Dry mouth is an unpleasant sensation that can be a symptom of serious illnesses. If dry mouth occurs constantly or frequently, it is necessary to understand the cause that is causing it and, if necessary, begin treatment. Elimination of dry mouth, as a rule, is achieved only as a result of treating the underlying disease, which should be the true goal. In any case, the feeling of dry mouth is another reason to pay attention to your health.
Dry mouth is caused by insufficient hydration of the oral mucosa, mostly due to insufficient saliva production. In medicine, dry mouth caused by a cessation or decrease in saliva production is called xerostomia.
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Quite often, dry mouth occurs in the morning or at night (that is, after sleep).
Symptoms associated with dry mouth
Dry mouth in most cases manifests itself as a complex of symptoms described as:
- "viscosity" or "stickiness" in the mouth;
- thirst;
- irritation of the oral mucosa (burning and itching), the appearance of a bright border of the lips, cracks on the lips and in the corners of the mouth;
- dry tongue. The tongue turns red and becomes rough. It becomes more difficult to speak, chew and swallow. Decreased taste perception;
- dry throat. The voice becomes hoarse and more hoarse;
- there is an unpleasant odor from the mouth.
Is this condition dangerous during pregnancy?
Dry throat is not normal and is always caused by some kind of disorder, whether significant or minor, depending on the accompanying symptoms. Soreness and dryness are a sign of diabetes or severe hypertension. In this case, the woman may develop gestosis and placental insufficiency. Such conditions are very dangerous for the health and life of both the expectant mother and her child.
Dry oral mucosa can lead to gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and stomatitis, since with an insufficient amount of saliva, which has a bactericidal property, pathogenic microorganisms rapidly multiply in the mouth, provoking inflammatory processes. Such diseases require additional medications, which cannot but affect the health and development of the child.
Causes of dry mouth that are not pathological
In some cases, dry mouth is not associated with a medical condition. For example:
- Dry mouth can occur in the morning and at night due to intoxication. This is a typical situation after drinking too much the night before.
- When nasal breathing is impaired, a person breathes through his mouth during sleep. The mouth is slightly open, and the oral mucosa dries out faster. Nasal breathing can be impaired due to a runny nose, nasal polyps, or a deviated nasal septum. A similar situation occurs with snoring. The cause of snoring in most cases is a decrease in the tone of the soft palate. Muscle weakening develops with age. This is why older people snore more often, and their oral mucosa becomes dry. This reason explains dry mouth in the morning in the elderly in most cases.
- If you don't drink enough fluids in hot weather, you shouldn't be surprised by dry mouth. A similar effect can be caused by eating highly salted foods.
- Many medications can cause dry mouth.
- Smoking is another common cause of dry mouth.
- Dry mouth can be one of the symptoms of menopause.
Diseases that may cause dry mouth
Dry mouth can be caused by high fever and intoxication due to various infectious diseases (flu, sore throat, etc.). Diseases associated with large loss of fluid as a result of vomiting or diarrhea (cholera, dysentery) can also cause dry mouth. In such cases, dry mouth is one of many symptoms and does not attract special attention.
If dry mouth is combined with diarrhea, flatulence, belching, nausea and pain in the left side of the abdomen, then this may indicate pancreatitis.
Dry mouth in combination with a bitter taste, heartburn, white or yellow coating on the tongue can indicate diseases of the gastrointestinal tract such as gastritis, duodenitis, cholecystitis.
Dry mouth can also occur with:
- diseases of the salivary glands;
- endocrine diseases (diabetes mellitus, thyrotoxicosis);
- neoplasms of the oral cavity (benign and malignant);
- damage to nerve endings that contribute to the functioning of the salivary glands;
- anemia;
- vitamin A deficiency;
- systemic diseases (scleroderma, Sjogren's disease, cystic fibrosis).
Causes
It is worth noting! During the period of bearing a child, young mothers often experience a restructuring of all their vital functions.
First of all, to ensure the vital functions of two organisms, a larger volume of blood, a special level of hormones, an increased amount of water and nutrients, as well as proper rest are needed.
Therefore,
if something is not performed to the required degree or is overloaded physically or emotionally, then such an imbalance causes various symptoms, including dry mouth .
Most often, dry mouth during pregnancy occurs due to:
- Eating hot , spicy, pickled, smoked, salty foods, carbonated drinks and natural coffee .
- Changes in mineral balance, most often excess magnesium and deficiency of potassium . With the help of a special diet enriched with tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini, dried apricots and other products, you can restore the required level of minerals.
- Some medications have a feeling of thirst as a side effect . Therefore, you need to either replace the drug or abandon it. If the harm from excluding treatment is greater than discomfort, it is necessary to obtain competent advice from a doctor.
- Diseases of the circulatory or nervous system, respiratory tract.
