Causes of dry mouth and methods of elimination in the elderly and young people. Dry mouth at night

Many people wake up because of the discomfort that comes with dehydration in the mouth. The secretion of saliva (salivation) decreases during sleep. The sleeper opens his mouth, and the mucous membrane dries out. But dry mouth at night is also caused by more serious causes - insufficient production of saliva, a change in its composition and sensitivity of receptors, disturbances in the trophism of the mucous membrane, intoxication of the body.

If the symptom is repeated systematically, does not go away after sleep, it is necessary to undergo an examination and find out why the oral cavity dries at night. Reduced salivation (xerostomia) is not an independent disease, but indicates the presence of other diseases that are hidden.

Lack of secretion of the salivary glands, in addition to a feeling of dryness and tightness in the mouth, causes soreness, burning of the tongue and throat, redness, slight swelling. Cracks form in the corners of the lips and on the tongue. With a prolonged decrease in saliva secretion, a white coating appears on the tongue, the gingival tissue becomes inflamed, erosions and ulcers form on the mucous membrane. Carious cavities and bad breath may appear. In a dry tongue, a favorable environment is created for the development of inflammatory processes.

The severity of symptoms depends on the severity of the underlying disease. In the mildest stage, the feeling of discomfort is insignificant, the shell of the mouth is slightly moistened. In the second degree, the mucosa and tongue are very dry, at night you are constantly thirsty. In the third stage, severe soreness appears, foci of inflammation are noticeable on the mucous membrane.

Etiology of xerostomia

Drying of the mucosa is caused by various reasons. Some of them are associated with pathologies in the body that require treatment. Others arise due to habits, lifestyle, external factors. It is easy to remove such symptoms on your own and get rid of unpleasant sensations.

Physiological and household factors:

  • Lack of moisture in the room.
    Dry air dries out the oral mucosa.
  • Excessive alcohol consumption.
    There is intoxication of the body. The internal organs are used large quantity water to flush out toxins, which contributes to dehydration and dry mouth at night.
  • Violation of nasal breathing.
    With a runny nose, curvature of the nasal septum, polyps, a person breathes through his mouth at night. Saliva dries up during sleep.
  • Smoking.
    The action of nicotine reduces the secretion of the salivary glands.
  • Age.
    In old age, salivation decreases. Especially tightness in the mouth is felt at night and in the morning after waking up.
  • Taking certain medications.
    Diuretics, antidepressants, blood pressure medications, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and first-generation antihistamines may reduce salivation.
  • Snore.

It injures the mucous membrane and increases irritation. Mouth breathing dries up the mucous membrane.
Salty food, insufficient water intake, drug or food poisoning can temporarily disrupt the body and cause a dry throat and tongue at night. During menopause and pregnancy, changes in the hormonal sphere occur, which affect the state of the whole organism.

Diseases that are accompanied by xerostomia

Dry mouth is often a secondary symptom of many medical conditions. It is accompanied by symptoms that indicate deviations from the norm. To the lack of saliva secretion are added: frequent urination, thirst, nausea, dizziness, bitterness in the mouth.

Pathological causes of dry mouth at night:

  • Sialadenitis (inflammation of the salivary gland);
  • Diabetes;
  • Chronic rhinitis;
  • Diseases of the digestive system (gastritis, pancreatitis, duodenitis);
  • Brain diseases (trigeminal neuritis, Alzheimer's disease);
  • Hypertension;
  • Rheumatoid arthritis;
  • parotitis;
  • Shergen's syndrome;
  • Oncological diseases of the salivary glands;
  • Polyps in the nasal cavity.

Lack of secretion of the salivary glands at night can manifest itself episodically after stress, in diseases that occur with an increase in body temperature. If a specialist diagnoses a disease, then the main pathology is treated first. After getting rid of the disease, salivation will be restored.

Diagnostics

If there is a feeling of dry mouth at night, you should contact your general practitioner, who, after examination and based on the results of clinical tests, will refer you to a specialist. The diagnosis is made after assessing the functionality of the salivary glands. Additionally, sialography is prescribed (X-ray examination of the excretory ducts after filling them with a contrast agent).

Important!
With a prolonged decrease in the amount of saliva, the protective functions of the mucous membrane fall, which increases the risk of developing chronic tonsillitis, gum disease, and fungal stomatitis.

Treatment Methods

To eliminate the causes of dry mouth at night, associated with pathology, treatment of the underlying disease is prescribed, and drugs to normalize the work of the salivary glands. To alleviate the symptoms, artificial hydration of the mucosa is carried out with saliva substitutes in the form of a gel or spray Hyposalix, Aquoral, Salivart.

Means that increase the resistance of the mucosa to irritants, local anti-inflammatory drugs are used. For the treatment of complicated snoring, which causes severe drying of the oral cavity at night, laser radiation and CPAP therapy are used.

