Causes of the problem
Constant astringency in the mouth indicates the following pathological conditions:
- HIV AIDS;
- impaired glucose tolerance;
- Hodgkin's disease (oncological disease affecting the lymphatic system);
- cystic fibrosis;
- parkinsonism;
- iron deficiency in the body due to an unbalanced diet;
- hormonal imbalance;
- breathing problems;
- diarrhea;
- damage to muscle or nerve fibers localized in the neck;
- age-related changes.
In rare cases, discomfort in the mouth that persists for a long time may occur after surgery to remove the salivary glands or be the result of a head injury.
Dry mouth, lips, and throat can be temporary, permanent, or morning
Temporary astringent sensations are usually associated with:
- consuming large amounts of excessively salty foods;
- runny nose (acute, chronic);
- insufficient humidity and high air temperature in the living room;
- long-term high-intensity sports;
- smoking (including hookah - smoke dries out the oral mucosa).
Dryness and accompanying symptoms may appear the next day after taking certain drugs.
Medicines
The reasons for the appearance of a feeling of viscosity on the oral mucosa may lie in drug treatment. Most often, changes in taste sensations are provoked by the following drugs: anxiolytics (anti-anxiety drugs), analgesics, laxatives, antifungal and antihistamine medications.
Important! It is noteworthy that dietary supplements can also cause discomfort and a tart taste in the mouth and lips. If such a problem arises, you should carefully read the instructions for the dietary supplement - perhaps a feeling of viscosity on the oral mucosa is listed as a side effect.
Other factors
Sticky saliva after eating is a common problem that many people experience. So, it dries and astringents the mouth after persimmon - a healthy fruit rich in vitamins and minerals, which contains tannin in large quantities (it is this substance that causes some discomfort). To avoid unpleasant sensations, lovers of this fruit can first place it in the freezer, dry it, or, conversely, heat it.
If the feeling of astringency, viscosity in the oral cavity is accompanied by the appearance of plaque on the tongue, these are sure signs of diseases of the digestive tract (stomach, liver, gall bladder)
External reasons why it may bake in the mouth
Sometimes unpleasant sensations on the palate and tongue appear due to the occurrence of a serious illness, and it happens that the mucous membrane stings due to the influence of external factors that are easy to eliminate:
- Most often, the cause of baking in the mouth is mechanical damage to the mucous membrane.
People can injure their tongue and lips while eating; less often, poor-quality dental care leads to damage to the oral mucosa. - If the palate and tongue are burned by hot food or drinks, the discomfort will continue for at least a few more days. Sometimes the burning sensation continues after the tissue has healed.
- You may develop an allergic reaction to oral care products. For many, this symptom is caused by the presence of sodium lauryl sulfate in toothpaste. It dries out the mucous membrane, which gradually provokes itching and a feeling that the person’s whole mouth is on fire. It is better to put such pastes away.
- Taking some medications can also have unpleasant side effects. The most common causes of burning are iodine-containing medications, antihypertensive drugs when taken uncontrolled, and vasoconstrictors.
A feeling similar to that of a burn to the mucous membrane is often a side effect of chemotherapy.
Types of viscosity
There is morning, constant, temporary dry mouth. The first is usually associated with drinking alcohol the day before (hangover) or nasal congestion. Constant viscosity indicates hormonal transformations in the body (for example, during menopause in women), is a consequence of smoking, eating a large amount of salty foods, or natural age-related changes. Short-term astringency is the result of increased dry air, increased physical activity, or prolonged use of certain groups of medications.
Diagnostics
Since astringency and dry mouth can be associated with various pathological conditions and malfunctions of the body, only a doctor should determine the cause of this phenomenon, based on the accompanying manifestations. Thus, a tart taste, viscosity in the oral cavity in combination with general weakness, white tongue nausea, pain in the stomach, as a rule, indicate gastritis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of this digestive organ). It is also accompanied by the release of acid from the stomach into the esophagus (heartburn).
The feeling of viscosity on the oral mucosa is a signal notifying of various health problems.
If all of the above is also accompanied by a high body temperature, we are talking about a bacterial or viral infection. Viscosity, mucus, bitter taste, gray coating on the tongue, accompanied by acute pain in the right hypochondrium, indicate the presence of gallstones.
