BODY SIGNAL ALERT MOUTH, DRY: TREATMENT
If you’ve recently started to take a newly prescribed medication, it may be the culprit. Antihistamines such as Benadryl, over-the-counter painkillers such as Motrin or Tylenol, and medications used to treat depression, like Elavil, are other drugs that can cause your mouth to suddenly turn dry. Some medications such as over-the-counter diet pills, diuretics like Diyzide, and any antispasmodic such as Levsin can also cause dry mouth. If this is the case, the dryness will disappear once the medication is stopped or switched. If you are undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, these treatments can also alter the salivary glands: the former by damaging them, the latter by altering the saliva’s makeup.
If you can’t change your medication or if your dry mouth persists, you can help alleviate the symptoms by drinking liquids while you eat as well as by sipping water frequently during the day. Some people have found that chewing gum or sucking on mints helps. Others have found some relief by using artificial saliva drops, such as Salagen tablets, which are available over-the-counter.
If you have a stone in the salivary duct, your physician will either remove it with surgery or attempt to push it out with his fingers and treat the pain and residual swelling.
Tips and Precautions
Many people experience dry mouth when they’re under stress. Simple anxiety and stage fright can also cause your mouth to become dry. If you consistently wake up with a dry mouth, it’s probably due to sleeping with your mouth open; the best thing to do is to keep a glass of water on your nightstand so you can take a sip when you wake up.
*238\167\8*
Related Posts:
Tags: General health