It is not a particularly nice feeling to wake up with a dry and sticky feeling in your mouth. Its annoying and can possibly lead to a lot of different complications once left untreated. But what really is dry mouth?
Dry mouth
More commonly called as xerostomia by medical professionals, dry mouth is basically a condition where there is a lack of saliva in the oral cavity. It is colloquially called pasties or cottonmouth. In itself, it is not a disease, but rather a possible symptom of some other condition.
Causes:
1.Medications. Some medications may have side effects of dry mouth. Prescription medications for depression, anxiety, pain; and illicit drugs like cannabis and methamphetamines may cause dry mouth.
2.Radiation therapy. This procedure may affect the salivary glands and its functions.
3.Diseases and infections. Dry mouth can be a side effect of underlying medical conditions and infections like: Sjgren’s syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, anaemia, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, Parkinson’s disease, stroke, and mumps.
4.Depression and anxiety. Studies have shown that...