- Dehydration as a result of toxicosis or a shift in water balance. If drinking water or non-carbonated drinks is not possible, then dehydration through a dropper is necessary.
- Diseases of the endocrine system appear quite often and are associated with changes as a result of pregnancy. Therefore, to determine this factor as the main cause of dry mouth, you need to do a blood test for TSH levels.
- Diabetes in pregnant women appears due to a change in the balance in metabolic processes and hormonal functions. The symptom can pose a significant danger to the fetus and the woman. Therefore, the GTT test is performed primarily to exclude gestational diabetes.
Eliminate dry mouth
If dry mouth is caused by drinking alcohol and smoking, then it can only be eliminated by getting rid of the bad habit. It is recommended to reduce the consumption of salty and sweet foods. Pay attention to how you breathe - through your nose or mouth. If nasal breathing is difficult, the cause must be diagnosed and nasal breathing restored. To do this, you will have to see a doctor. It is also important to monitor the humidity in the room.
Dry mouth can be the first symptom of many diseases. Therefore, if you often experience a feeling of dry mouth, it is necessary to understand its nature, determine the cause and, if necessary, consult a doctor and begin treatment for the disease that caused this symptom.
Features of the causes of symptoms in the early stages
Stay up to date! Almost every woman's early pregnancy is accompanied by severe toxicosis - vomiting, mainly in the first half of the day.
The body not only loses a lot of fluid, but also a lot of useful substances . In addition, women lose their appetite and eat less food. This may also be due to the fear of repeated attacks of nausea.
However, you should not simply replenish your water balance by drinking too much fluid. Because this can cause swelling in different parts of the body and legs in particular.
Heat and high temperatures in dry climates cause hyperhidrosis.
This means losing some of the body's moisture through sweating.
Some diseases, for example, hypertension, anemia, chronic and inflammatory processes are accompanied by a sign of dry mouth.
A thorough examination should be performed to exclude this cause or confirm it. Only then is any action taken.
Keep in mind! Along with toxicosis during pregnancy, taste sensations and preferences change.
Uncontrolled consumption of any food group or lack of a balanced diet well cause a feeling of dry mouth.
smoking during pregnancy. After all, this bad habit not only dries out the mucous membranes of the mouth, but also changes the level of water balance .
also analyze the emotional situation. Since the feeling of thirst is often directly related to severe stress and anxiety.
Which doctor should I contact for dry mouth?
If you complain of dry mouth, you can contact your dentist or general practitioner (GP or family doctor). After identifying the cause that caused the feeling of dryness, you may be redirected to an endocrinologist, gastroenterologist or rheumatologist.
Most likely, you will need to undergo various tests (general blood count, general urinalysis, blood test for thyroid hormones, biochemical blood test, serological test), and, if necessary, undergo some instrumental studies (ultrasound, radiography, computed tomography).
Prevention
the pregnant woman does not have any serious illnesses in her anamnesis , then it is quite simple for her to ensure that dry mouth does not even appear.
To do this, you need to lead a healthy lifestyle and activity. It is necessary to normalize physical and intellectual loads , as well as regulate sleep and rest patterns.
Recommendations
For your information! There are a number of other recommendations for preventing dry mouth:
- completely review your diet , eliminating most sweet foods from it. And also completely salty and spicy dishes, regardless of the method of preparation. Eating juicy fruits and vegetables daily replenishes the deficiency of microelements and minerals. It also replenishes moisture and prevents dehydration;
- The water balance must be controlled very strictly. So on ordinary days, the consumption of non-carbonated drinks and plain or mineral water (necessarily without gas) should be at least 1-1.5 liters. On hot and frosty dry days, moisture is lost by the body faster and more intensely. Therefore, to replenish the previous level, you will need at least 2 liters of unsweetened drink. This event is especially relevant during the period of toxicosis. At this time, a woman loses a lot of fluid from her body every day;
- any tobacco products or alcoholic cocktails, even at a low level, should not be present in the lifestyle of the expectant mother . These products greatly drain the body and require even more fluid intake. Excessive drinking can lead to swelling and other problems of the excretory system;
- If the air humidity level in the room is too low, additional humidification will be needed. If possible, it is better to use an air ionizer or ultrasonic humidifier. On the other hand, you can simply place several wide, flat containers with clean water. It will evaporate, thus increasing the humidity of the microclimate;
- The condition of the teeth and mucous membranes , as well as the soft tissues of the oral cavity, requires constant monitoring. Any diseases or developing bacterial microflora in the mouth can cause discomfort. Therefore, skipping brushing your teeth is not recommended.
Important! The cause of the feeling of thirst or dry mouth can be almost any factor that is almost impossible to accurately determine on your own.
If you experience any early signs of dry mouth, you should seek help from a doctor and undergo a thorough examination.
Changed taste preferences, as well as the functioning of a pregnant woman’s body, make it difficult for her to adequately assess her real sensations.
