Saliva is one component in the mouth that is often taken for granted. It is even easier to think that saliva serves no purpose and one is better off without it. That line of thinking is hugely mistaken and grossly wrong. Saliva does many functions in the oral cavity that its absence is a disease in itself. Lack of or decreased synthesis of saliva in the mouth results in a disease called dry mouth or xerostomia. To get treatment for dry mouth Newfoundlands is the best place to go.
Like stated above, saliva has many functions inside the bucal cavity. First, it is an important lubricant, which provides comfort and protection to oral tissues. Lubrication helps to avoid development of effects of friction such as sores and ulcers. The substance also neutralizes acids inside the oral cavity and kills certain harmful bacteria. The sense of taste is highly dependent on saliva and without it, it would be hard to perceive taste in food.
When xerostomia is in its advanced stages, subjects experience malnutrition and may be unable to speak or at least experience difficulty in doing so. Extreme conditions produce irreversible damage in the oral cavity. When such points are reached, life quality of the patient is highly impaired. Damage can be seen when one opens their mouth or speaks.
In the world over, xerostomia is more prevalent among women than it is among men. This is so because causes or risk factors for the condition are also more prevalent in women. Old people are also at higher risk of developing the disease because they take a lot of prescription and nonprescription medications more frequently. Many kinds of medications produce xerostomia as a side effect.
The causes of xerostomia are many and they may act singly or in combination. One of the major causes is drugs. Drugs produce the condition as a side effect. Drugs with such side effects include antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, diuretics, and antihistamines. Additional causes are hormonal imbalance, breathing through the mouth, sleep apnea, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and salivary gland diseases. On the other hand, there are also risk factors including eating disorders. Hormonal changes and dehydration caused by pregnancy and breastfeeding are also major causes.
The signs that are indicative of xerostomia are many and diverse. They are more evident in mouth-breathers, especially at night. Difficulty in swallowing, speaking, eating, and tasting food is the major signs. In addition to those, patients also experience headaches, dizziness, pale gums, sores inside the mouths, dry throat and eyes, cracked lips, persistent coughs, and bad breath among several others.
Preventing xerostomia is not possible. The only thing that doctors can do is to minimize the resultant side effects. Side effects can be severe in certain cases. For that reason, the disease needs to be detected when it is still in its early stages so that adverse side effects are not felt.
Treatment is done in stages depending on the level of severity. In serious stages of the disease, surgery may be done to unblock salivary glands. First-line treatments include saliva substitution and stimulation. In most cases, these two options do well and there is no need for surgery.
Like stated above, saliva has many functions inside the bucal cavity. First, it is an important lubricant, which provides comfort and protection to oral tissues. Lubrication helps to avoid development of effects of friction such as sores and ulcers. The substance also neutralizes acids inside the oral cavity and kills certain harmful bacteria. The sense of taste is highly dependent on saliva and without it, it would be hard to perceive taste in food.
When xerostomia is in its advanced stages, subjects experience malnutrition and may be unable to speak or at least experience difficulty in doing so. Extreme conditions produce irreversible damage in the oral cavity. When such points are reached, life quality of the patient is highly impaired. Damage can be seen when one opens their mouth or speaks.
In the world over, xerostomia is more prevalent among women than it is among men. This is so because causes or risk factors for the condition are also more prevalent in women. Old people are also at higher risk of developing the disease because they take a lot of prescription and nonprescription medications more frequently. Many kinds of medications produce xerostomia as a side effect.
The causes of xerostomia are many and they may act singly or in combination. One of the major causes is drugs. Drugs produce the condition as a side effect. Drugs with such side effects include antidepressants, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories, diuretics, and antihistamines. Additional causes are hormonal imbalance, breathing through the mouth, sleep apnea, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and salivary gland diseases. On the other hand, there are also risk factors including eating disorders. Hormonal changes and dehydration caused by pregnancy and breastfeeding are also major causes.
The signs that are indicative of xerostomia are many and diverse. They are more evident in mouth-breathers, especially at night. Difficulty in swallowing, speaking, eating, and tasting food is the major signs. In addition to those, patients also experience headaches, dizziness, pale gums, sores inside the mouths, dry throat and eyes, cracked lips, persistent coughs, and bad breath among several others.
Preventing xerostomia is not possible. The only thing that doctors can do is to minimize the resultant side effects. Side effects can be severe in certain cases. For that reason, the disease needs to be detected when it is still in its early stages so that adverse side effects are not felt.
Treatment is done in stages depending on the level of severity. In serious stages of the disease, surgery may be done to unblock salivary glands. First-line treatments include saliva substitution and stimulation. In most cases, these two options do well and there is no need for surgery.
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