What Can I Do At Home To Treat Dry Mouth
Oral hygiene is essential if you have a dry mouth. Brush your teeth twice a day, and use mouthwash. Doing so will help prevent tooth decay. Cavities and decay are more common for people with dry mouth.
Its also important to promote saliva production. Saliva protects your mouth and teeth from decay and disease. Some dry mouth remedies can help you produce more saliva and improve symptoms.
Chewing and sucking help stimulate saliva flow. Try:
- Ice cubes or sugar-free ice pops.
- Sugar-free hard candy or sugarless gum that contains xylitol.
- Water or other sugarless fluids, sipped frequently throughout the day.
These products may also help:
- Artificial saliva products to help you produce more saliva. These products are often available over-the-counter as a rinse or spray.
- Toothpastes and mouthwashes specially made for dry mouth.
- Lip balm.
- Cool-mist humidifier, especially if you breathe through your mouth at night.
Try to avoid:
- Acidic, spicy, salty, dry and sugary foods and beverages.
- Alcohol, caffeine and carbonated drinks.
- Mouthwashes with alcohol or peroxide, which may dry your mouth even more.
- Smoking.
Discover Why Allergic Rhinitis Causes A Dry Throat And See What You Can Do About It
A dry throat is one of the more surprising symptoms of allergic rhinitis but its no less problematic than say, congestion or watery eyes. It can cause a great deal of discomfort so to help you understand and address the issue, here our allergy advisor Louise Baillie focuses on the problem in detail.
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How To Relieve Your Allergy Symptoms
If youre convinced your cough is a result of allergies, start by making a few changes to decrease your exposure to potentially irritating substances: Keep your windows closed, shower as soon as you come inside after being outdoors, brush your pets after walks, or invest in an air purifier for your home.
OTC medications are also a great starting point, Dr. Bassett says. Oral antihistamines, like Claritin and Allegra, help block the histamines that set off symptoms in the first place. Nasal steroid sprays, like Flonase, can help clear a stuffy nose if youre dealing with that, too.
But the right treatment depends largely on the cause for a cough, Dr. Bassett says. If you dont see any improvement after taking these steps, reach out to an allergist, who can give you a proper diagnosis, help you identify your triggers, and potentially recommend prescription allergy meds or allergy shots.
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Back Up: Why Do We Cough Anyway
Coughing is a natural response to irritation in your throat or airways. To put it simply, receptors in the throat, trachea, and lungs respond and lead to activation of the cough center in the brain, explains Clifford Bassett, M.D., founder and medical director of Allergy and Asthma Care of New York.
Coughing is an essential defense mechanism, he says, and its your bodys way of pushing any unwanted stuff out, including pollen, mucus, and pieces of food, to make more room for air to get through.
Can You Get A Sore Throat From Allergies And What Causes It
Yep, and how you develop it all comes down to how your body reacts when its exposed to an allergen like pollen. If you have allergies, your immune system will react to being exposed to an allergen by releasing histamines, chemicals that cause allergy symptoms.
For many people with seasonal allergies, those histamines can cause a stuffy, runny noseand that can trigger post-nasal drip, i.e. mucus running down the back of your throat, explains Purvi Parikh, MD, an allergist with Allergy & Asthma Network. And that can cause irritation back there. Cue the sore throat. Often, first thing in morning it will be worse from laying down all night, Dr. Parikh says.
Post-nasal drip isnt the only reason you might develop a sore throat from allergies, though. Coughing and mouth breathing can also mess with the way your throat feels, says Kara Wada, MD, an allergist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
Of course, not everyone with allergies gets a sore throat. Allergies can affect each of us differently, Dr. Wada says. There are some things that might make you more prone to struggling with a sore throat from allergies, Dr. Parikh says, including how severe your allergies are and the anatomy of your nose.
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When To Talk To Your Doctor
Many dry throat causes can be easily treated at home, but in some cases, a dry throat may be a symptom of an underlying condition. Seek treatment sooner rather than later if you experience:
- Trouble swallowing or breathing
- Infection symptoms such as a fever or joint pain
- Dry mouth that lasts a long time despite self-care precautions
- Burning or white patches in the mouth
Most sore throats can be managed with over-the-counter pain medications. Less commonly, sore throats are caused by a bacterial infection and require antibiotics.
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Cure For Dehydrated Mouth And Throat
The first step is to drink plenty of water and replenish the water levels in the body. Water is the best thirst quencher, which you must choose over sodas and colas. Clear fruit and vegetable juices are other good options. You may want to steer clear of caffeinated drinks, as they can dehydrate the body further.
If you are the talkative kind, it is recommend to give some rest to your mouth and avoid excessive talking. At the same time, make sure that you are breathing with your mouth closed. If you breathe through your mouth, you will dry your throat and mouth all the more. If the weather in your room is dry, it will further aggravate the problem. You must humidify your room so that there is sufficient moisture in the air and you do not get up in the middle of the night with a dry sensation in your mouth and throat.
