will include blood tests (general, hormone tests). Diagnostic procedures may be prescribed to analyze the functioning of organs: ECG, CT, radiography, MRI.
After receiving the examination results, the therapist refers the patient to specialized specialists: endocrinologist, ENT specialist, surgeon, gynecologist, infectious disease specialist, dentist, gastroenterologist. The doctor will conduct a detailed diagnosis and prescribe treatment.
