Dry mouth - unpleasant odor, change in taste and other noticeable symptoms

Dry mouth - unpleasant odor, change in taste and other noticeable symptoms

What is dry mouth?

Dry mouth, or xerostomia, refers to a condition in which the salivary glands in your mouth don't make enough saliva to keep your mouth wet.

Dry mouth is often due to the side effect of certain medications or aging issues or as a result of radiation therapy for cancer. Less often, dry mouth may be caused by a condition that directly affects the salivary glands.

Dry mouth is sometimes complained of by oncology patients who have undergone radiation therapy (radiotherapy).

You may be surprised, but very rarely, that the cause of dry mouth is directly the salivary glands.

Saliva helps prevent tooth decay by neutralizing acids produced by bacteria, limiting bacterial growth and washing away food particles. Saliva also enhances your ability to taste and makes it easier to chew and swallow. In addition, enzymes in saliva aid in digestion.

Symptoms

If you're not producing enough saliva, you may notice these signs and symptoms all or most of the time:

  • Dryness or a feeling of stickiness in your mouth
  • Saliva that seems thick and stringy
  • Bad breath
  • Difficulty chewing, speaking and swallowing
  • Dry or sore throat and hoarseness
  • Dry or grooved tongue
  • A changed sense of taste
  • Problems wearing dentures

Causes

Dry mouth is caused when the salivary glands in the mouth don't make enough saliva to keep your mouth wet.

These glands may not work properly as the result of:

  • Medications.
  • Aging.
  • Cancer therapy.
  • Nerve damage.
  • Other health conditions. Dry mouth can be due to certain health conditions, such as diabetes, stroke, yeast infection (thrush) in your mouth or Alzheimer's disease, or due to autoimmune diseases.
  • Tobacco and alcohol use.

Complications

If you don't have enough saliva and develop dry mouth, this can lead to:

  • Increased plaque, tooth decay and gum disease
  • Mouth sores
  • Yeast infection in your mouth (thrush)
  • Sores or split skin at the corners of your mouth, or cracked lips
  • Poor nutrition from having problems with chewing and swallowing

      

Source:

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-mouth/symptoms-causes/syc-20356048