How to Deal with Dry Mouth

Dry mouth is more common that we know. Dry mouth occurs when there is not enough saliva or the saliva is thick in texture. The medical term for dry mouth is xerostomia. I have a cousin who has dry mouth. His mouth is generally sensitive and eating doesn’t seem to help him. He has trouble chewing food and swallowing. Often times he has to mash his food up and add water to be able to swallow. He also feels constantly thirsty. The disease has caused him some health problems such as cavities and gingivitis. It seems he is at the dentist at least once a month. He also has bad breath, which has interfered with his intimate relationship with his wife. There are things that he has recently been doing which have been helpful and may be helpful to those of you who have dry mouth.

Avoid eating or drinking anything that increases the symptoms of dry mouth. I know my cousin doesn’t drink alcohol of anything that has caffeine such as coffee. When he does is mouth becomes extremely dry and sore. He also avoids eating spicy and foods that have acid. For example, he avoids lemons, oranges, and bananas. He tells me that bananas is one of the worse things to eat because it sticks to the roof of his mouth. Other foods he doesn’t eat too much are meats such as beef, crackers and dry bread. Any foods that are dry just to work for him.

Drink lots of fluids. He drinks more that eight glasses of water a day. He doesn’t go anywhere without his water bottle. About every fifteen minutes he drinks some sort of liquid. He also drinks juice and herbal teas. However he makes sure the juice and tea are sugar free. He told me by drinking liquids his mouth stays moist enough to be able to eat. The fluids has also reduced his bad breath.

Eat soft foods. My cousin frequently eats foods such as fish, chicken and vegetables that are cooked in a broth. It is easier to consume and has moisture in the food too which helps with his dry mouth condition.

Keep your lips moist. Your lips are a part of your mouth that is always dry so it helps to keep them moist by using a simple product such as lip balm. Your lips will look and feel better. Keep some Vaseline lip balm with you wherever you go. Apply to your lips whenever you find them dry. This will help you avoid licking your lips.

There is no cure for dry mouth but there are things you can do to reduce the symptoms. These tips have helped my cousin and I think can help you too.