What causes dry mouth? Do I need treatment?

For some people, dry mouth is a normal physiological phenomenon, but for others, it is caused by diseases. Oral diseases and hyperthyroidism can cause dry mouth. In addition, the triggering factors of dry mouth include abnormalities of the central nervous system.

1

Normal physiological manifestations

Generally speaking, if the air is too dry, or the weather is hot, causing the body to sweat a lot and lose water, symptoms of dry mouth will appear. At this time, just drink more water to relieve the symptoms. In addition, dry mouth can also be caused by gland atrophy in the oral mucosa, reduced saliva secretion, menopausal tension, anxiety and other mental factors in the elderly, but these are all physiological.

2

Dry mouth may be a sign of oral disease

If the oral mucosa shrinks, becomes thinner, drier, and is in a state of chronic inflammation, you may be suffering from an oral disease. If the condition is severe, there may also be symptoms such as a smooth and coated back of the tongue, wet erosion at the corners of the mouth, Candida albicans infection, severe periodontitis, exposed tooth roots, gingival atrophy, and loose teeth. Oral diseases can cause a decline in chewing function, reduce stimulation of the salivary glands and chewing muscles, cause a decrease in saliva secretion, and lead to dry mouth.

3

Hyperthyroidism can cause dry mouth

Patients with hyperthyroidism will experience accelerated metabolism, increased sweating, heat dissipation, and loss of large amounts of water due to excessive secretion of thyroid hormones and enhanced sympathetic nerve excitement. At the same time, patients with hyperthyroidism will also experience diarrhea due to accelerated gastrointestinal motility and poor digestion and absorption, leading to dehydration, which often causes patients with hyperthyroidism to experience symptoms of dry mouth.

4

Central nervous system disorders

If you often feel dry mouth, it may be due to abnormalities in the central nervous system, such as excessive tension, excitement, depression, or obesity or recurrent parotid gland enlargement syndrome caused by diencephalic diseases.