Could It Be That Your Saliva Has Dried Up Because of the Mask... Suspect 'Gugang Geonjojeung' for a Parched Mouth

Imbalance in Saliva Secretion Due to Various Causes Including Medication Intake, Prompt Diagnosis and Treatment of Underlying Diseases Required

Daedong Hospital Dental Center says that if your mouth often feels dry, you should suspect xerostomia. [Image source=Clipart Korea]

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Yong-woo] Has your lifestyle changed because you have been wearing a mask for a long time? Various thoughts come to mind, but if your mouth often feels dry, you should first suspect 'xerostomia' (dry mouth).

Ms. A, a woman in her 50s, recently experienced frequent dry mouth, making it uncomfortable to speak, and even lost her appetite due to pain while eating.

At first, she dismissed it as a result of prolonged mask-wearing due to COVID-19. Despite frequently drinking water and brushing her teeth to manage it, her condition did not improve, and she became concerned as she even felt like she had bad breath.

Doctors say that if your mouth feels dry for no apparent reason, you should consider 'xerostomia.'

Saliva in the mouth plays a very important role by lubricating food so that it mixes well and forms a bolus for easy swallowing. It also protects teeth and oral mucosa, controls microorganisms through antibacterial substances in saliva, and maintains oral cleanliness through self-cleaning functions.

If saliva secretion is insufficient, the mouth becomes dry, causing various symptoms, which is called xerostomia.

Common symptoms include dry mouth, difficulty swallowing food, difficulty speaking, waking up frequently at night to drink water, pain or discomfort in the oral mucosa, reduced ability to taste food, and bad breath.

The most common cause of 'xerostomia' is medication. About 600 types of drugs are known to cause dry mouth. In particular, antihistamines used for allergy treatment and psychotropic drugs used for insomnia or depression are known to frequently cause xerostomia.

Although xerostomia is more common in the elderly than in younger people and is often thought of as an aging phenomenon, it is more likely due to the increased intake of various medications to treat different diseases as one ages.

To diagnose xerostomia, an oral examination is first conducted to assess the condition of cavities, periodontitis, oral mucosa, and tongue, and saliva secretion rate is measured.

If saliva secretion is less than 0.1 ml per minute, xerostomia should be suspected. In some cases, to differentiate from other diseases such as Sj?gren's syndrome, minor salivary gland biopsy, CT scans, or salivary gland scans may be performed.

If there is an underlying disease, treatment for that disease should be carried out, and depending on the condition, medications that promote saliva secretion or artificial saliva to relieve dryness may be used.

Dr. Sung Ji-yoon, head of the Dental Center at Daedong Hospital, said, “If the mouth is dry, it not only causes discomfort in daily life but also affects oral diseases such as cavities, periodontitis, bad breath, and oral candidiasis, so attention is necessary.”

Dr. Sung advised, “Dry mouth should not be simply suspected as xerostomia alone; other causes such as Sj?gren's syndrome, diabetes, and anemia may exist, so if saliva secretion continuously decreases, it is best to get an accurate diagnosis.”

To prevent xerostomia, it is recommended to drink water frequently to avoid dry mouth and maintain proper humidity using a humidifier. Avoid smoking, drinking, and overwork, and reduce sugar intake as dry mouth makes cavities more likely to occur.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.