A dry mouth may not sound like the worst thing in the world, but it can actually be quite distressing in some cases. Not only is it somewhat uncomfortable in itself, but it can also cause a number of secondary symptoms and potentially point to other more worrying complications.
Dry mouths can lead to bad breath for instance or ‘halitosis’. This is because saliva normally acts as a disinfectant and it is the bacteria that causes the odour. Likewise, a dry mouth can lead to the formation of ulcers, it can make you bite your lips, it can cause cracked skin, and it can even increase your likelihood of becoming ill.
Lots of different things can cause a dry mouth and as a result, the way that you go about treating the problem can also be very varied. Read on and we’ll look at nine answers to what causes dry mouth and you’ll have a better idea of how to address the problem.
1. Medication
A number of medications can lead to a dry mouth. For example, modafinil is a prescription mediation that is used to treat narcolepsy (a condition that causes patients to fall asleep without warning wherever they are). This is effective in combating that problem but among the symptoms is a very dry mouth.
Many other medications can also do the exact same thing, and so it’s important to consider if you’ve begun any new course of drugs when you are looking for a possible cause. Another thing to keep in mind is that non-therapeutic drugs can also be behind the problem. Alcohol and tobacco in particular are both likely to cause a dry mouth.
Likewise, it’s also very possible that caffeine can cause a dry mouth. These drinks are all dehydrating because they act as diuretics. Not only that, but they can also increase your stress hormone levels (cortisol, dopamine and others), which will in turn cause you to get an increasingly dry mouth.
