Dry mouth is a medical condition that affects the oral cavity. It is also known as xerostomia in the field of medicine. The condition is caused by a lack of saliva or a reduction in amount of saliva synthesized in the mouth. There are several informal names used to refer to this condition. Some of them include cottonmouth, drooth, pasties, des, and doughmouth. The name des comes from the term desert.
Xerostomia as a medical condition is not life-threatening. However, its symptoms and effects can be very bothersome and they can reduce quality of life and affect oral health badly. When one starts to notice symptoms, it is best to seek medical assistance as fast as possible. Symptoms tend to get worse over time. Thus, when in need of treatment for dry mouth Newfoundlands is one of the best places to check out.
Research indicates that xerostomia is caused by malfunctioning of salivary glands. The malfunction causes many effects that negatively impact the quality of life of the patient. For instance, one experiences difficulty in talking and eating and infections and dental cavities increase inside the oral cavity. Foul breath becomes constant. Tooth decay comes from lack of saliva which results in the dental cavities. Loss of appetite is also characteristic.
Adults commonly experience dryness in their mouths. It is probable that everybody has experienced this condition once or twice in their lives. Temporary dryness may result when one is extremely frightened, under stress, or upset. Extreme dryness now becomes xerostomia. With xerostomia, the oral cavity remains without saliva most of the time.
Among the major causes of dry mouth is medication. The condition develops as a side effect of taking medication for a very long time. Thus, the symptoms of the condition are likely to disappear or decrease in how serious they are if one changes the prescription or dosage. Findings from research show that younger people are less affected than the old ones. Some people tend to think that xerostomia is a normal condition among the elderly people but that is wrong because it is not.
According to experts, elderly people are affected more because they take more medications than younger people. Xerostomia can also be an indication of a more serious systemic illness. Examples of illnesses that may be revealed through dryness in the oral cavity include sarcoidosis, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, amyloidosis, hypothyroidism, sjogren syndrome, and lupus erythematosus. In fact, this condition has come to be viewed as a symptom and not an illness on its own.
Besides medication and old age, this condition is also caused by several other factors. Some among the major causes include tobacco, cancer treatment, injury or surgery, dehydration, and spending too much time in the sun. Dehydration causes salivary glands to dry up, hence being unable to synthesize enough saliva to keep the oral cavity wet. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can damage salivary glands and alter the nature of saliva respectively.
There are several ways of diagnosing xerostomia. The first step is to carry out an examination of the mouth and review medical history. The dentist or doctor may also perform imaging scans and blood tests. Other diagnostic methods are sialometry, saliography, and biopsy.
Xerostomia as a medical condition is not life-threatening. However, its symptoms and effects can be very bothersome and they can reduce quality of life and affect oral health badly. When one starts to notice symptoms, it is best to seek medical assistance as fast as possible. Symptoms tend to get worse over time. Thus, when in need of treatment for dry mouth Newfoundlands is one of the best places to check out.
Research indicates that xerostomia is caused by malfunctioning of salivary glands. The malfunction causes many effects that negatively impact the quality of life of the patient. For instance, one experiences difficulty in talking and eating and infections and dental cavities increase inside the oral cavity. Foul breath becomes constant. Tooth decay comes from lack of saliva which results in the dental cavities. Loss of appetite is also characteristic.
Adults commonly experience dryness in their mouths. It is probable that everybody has experienced this condition once or twice in their lives. Temporary dryness may result when one is extremely frightened, under stress, or upset. Extreme dryness now becomes xerostomia. With xerostomia, the oral cavity remains without saliva most of the time.
Among the major causes of dry mouth is medication. The condition develops as a side effect of taking medication for a very long time. Thus, the symptoms of the condition are likely to disappear or decrease in how serious they are if one changes the prescription or dosage. Findings from research show that younger people are less affected than the old ones. Some people tend to think that xerostomia is a normal condition among the elderly people but that is wrong because it is not.
According to experts, elderly people are affected more because they take more medications than younger people. Xerostomia can also be an indication of a more serious systemic illness. Examples of illnesses that may be revealed through dryness in the oral cavity include sarcoidosis, scleroderma, rheumatoid arthritis, amyloidosis, hypothyroidism, sjogren syndrome, and lupus erythematosus. In fact, this condition has come to be viewed as a symptom and not an illness on its own.
Besides medication and old age, this condition is also caused by several other factors. Some among the major causes include tobacco, cancer treatment, injury or surgery, dehydration, and spending too much time in the sun. Dehydration causes salivary glands to dry up, hence being unable to synthesize enough saliva to keep the oral cavity wet. Radiotherapy and chemotherapy can damage salivary glands and alter the nature of saliva respectively.
There are several ways of diagnosing xerostomia. The first step is to carry out an examination of the mouth and review medical history. The dentist or doctor may also perform imaging scans and blood tests. Other diagnostic methods are sialometry, saliography, and biopsy.
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