MOUTH – Dry mouth – Xerostomia
The worth of water will be realised only when the well goes dry. Likewise,
the worth of saliva can be really noted only when one suffers with dryness of
mouth. Dry mouth is medically termed as ‘Xerostomia’. It commonly occurs with
salivary gland problems. It can also occur temporarily due to various factors
starting from environmental factors, social factors and with other general
diseases. It usually comes as a symptom rather than a disease. Nowadays, people
take soft drinks, coffee, tea, etc., in plenty, to combat thirst / dry mouth
and accounting them for fluid balance of the body. The real thing is all these
will really need more water to eliminate or to wash them away (?).
Incidences
Dry mouth commonly occurs in elderly
people. It usually follows dehydration and disease – i.e. exhausted state.
Its incidences and intensity vary according to humidity, management and
treatments. It is also common in people who are tensed and worry a lot.
Causes
The most common reasons for dry mouth are
·
Environmental factors – continuously
exposed to very hot & dry winds or having direct blow from
air-conditioners.
·
Occupational – strenuous work or working more near
furnaces or in hot atmosphere
·
Deficiency of vitamins and minerals
·
Habits – smoking, breathing through the mouth/
improper closure of mouth (after losing teeth in elderly persons) / snoring,
drinking soft drinks often, taking preservative-added foods, taking less water,
etc.
·
Diseases –
o Infection – cold, cough
o Facial paralysis – here dryness may occur due to lesions occurring in
nerves supplying the salivary glands or by affectation of facial muscles which
lead to failure to close the mouth fully
o Auto immune disorders – AIDS, SLE, diabetes , Sjogren’s syndrome, etc.
·
Salivary gland disorders –
o Infection and inflammation of salivary glands
o Duct blocks due to stricture or stones
o Less production of saliva due to glandular diseases
o Lesion in nerve supplying salivary gland
o Tumours of salivary glands
·
Drug induced – dry mouth may also occur as adverse
effects of pain killers, diuretics, anti-depressants, anti-histamines, birth
control pills, sedative drugs
·
Treatments – steroidal therapy, chemotherapy, radiation
therapy
Symptoms
Dryness of mouth itself comes as a symptom rather than a disease. The low
abnormal quantity of saliva may reflect in the quality of the saliva too
and can cause a variety of problems.
The common accompanying symptoms are
·
Oral discomfort and altered taste
·
Thick, ropy, sticky saliva
·
Burning or tickling or numb sensation in tongue or mouth
·
Poor oral hygiene
·
Cracked, dry or scaling lips
·
Coating of tongue
·
Halitosis – bad breath
·
Difficulty in swallowing since mastication process cannot
make food into bolus
·
Difficulty in fluency of speech
·
Recurring throat infection and gum problems
·
Dry cough
·
Constipation
Diagnosis
It is very important to fix the
complaint to cure. It needs to be analysed in every way, i.e., from intake of
water, suffering complaints, treatments, medications, etc. Need for
investigations may vary depending upon the symptom presentation of the disease.
In general, the following tests are necessary.
·
Palpation of salivary glands
·
Routine blood tests to rule out infection, diabetes, high
cholesterol
·
Culture and sensitivity tests
·
X-ray / CT / MRI scan to rule out stones or stricture in
salivary gland ducts.
Complication
Any disease left untreated will bring complications as
reward or bonus. Dryness of mouth is also no exception. In due course, dry
mouth can cause
·
Fungal infections / thrush
·
Discomfort in mouth
·
Altered taste which can end in disgust for food and
weight loss
·
Depression and restlessness
Prevention and management
Dry mouth should be cared for in the
initial stages itself to avoid complications. Also, one should maintain good
oral hygiene with proper cleaning, brushing, flossing, etc. to avoid
unnecessary added infections. The easy managements are
Dos
·
Take adequate amount of water / fluids
·
Take good amount of nutritious food
·
Take care of nose block or snoring to avoid mouth
breathing
·
Take care of every disease in the start-up itself with
good amount of fluid supplements to avoid dehydration and exhausted state
·
Drink water before, during and after meals
·
Wash away the mouth / gurgle the mouth after food intake
and maintain cleanliness
·
Mastication process improves saliva secretion so
masticate well while eating or you can chew gum on other occasions
·
Use room humidifier in very hot and dry climates
Avoid
·
Dry foods (take food with good amount of gravy)
·
Exposure to smoke, wind, dust, etc
·
Smoking, tobacco chewing, coffee, tea, soft drinks, etc.
·
Very hot and spicy food
·
Preservative-added foods / drinks / fast foods
·
Breathing through the mouth
·
General treatment
In general, treatment will be successful only
when actual cause is removed and condition is treated accordingly i.e.,
treating salivary gland infection / fever / sinusitis / lung infection /
chronic bronchitis, etc. Vitamins and mineral supplements will also be provided
along with the treatment to maintain good health . In case of salivary gland
stone or obstruction or stricture, treatment will be aimed with surgical
option. But on some occasions, treatment / medicines itself causes dry mouth,
where treatment need to be stopped. In cases where the causes cannot be traced
out, treatment and management will be difficult.
Homeopathic approach
Nowadays, Homeopathy has gained importance in the tide of
health fortunes and has made the world to turn towards it for cure.
Homeopathy has marvellous medicines to improve the quantity and quality of
saliva. With the most apt drug, Homeopathy can control infection, enhance
immune power and stream line the normal required saliva secretion.
Regarding treatment of dry mouth, symptom presentations may differ from
person to person depending upon the disease, cause, intensity, etc. Homeopathy
gives importance to these individual symptoms / patient’s feelings than for the
disease symptoms. So, prescription also differs in Homeopathy from person to
person. For example – for
·
Dry mouth without thirst – Apis, Puls, Nux mos,
·
Dry mouth with excessive thirst – Bryonia
·
Dry mouth with thirst for little quantity – Ars alb
·
Ropy saliva – Iris vers, Kali Bich, Picric acid,
·
Offensive saliva – Baptisia, Baryta Mur, Merc sol, Nitric
acid,
·
Salty saliva – Cyclamen
·
Sour saliva – Ignatia
·
Tasteless saliva – Veratrum alb
·
Sweetish saliva – Chamomilla
With proper medicines, Homeopathy can remove the disease completely and act
locally on glands, or neurologically to stimulate the gland for quantitative
and qualitative normal saliva secretions. Homeopathy can also expel / bring out
salivary stone without any surgical intervention.
Homeopathic medicines commonly used for dry mouth are Acid nit, Acid flour,
Acid phos, Alumina, Apis mel, Ars alb, Aurum met, Arum triphyllum, Baryta mur,
Bryonia, Calc carb, Carbo animalis, Carbo veg, Graphites, Hepar sulph, Hyoscyamus,
Lachesis, Merc sol, Nat mur, Nux mos, Opium, Petroleum, Phosphorus, Psorinum,
Pulsastilla, Rhus tox, Silicea, Staphysagria, Sulphur, Thuja, Tuberculinum,
Uranium nit, Veratrum alb, etc. These Medicines should be taken under the
advice and diagnosis of a qualified Homeopath.
for
new hope
Dr. S. Chidambaranathan, BHMS, MD (Homeo)
Laxmi Homeo Clinic
24 E. New Mahalipatti Road
Madurai, TN 625 001
India
Tel: +91-984-319-1011 (Mob /
Whatsapp)
E-mail: drcheena@gmail.com
(Disclaimer: The
contents of this column are for informational purpose only. The content is not
intended to be a substitute for professional healthcare advice, diagnosis, or
treatment. Always seek the advice of healthcare professional for any health
problem or medical condition.)