Ask your pharmacist dry mouth

Dry Mouth
Eamonn Brady is a pharmacist and the owner of Whelehans Pharmacy, Pearse St, Mullingar. If you have any health questions e-mail them to info@whelehans.ie
Dry mouth (medically known as xerostomia) is due to a reduction in saliva produced by salivary glands. Saliva has many roles including aiding digestion and enhancing our ability to taste food, allowing easier swallow and preventing tooth delay (it is a natural antibacterial).
Causes
Medicines
Many medicines, including many over the counter medicines can cause dry mouth. These include some antidepressants, drugs used for nerve pain, benzodiazepines (used to treat anxiety), some antihistamines, decongestants, pain killers and muscle relaxants.

Cancer treatment
Both chemotherapy and radiation therapy change the quality of saliva and can reduce the amount and quality of saliva produced. This may only be temporary until treatment is finished.

Nerve damage
A head or neck injury or surgery that results in nerve damage to the head or neck can lead to dry mouth.

Other health conditions
Dry mouth can be a result of some health conditions, including Sjogren's syndrome (an autoimmune disease that causes, dry mouth, and dry eyes) and HIV/AIDS. Snoring and breathing with an open mouth (while sleeping) can also contribute to dry mouth.

Smoking
Smoking can cause and exacerbate symptoms of dry mouth

Symptoms
Dry mouth can lead to thick and stringy saliva; bad breath; changed taste sensations; problems with chewing; swallowing and speech problems; increased tooth decay, gum irritation and gum disease and problems wearing dentures including friction and pain. It also increase risk of mouth sores, fungal infection in the mouth, coated tongue, cracked lips, sores or skin splits occurring at the corners of the mouth.

Treatment
Depending on the causes of dry mouth your doctor may need to change medicines that can cause dry mouth.

Mouth moisturising products
Options include mouth rinses, artificial saliva or moisturisers that lubricate the mouth. For severe dry mouth, options include prescription medication that works by stimulating saliva. Options include pilocarpine or cevimeline that stimulates saliva production.
There are over-the-counter saliva substitutes including the Xerostom® range of products. In Whelehans we find good results from Xerostom®. Xerostom® products (includes a gel, mouthwash, toothpaste and chewing gum) have been shown in studies to increase saliva flow by up to 200% and shown to relieve pain and improve taste and flavours.

Other Tips
Sip water or sugar free drinks regularly to moisten mouth and drink water during meals as it will help make chewing and swallowing easier. Use sugar-free chewing gum or suck sugar-free hard sweets. Aim to breathe through the nose, not the mouth. Treatment for snoring may be recommended as snoring causes breathing through the mouth during the night. A room humidifier may help as it will add moisture to the air while you sleep. Regular moisturisation of the lips will soothe dry or cracked areas.

What to avoid?
Avoid substances that exacerbate dry mouth including caffeine and alcohol (including mouthwashes containing alcohol)l. Avoid salty and dry food; stop smoking and  ask your pharmacist what medicines  that can cause dry mouth to avoid.

Dental Advice event
Whelehans are holding a dental advice event on Friday October 3rd where you will be able to get free expert advice on dental hygiene, teeth whitening, dry mouth and more from a dental expert.

This article is shortened to fit within Newspaper space limits. More detailed information and leaflets is available in Whelehans