How to help yourself

To compensate for tissue dehydration, you need to drink more herbal teas based on chamomile, mint, apple and orange juice during the day. Moisturizes the oral cavity with an isotonic sodium chloride solution or Lakalut Flora rinse, which contains olive oil. Bioten with Calcium rinse liquid eliminates dryness and destroys bacteria.

If your mouth dries out at night, place a glass of water with lemon juice or herbal tea by your bed. Suck on an ice cube or sugar-free lollipop before bed. In the process of sucking, the secretion of saliva is activated.

Softening the mucosa with pharmacy and home remedies will help get rid of an unpleasant symptom. You can treat the tongue and oral cavity with olive oil, sea buckthorn oil, an oil solution of vitamin A. Metrogil-dent ointment will remove plaque on the tongue and eliminate unpleasant odors.

I stimulate increased salivation with lemon, pineapple, grapefruit, cranberry juice, red hot pepper added to food.


They will help eliminate dryness in the oral cavity inhalation, which is desirable to carry out before bedtime. You can breathe over the herbal collection of chamomile, calendula, mint, lemon balm. Stimulates the process of salivation inhalation with balm Karavaeva "Vitaon". The product consists of extracts of medicinal plants dissolved in olive oil, camphor, orange oil. For inhalation, 15 drops of the oil mixture must be dissolved in a liter hot water 50-60°C. Breathe for 5-7 minutes.

The duration of therapy for xerostomia depends on the underlying disease and the degree of violation of the salivary glands. If dryness of the oral mucosa at night is provoked by physiological factors, home treatment helps to quickly get rid of the painful symptom.

How to prevent dry mouth at night

In most cases, the drying of the mucosa to the state of the desert can be prevented if:

  • Drink at least 2 liters of water;
  • Humidify the room
  • Refuse alcohol and salty foods in the evening;
  • Do not use mouthwash with alcohol;
  • Avoid chronic diseases of the nose and paranasal sinuses;
  • Breathe exclusively through your nose. Take steps to normalize breathing and prevent snoring.

Note!
With frequent and prolonged manifestations of dry mouth at night, do not self-medicate. Make an appointment with a narrow specialist to identify the cause and adequate treatment.

List of used literature:

  • Zepelin H. Normal age related changes in sleep // Sleep Disorders: Basic and Clinical Research / ed. by M. Chase, E. D. Weitzman. - New York: SP Medical, 1983.
  • Foldvary-Schaefer N., Grigg-Damberger M. Sleep and epilepsy: what we know, don't know, and need to know. // J Clin Neurophysiol. - 2006
  • Poluektov M.G. (ed.) Somnology and sleep medicine. National leadership in memory of A.N. Wayne and Ya.I. Levina M.: "Medforum", 2016.

Persistent constant dry mouth (xerostomia) is not just an unpleasant symptom, but a sign of many serious diseases. If it constantly dries in the mouth, you need to conduct an examination and find out the cause of this phenomenon. Only after establishing the correct diagnosis will it be possible to prescribe a full-fledged treatment.

Why dries in the mouth: reasons

Normally, an adult produces up to 2 liters of saliva per day. During the day it is released more (up to 0.5 ml / min), at night - less (less than 0.05 ml / min).

Violation of salivation may be due to:

  • with impaired functioning of the centers of salivation in the brain against the background of craniocerebral injuries and their consequences, diseases and intoxications of the brain;
  • with endocrine pathology: diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism (decreased thyroid function);
  • with diseases of the digestive system;
  • with autoimmune (allergy to own cells) diseases - thyroiditis, scleroderma, Sjögren's disease (an autoimmune process in the salivary glands), etc.;
  • with inflammatory processes in the salivary glands;
  • with a condition after radiation and chemotherapy prescribed for the treatment of malignant neoplasms in the head and neck;
  • with anomalies in the structure of the salivary glands.

With normal saliva secretion, a feeling of dryness at night and in the morning may be the result of:

  • breathing through the mouth at night - often occurs in older people, when using sleeping pills, deviated nasal septum, adenoiditis, sinusitis, etc .;
  • increased dryness of the air in the room;
  • frequent smoking, drinking strong alcoholic beverages.

Dry mouth in the morning and afternoon can be observed with frequent rinsing of the oral cavity with antiseptic solutions. As a temporary phenomenon, it appears during heavy physical exertion, stress and dehydration.

It is recommended to carry out certain measures to normalize the humidity in the room if the air is too dry. Now on sale there is a fairly large range of air humidifiers and it will not be difficult to choose the most effective one.