A home remedy which you could give a try is to place one clove of garlic dipped in honey at the back of your mouth. Through the day, gently suck on the garlic clove. If you do not like the flavor of garlic in your mouth the whole day, you may make a mixture of garlic, honey, and add some lemon juice to it. You will need to make 1 teaspoon of this mixture everyday. Since garlic has antibacterial agents, they will fight the throat infection and relieve you of the condition if it has been caused due to an infection.
Disclaimer: This HealthHearty article is for informative purposes only and should not be used as a replacement for expert medical advice.
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When To Call The Doctor
When should dry mouth be treated by a healthcare provider?
If you have:
- Severe symptoms: See a provider right away.
- Risk factors for HIV: If you have dry mouth and any HIV risk factors, see your healthcare provider.
- Tooth decay: See your dentist for an examination.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 03/02/2021.
References
How To Avoid Allergens
Avoiding your allergic rhinitis triggers will certainly improve your symptoms but its not an easy task so here are a few tips.
Animal dander have animal-free zones within your home.
Dust mites use allergy-proof bedding.
Mould spores address any problems that could lead to damp e.g. a leaky pipe.
Pollen keep an eye on pollen counts for your local area.
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Dry Throat Vs Sore Throat: Whats The Difference
How would you determine if you have a dry throat or a sore throat? Sore throat can feel like a dry throat, but pain is what separates the two. Usually, a sore throat is accompanied with severe pain with or without swallowing. Dry throat simply feels like you need to rehydrate with more water without any pain. To learn more about sore throat and treatment options, check out Sore Throat: Coronavirus, Allergies or Cold?.
Treatments For Waking Up With A Sore Throat
The best way to soothe or prevent a dry throat in the morning depends on what causes it. For example, a sore throat caused by allergies may be best treated by removing the allergen source and taking antihistamines. However, certain habits may help reduce a dry throat in the morning:
- Breathing through your nose instead of your mouth
- Staying well hydrated throughout the day
- Using a humidifier in your bedroom
- Treating underlying conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea
- Eliminating allergen sources
- Taking voice training lessons to reduce strain on the vocal cords
- Eating soft foods that are not too dry or spicy
- Cutting down on tobacco, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and acidic drinks
There are also ways to soothe a dry throat in the morning if you do end up with discomfort despite your precautions:
- Sucking on a throat lozenge or ice chips
- Taking over-the-counter antiinflammatories
- Asking your doctor for a prescription saliva substitute
- Drinking something warm
Individuals who experience dry mouth from a health condition or medication might want to ask their doctor for a mouth spray to relieve symptoms, although these are generally not recommended for long-term use. Another alternative is to adjust the dosage or timing of medications, in consultation with the prescribing doctor.
Dry mouth can increase the risk of dental problems, so people who regularly wake up with a dry throat may need to pay extra attention to oral hygiene.
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Are There Conventional Medicines To Help Me
If your sore throat is the result of seasonal allergies or some other type of allergic reaction, anti-histamines can be used to ease the symptoms. However, some people develop a tolerance to anti-histamines, or experience side-effects such as drowsiness which can prevent you from driving or using machinery.
There are also various types of sore throat lozenges or painkillers which are available from a pharmacist to help to ease pain and inflammation in the throat. You should be careful to follow instructions which come with the medication as the wrong dosage can be potentially harmful.
Why Do I Keep Waking Up With A Dry Mouth And Sore Throat
With the New Year in view, many people have made resolutions and set goals to improve their health and wellness. You are planning to exercise more often, eat more nutritiously, use your downtime more wisely, and be better next year than you were last year.
Reaching your health and wellness goals starts with sleeping well. When you wake up in the morning, you want to seize the day. That means going to bed early enough to get a full nights sleep, practicing good sleep hygiene, and avoiding the snooze button.
However, if you wake up each morning with a dry mouth and a sore throat, it is going to leave you with a sour taste about keeping up with your health and wellness goals.
Your morning dry mouth and sore throat may be related to breathing through your mouth while youre sleeping. In this article, we want to help you better understand what causes dry mouth and sore throat and how you can prevent it.
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Can Allergies Cause Bad Breath
Other than the irritation and dental health problems that may result from dry mouth, another reason why you want to avoid it is bad breath. Nobody wants to be in public with an odor lingering around them.
This mortifying condition, again, results from the inadequacy of saliva in your mouth. Saliva helps get rid of the leftover food particles and bacteria inside your mouth. In addition to good oral hygiene, saliva also helps keep your oral cavity clean.
When there isnt enough saliva present in the mouth, food particles and bacteria may stay in the mouth for longer periods between brushing.
