Often, patients at the appointment with the therapist casually mention that they constantly dry their mouths. Unpleasant dryness makes you constantly drink water, use therapeutic rinses - but the discomfort does not go away. It is very important not to be silent about your problem, but to notify the doctor about it, since this delicate nuance can be a symptom of a rather dangerous pathology. What disease is caused by a constant dry mouth? The article lists the most common diseases in which this symptom is observed, as well as tips for a speedy recovery.
Why should you be wary of such a symptom?
In our country, many people are irresponsible about their own health and go to the doctor only when assistance can already be pointless. In recent years, they began to conduct mandatory medical examinations in clinics. However, at the reception, patients are often shy about declaring their ailments aloud, preferring to leave home as soon as possible. Meanwhile, if you constantly dry your mouth and you want to drink more than before, then you should definitely inform your doctor about such discomfort.
It is very important what accompanying symptoms the patient will describe. Does his jaw hurt when he constantly dries his mouth? Is subfebrile temperature observed in the late afternoon? Does the head hurt, and if so, what is the nature of the sensations. Are there skin rashes, how quickly wounds and cuts heal?
In addition to the oral survey, it is necessary to analyze the results of biochemistry and a number of studies. Only then can the overall clinical picture be compiled. The therapist is doing this. If he diagnoses a specific disease, then he will write a referral to a doctor with a narrow profile. For example, if diabetes is diagnosed, the patient will be referred to an endocrinologist. This doctor will prescribe treatment, make a decision about a possible disability, etc.
The most common causes of discomfort
Rarely, one wonders why there is a constant dry mouth. In some cases, this symptom indicates simple dehydration, but sometimes it is a formidable harbinger of the development of diseases that can potentially endanger life. Below we consider in detail each of the most common causes, here is a list of them:
- problems with the functioning of the salivary glands;
- inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx;
- dehydration, which can develop for various reasons;
- diabetes;
- the presence of bad habits;
- state of chronic stress;
- dental pathology;
- taking certain medications.
Impaired salivary glands
Diseases and congenital pathologies of the development of the salivary glands are relatively rare. However, one cannot immediately delete pathologies of this kind from the list: after all, it is precisely such diseases that give the most striking symptoms. This is easily explained: salivation is impaired, and the person constantly dries in the mouth.
The salivary glands in medicine are usually referred to the list of glands, whose functioning belongs to the endocrine system. Glands are classified into two groups - large and small. Large pairs include three pairs: parotid, submandibular, and sublingual.
There are a lot of diseases and pathologies of the development of the salivary glands, we list the symptoms that are characteristic of such conditions:
- Changes in the amount of secreted secretion, i.e. directly saliva. In some diseases, the amount of saliva secreted is so reduced that it constantly dries in the mouth. This symptom indicates that you should immediately contact an endocrinologist.
- Enlargement and densification of one or more large glands. The patient experiences a periodic sensation of fullness and internal pressure in the jaw area.
- Pain radiating to the ear, eye, forehead, throat, tongue (depending on the localization of the process of autology in one or several salivary glands at once).
- It becomes difficult for the patient to chew. As a result, the process of chewing food becomes inferior, gastrointestinal problems develop.
- Inflammation of the salivary glands is often accompanied by fever. It can be high in the acute process, and subfebrile (37-37.2) in the chronic sluggish process.
- Mucous or purulent discharge from the salivary ducts, while the patient feels an acidic, putrid taste in the oral cavity.
- The appearance of inflammation and cracks in the mucous membrane of the oral cavity, on the lips.
Dehydration and measures to prevent it
Dehydration occurs for the following reasons:
- the development of inflammatory, infectious processes in any of the organs, which are accompanied by fever;
- strict diets, forced or voluntary starvation (if a person wants to lose weight, it is very important to ensure the flow of a normal amount of fluid into the body);
- some autoimmune diseases;
- endocrinological disorders;
- taking certain medications;
- the most harmless, but common reason - a person just drinks a little water.
If you constantly dry your mouth and feel thirsty, then think about how much fluid you drink per day. Moreover, it is water - tea, coffee, broths, juices should not be counted. Yes, these are also liquids, but the human body perceives them for the most part as food. Meanwhile, the human body is 70% water. From plain water that we so often forget to drink. The brain is designed in such a way that it often misinterprets the signals, confuses thirst with a feeling of hunger or fatigue. So if you experience weakness, you often want to have a bite to eat, working capacity is reduced - just drink a glass or even two clean water.
How to understand how much water you need to drink? There is a simple calculation formula - an adult should drink 30 ml per 1 kg of body weight. This amount is enough to cover the need for cells in water.
The initial stages of diabetes
The initial stage of type 2 diabetes is a fairly common cause. It constantly dries in the mouth, cuts heal for a long time, weakness and apathy, skin rash, swelling, constant thirst - the combination of these symptoms eloquently indicates that you need to check your blood sugar.
The patient is constantly thirsty, can consume about three to four liters of water per day, but the thirst does not go away. In parallel with this, overall health is rapidly deteriorating. Constantly dry mouth and thirsty drink is one of the most striking symptoms of diabetes.
