Are you worried about your dry mouth? There is no need to be over reactive to that unpleasant feeling of dry mouth. It is basically an indication that the flow of saliva which keeps your mouth wet is reduced.
What is required is to understand why your saliva flow is reduced and rectify the flow.Dry mouth or xerostomia as it is known in medical terms is generally caused by lifestyle changes such as dehydration, depression, stress, anxiety alcoholism and smoking.
Hormonal changes during pregnancy and breast feeding mothers can also get dry mouth.Conditions like snoring and diabetes may also cause dry mouth.
Use of many basic medications such as muscle relaxants, antihistamines, painkillers and decongestants for depression and other medications used for treatment of cancer, diabetes and autoimmune diseases also cause dry mouth. Your growing age can also contribute to less saliva flow.
You have many choices ranging from lifestyle changes to using home remedies to cure your dry mouth. Go ahead and follow.
Start with the Following Habit Changes to Cure Dry Mouth
It is very likely that you are breathing through your mouth, particularly when you have dry mouth without any other medical condition and you are not on any medication. Air entering mouth dries it.
Learn to breath correctly through the nose. Do breathing exercises. The following breathing technique will help you to change your breathing habit
- Sit comfortably on a chair with your spine erect
- Close your mouth
- Close one of the nostrils with thumb of one of your hands by keeping the fingers straight
- Breath in through the second open nostril
- Exhale through the other nostril by removing the thumb from the nostril
- While removing the thumb from the first nostril close the other nostril by your index finger of the same hand
- Once the exhalation is complete. inhale from the same nostril and exhale through other nostril by removing the index finger.
- While you exhale through the second nostril, put your thumb back on the first nostril to keep it close.
- Repeat the cycle 50 times in one sitting
- Both breathing in and exhaling should be slow and deep.
- Repeat such cycles 3-4 times a day.
2. Hydrate your Mouth
Dehydration is one of the most ignored cause of dry mouth. We drink less water now a days. Air conditioned environment and lack of physical activities are the main reason for drinking less water.
- Drink 8-10 glasses of water. Make it a habit by setting up alarms for every one hour
- Eat watery fruits such as all types of melons and citrus fruits. Drink their juices if you like.
3. Avoid Following Food Items
Certain food and other habits restricts saliva production and make the mouth dry. You need to stop those habits.
The first in the line of attack are Caffeine and Alcohol. Stop consuming them if you have dry mouth. These items are not good for your health otherwise also. Just give them up if you are not addicted to them.
If you are addicted to them then learn how to get out of the addiction. It may be difficult but worthwhile.
Stop chewing tobacco and stop smoking. Tobacco does more harm than any other addiction. Give it up.
Stop eating and drinking sugary products. Sugar reduces saliva production. Too much consumption of refined sugar will lead to diabetes, which in addition to causing many organ damages does make your mouth dry.
In addition to the advice life style change use the following simple home remedies
4. Lemon
Keep a small lemon slice in your mouth on both sides near wisdom teeth and chew them for 2-3 minutes. This induces higher saliva flow. If you find this difficult to follow then buy sugar free lemon candies and keep in the mouth to melt on their own.
Both these techniques are very good if you have restricted saliva flow due to any reason.
5. Sugar Free Chewing Gum
This may be one of the easiest remedies for you to adapt to. Chewing gums reminds of early growing up age. The only difference this time is that you are not going to use sugary chewing gum.
Buy sugar free chewing gum of any good international brand and chew it for 15 minutes. This will not only increase saliva flow but will also improve your your jaws and teeth.
These are simple ways. Just follow them. That irritating feeling of dryness in the mouth will disappear and you will feel fresh throughout.