Important! The presence of a metallic taste in the mouth is a sure symptom of gingivitis (inflammation of the gums).
You can determine why your mouth feels sticky using the following diagnostic methods:
Why is there a white coating on my tongue?
- professional examination of the oral cavity by a dentist;
- hormonal research;
- urine and blood tests (including vitamins and minerals);
- Ultrasound of the abdominal organs;
- MRI of the head and neck;
- endoscopic examination of the condition of the gastric mucosa;
- tests for tumor markers, infections, etc.
In addition, during the examination, the doctor must constantly monitor the patient’s blood pressure, since its “jumps” can also be one of the factors causing the appearance of viscosity on the oral mucosa.
Associated symptoms
Dry mouth is a fairly common symptom, so trying to diagnose yourself with any disorder based on this symptom alone is pointless. The presence of a particular disease may be indicated by symptoms that appear simultaneously with xerostomia:
- Frequent urination and extreme thirst indicate diabetes;
- burning tongue, feeling of “sand” in the eyes, pain in the joints, loss of strength – Sjögren’s syndrome;
- dry skin, cracks in the corners of the mouth - lack of vitamin A;
- dizziness, sometimes a feeling of cold – low blood pressure;
- nausea - poisoning;
- burning of the tongue, sometimes the sensation of a foreign body on it - side effects of medications;
- bitterness in the mouth – general dehydration;
- burning in the mouth, periodic appearance of whitish films on the mucous membranes of the mouth - candidiasis.
Xerostomia itself is also often accompanied by a complex of pathological phenomena affecting the oral cavity:
- redness and roughness of the tongue;
- the appearance of cracks on the lips and corners of the mouth;
- bad breath;
- itching sensation on the surface of the tongue;
- difficulty swallowing food and speaking;
- distortion of taste sensations.
In order to accurately establish the diagnosis, a comprehensive examination is necessary. If diabetes is suspected, it is necessary to do a general urine and blood test, as well as a special blood test for glucose levels. If Sjögren's syndrome is suspected, a serological blood test is performed to detect the presence of specific antibodies in it. A special blood test for hemoglobin is necessary if anemia is suspected.
If dryness and viscosity in the mouth are accompanied by pain in the parotid area, it is necessary to perform an ultrasound to exclude the presence of a cyst, tumor or salivary stone disease (formation of stones in the ducts of the salivary glands that block them).
Solution
Treatment is selected by a specialist based on the results of the examination and depends on the reason for the discomfort. If treatment measures are not taken in a timely manner, a lack of saliva will lead to an increased risk of developing various dental diseases.
In addition, a malfunction of the salivary glands will certainly affect local immunity (the protective functions of the oral mucosa). So, subsequently, patients may encounter the following problems: candidiasis, sore throat, stomatitis, inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
Surgery to remove salivary glands subsequently leads to dry mouth
In this regard, if for unknown reasons you begin to feel a knot in your mouth and such sensations persist for a long time, you should seek medical help from a therapist. If necessary, the doctor will refer you for consultation to a more specialized specialist - a dentist, gastroenterologist, neurologist.
Diagnostic methods
Diagnostic measures will depend on the initial examination. During the consultation, the dentist-therapist will identify and record cracks, films, ulcers and other formations on the oral mucosa, and listen to complaints. You can immediately take a smear for bacterial culture.
Only tests can determine the true cause of the problem.
Referrals for laboratory blood tests will be required: general, biochemical, hormonal and others. If necessary, the doctor (naturally, this will no longer be a dentist, but a therapist or specialized specialist) will refer you for a gastrointestinal examination (FGS, ultrasound) and/or MRI of the head and spinal column. Further actions of the specialist depend on the results obtained; You may need to consult a doctor of a different profile.
Prevention
If the feeling of a sticky mouth is not associated with pathological processes in the body, following simple rules will help prevent the recurrence of discomfort. So, you should drink more water, monitor the temperature and humidity in the living (working) room, and ventilate it more often.
It is mandatory to visit the dentist at least once a year and undergo appropriate treatment. As you can see, the feeling of viscosity on the oral mucosa is just a signal notifying about various malfunctions in the body. Timely identification of the causes of this pathological phenomenon and appropriate treatment will help to avoid more serious health problems.