If the analysis confirms the suspicion of diabetes, then the patient will have to change his lifestyle once and for all. Diabetes is an incurable endocrine pathology, but if you follow the diet and take drugs (Metformin, Glucofage, etc.), you can lead a full-fledged lifestyle. If you start treatment at an early stage, you can achieve remission and even temporarily refuse to take the drugs (though you still have to follow a diet and control your blood sugar). But if the disease has already progressed, then we can talk about the need for daily injections of insulin. But in this case, do not worry: people, receiving the hormone necessary for themselves, live happily and fully for decades.
Nicotine and alcohol addiction as a cause of constant dry mouth
Yes, this is also worth paying attention to. Have you noticed that the morning after a feast with alcohol, it always dries in the mouth? The diagnosis is obvious: a hangover syndrome. This condition is not at all as mild as they used to think. Regular libations lead to severe dehydration, the liver, kidneys, pancreas are disrupted. The body comes in a completely unbalanced state.
Following a hangover, if a person does not give up drinking, withdrawal symptoms occur. Its presence is evidence of a completed fact of alcohol dependence. If such a patient goes to a narcologist, the doctor will diagnose chronic alcoholism. Dry mouth is only the lesser of evils, a small symptom that indicates the presence of serious metabolic problems, with the functioning of internal organs. And of course, with the psyche - after all, alcoholism is considered to be precisely a psycho-spiritual disease. In a word, until it gets worse, give up drinking alcohol once and for all.
Heavy smokers also often suffer from dry mouth. This is due to the frequent exposure to the mucosa and ducts of the salivary glands of cigarette smoke. If you smoke, the answer to the question "why does the throat and mouth dry constantly" is obvious: due to the regular exposure to resins, nicotine and toxic flavors. The sooner you give up addiction, the better.
Inflammatory diseases of the nasopharynx and larynx
Pharyngitis, laryngitis, tonsillitis of various etiologies - all these pathologies contribute to the appearance of dry mouth. At the same time, hoarseness of the voice appears, there is an increase in lymph nodes in the neck, temperature rises, and working capacity decreases. If you observe a combination of such symptoms, then consult an ENT specialist.
Reception of local anti-inflammatory drugs ("Grammidin", "Cameton" and others) will help get rid of unpleasant symptoms quite quickly. In more complex cases, for example, with angina, you may need to take antibiotic drugs. They are prescribed by the doctor, depending on what type of drug the bacteria are sensitive to, the presence of which provoked the appearance of the disease.
Taking certain medications that give a side effect
The list of medicines whose side effects indicate dry mouth is long. When you take the following drugs, you may be pursued by constant dryness in the oral cavity:
- antihistamines;
- decongestants;
- a number of drugs used to control high blood pressure (hypertension);
- antidiarrheal agents;
- muscle relaxants;
- tranquilizers;
- antidepressants;
- sibutramine-based slimming drugs;
- some drugs to treat Parkinson's disease and other neurological disorders.
As a rule, after discontinuation of the medicine, a constant dry mouth passes. But what if you need to take the medicine for a long course? For example, antidepressants usually take at least six months. In this case, you need to drink as much water as possible, use moisturizing sprays for the oral cavity. If dry mouth is intolerable, then you should discuss with your doctor the topic of changing the drug.
Permanent stay in a tense psycho-emotional state
The importance of a psychoemotional state should not be ruled out. Incidentally, one of the catalysts for the development of diabetes is being in constant stress.
Stress provokes metabolic disorders. If you have a reason to be annoyed regularly, afraid of something, you are forced to go into conflict, then over time, stress consolidates and intensifies. This can result in painful psychosomatic conditions. In addition to dry mouth, a strong heartbeat, sweating, jumps in blood pressure, panic attacks can be observed.
There is only one way to solve this health problem - to minimize or exclude from life those causes that provoked the appearance of stress. If the reason is in a relationship, it is better to leave such a person, if there are problems at work, you should refuse such work. Remember that nerve cells cannot be restored, and not even the largest salary will pay for your lost health. If it is impossible to avoid being in a stressful situation, you should contact a psychologist or psychotherapist. You may need to take a course of sedatives.
What can be done to quickly stop the discomfort?
You can try to diagnose the reason why it constantly dries in your mouth, yourself. This is usually a matter of normal dehydration. By providing enough water to the body, discomfort goes away. If you drink a lot of clean water, but the problem does not go away, then you should definitely consult a doctor.
To begin with, a visit to your local therapist will be enough. He will appoint to undergo a general blood test, which will show the level of glucose in the blood. We will build on this - if sugar is increased, then you need a visit to the endocrinologist and long work on restructuring your own nutrition. Perhaps the presence of diabetes (as evidenced by high blood sugar) is the most serious disease, the presence of which may indicate a constant dry mouth.
What to do in this case? If it turns out that you have a serious diagnosis, do not despair. Modern medicine makes the life of diabetics comfortable, you just need to adhere to the rules of nutrition, do not forget to take drugs and, if necessary, give injections.