Treatments For Hay Fever From A Gp
Your GP might prescribe a steroid treatment, such as a steroid nasal spray.
If steroids and other hay fever treatments do not work, your GP may refer you for immunotherapy.
This means you’ll be given small amounts of pollen as an injection or tablet to slowly build up your immunity to pollen.
This kind of treatment usually starts in the winter about 3 months before the hay fever season begins.
Immunotherapy is a specialist service that may not be available everywhere.
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How Long Do Allergies Last
You’ll be relieved to know that allergies don’t continue forever. Even the worst allergy symptoms of the mouth and throat will subside in 2 to 4 weeks. However, even for the weeks that you are experiencing an allergy, you shouldn’t have to deal with the consequences of dry mouth and especially bad breath. Continue reading, and you’ll find some helpful tips on how to alleviate the symptoms and restore your comfort.
Can Allergies Cause A Sore Throat
Yes, sometimes allergies can cause a sore throat among other symptoms. Its all part of the way your body protects itself against allergic reactions.
- After exposure to an allergic trigger, your body releases chemicals called histamines into your bloodstream1. This can cause reactions like itchy eyes, sneezing and that general stuffy feeling.
- Histamines increase your bodys production of mucus, which is used to keep your throat, mouth and nose from drying out2. At normal levels of production, you wont notice mucus, even as it performs important tasks like neutralizing harmful bacteria.
- However, when histamines ramp up your bodys production of mucus, you may feel excess mucus in your throat caused by post-nasal drip. This can irritate your throat and cause a scratchy feeling3.
Histamines are your bodys natural reaction to any allergy trigger. So whether youre exposed to pollen as a hay fever sufferer, or to dust by opening an old book, your body springs into action resulting in the discomfort you feel during an allergic reaction.
If youre experiencing a sore throat as an allergy symptom, there are potential ways to find relief.
But that doesnt mean its not an annoyance! So lets find out how to help or stop a sore throat being caused by allergies.
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Cpap Therapy And Other Sleep Apnea Treatments
Continuous positive airway pressure therapy is the gold standard treatment for sleep apnea. Because the device delivers constant air pressure through the mucosal tissues, dry mouth is a common CPAP side effect and is the reason some people stop using their CPAP machine. Experts have also noticed that some people experience dry mouth from CPAP despite breathing with their mouth closed. This dryness may be due to changes in pressure within the mouth that affect saliva production.
Some studies have found that using a heated humidifier with a CPAP machine may help minimize dry mouth symptoms, though more research is needed.
Surprisingly, other studies have found that using CPAP therapy may actually improve dry mouth symptoms. This may be particularly true of CPAP machines with nasal masks that do not require the person to breathe through their mouth.
Another device used to treat sleep apnea, called a mandibular advancement splint, may cause dry throat.
Gluten Intolerance Mouth Symptoms You Need To Know
Have you ever wondered how your mouth could be affected by gluten? The answer is yes, and there are gluten intolerance mouth symptoms that you can look for in the mirror.
You can also have your dentist look for them at your next dental appointment.
Believe it or not, dentists are pretty well versed on celiac disease at times more so than conventional doctors. Powdered gloves used in your dentists office do not contain wheat while some home dental care products can contain gluten.
Either way, knowing the gluten intolerance mouth symptoms can help you identify an issue with gluten or know if youve been glutened.
To talk further about this, we have a guest author today to share more on this!
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When To See Your Gp
Visit your GP if the symptoms of allergic rhinitis are disrupting your sleep, preventing you carrying out everyday activities, or adversely affecting your performance at work or school.
A diagnosis of allergic rhinitis will usually be based on your symptoms and any possible triggers you may have noticed. If the cause of your condition is uncertain, you may be referred for allergy testing.
Read more about the complications of allergic rhinitis
Causes Of Dry Throat And Mouth
Dehydration is one of the main causes of dryness in the mouth and throat. It can also be a result of fever, excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, and burns apart from consumption of insufficient quantities of water.
Oral dryness can also be caused due to the damage of a nerve in the head or neck area resulting from an injury or surgery. Swelling of tonsils due to infection, tumor, abscesses, or chronic tonsillitis can block the saliva from reaching the throat. Salivary gland cancer, which affects the throat, neck, and mouth, gives rise to dryness in the oral and pharyngeal regions.
This condition can also be a side effect of certain medications. Medication taken for depression, anxiety, pain, allergies, epilepsy, acne, obesity, asthma, muscle relaxants, sedatives, etc., often give rise to oral dryness.
Medical treatments also give rise to this condition. Radiation or chemotherapy, more often than not, reduces the amount of saliva produced giving rise to the condition.
Among the diseases and infections which can cause dry mouth and throat are Alzheimers disease, diabetes, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
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