The video demonstrates three tests for dry mouth: tests for diabetes mellitus, thyroid hormones and an autoimmune process (Sjögren's disease):

How xerostomia manifests itself

Depending on the severity of the symptoms of xerostomia, the following stages are distinguished:

  1. initial stage. There is no significant dry mouth yet, but it may appear with a long conversation, sleeping with an open mouth, or exposure to other additional factors. When talking, foam may appear at the mouth, the viscosity of saliva increases.
  2. Stage of pronounced signs. Dryness is a constant concern. There is a burning sensation of the tongue, food intake is difficult (patients are forced to drink water with food) and speech (periodically occurring hoarseness of the voice is observed), taste sensations decrease. Mucous membranes are dry, slightly shiny.
  3. late stage. The function of the glands is practically stopped. Severe dryness interferes with chewing and swallowing food, causing pain when swallowing. Mucous membranes become inflamed (stomatitis, glossitis). Characterized by sores in the mouth, atrophic runny nose, active spread of dental caries and inflammation of the periodontal tissues (periodontitis).

To alleviate the condition, the patient needs to constantly drink a little or at least moisten the oral cavity.

Diagnostics

The diagnosis of xerostomia is made on the basis of the patient's characteristic complaints, his objective examination and additional examination methods. In order to determine the correct functioning of the salivary glands, the following studies are carried out:

  • sialometry - measurement of the volume of saliva secreted using taste stimulants (lemon juice, etc.); allows you to identify a violation of the function of the gland;
  • sialography - X-ray examination of the salivary glands and their ducts with the introduction of a contrast agent; the study allows to identify stones in the salivary ducts;
  • histological examination of salivary gland tissue taken by puncture biopsy; allows to exclude oncological processes in the gland.

If no violations of the salivary glands have been identified, a complete examination of the patient is carried out with the involvement of specialists of various profiles (gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, dentists, etc.) and the appointment of appropriate studies.

Complex therapy:

  1. Stimulation of the activity of the salivary glands. Assign solutions of potassium iodide, Pilocarpine, Galantamine, oil solutions of Retinol.
  2. Hydration of the mouth:
  • gels that act as saliva substitutes: Bioton, Salagen, Oralbalance Bioral, etc.; the gel is applied with a finger and lightly rubbed on the inner surface of the cheeks, palate and gums;
  • the Biotene line (USA) includes toothpaste, brush, conditioner, moisturizing gel, chewing gums; all components are intended for persons with xerostomia; has an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and moisturizing effect;
  • spray Hyposalix (Biocodex, France), which has the same properties, but is more convenient to use;
  • you can also rinse your mouth with water with lemon juice, a decoction of chamomile flowers, and also drink water often in small sips;
  1. When erosion and sores appear in the mouth, they can be lubricated with sea buckthorn or olive oil; several times a day you can dial a full mouth vegetable oil and hold it for 3-5 minutes, then spit it out.
  2. Physiotherapeutic methods of treatment: electrophoresis with potassium iodide, galvanotherapy, etc.
  3. Various types of massage (vacuum, vibration, etc.).
  4. Reflexology courses (acupuncture, moxibustion, acupressure).
  5. Therapy of the disease, a symptom of which is xerostomia, is carried out after a complete examination of the patient.

Consequences of nocturnal xerostomia

The result of prolonged xerostomia can be:

  • rapid spread of carious destruction of teeth;
  • violations of the periodontal tissues (periodontitis, periodontal disease);
  • recurrent ulcerative stomatitis of bacterial and fungal origin;
  • violation of the digestion of food, the spread of the inflammatory process to other digestive organs;
  • intoxication associated with constant inflammation;
  • speech disorder.

Preventive measures

Prevention includes:

  • sleep in a well-ventilated room with humidified air;
  • timely treat diseases of the upper respiratory tract;
  • regularly visit the dentist, treat teeth, monitor the condition of dentures;
  • give up cigarettes, limit alcohol consumption;
  • if you are worried about night snoring, you need to try to get rid of it;
  • do not abuse sleeping pills and sedatives that can cause too deep sleep and relaxation of the facial muscles, which leads to night breathing through the mouth.

If your mouth dries up during sleep, in the morning or afternoon, it is important to properly care for your oral cavity and follow these recommendations:

  • brush your teeth regularly, rinse your mouth with water after each meal;
  • limit the intake of salty and sweet foods, sweet carbonated and caffeinated drinks;
  • if slightly dry in the mouth, apply moisturizing gels and sprays; if this does not help, contact a specialist for an examination.

Dry mouth at night or during the day may be temporary, associated with high physical activity or stress. This is a physiological phenomenon that does not require treatment. However, if dry mouth began to appear constantly, then this may indicate a serious disease that needs to be identified and treated as soon as possible.

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    Alina | 27.02.2019 04:18

    I didn't think nighttime dry mouth was so dangerous. Associated it with dry air and spicy food for dinner.
    From my own experience, a strong decrease in the amount of saliva occurs when I forget or are too lazy to drink a glass of pure water half an hour before meals. In terms of symptoms, it becomes similar to the second stage, when you have to drink food so that you can eat it.

    Marina | 15.03.2019 01:40

    Since childhood, my nasal septum has been twisted, at night I have to breathe through my mouth, if I don’t drip nasal drops. But you can’t drip drops often, only in courses, in the intervals between courses I breathe through my mouth at night, while it dries up terribly in my mouth, right down to my throat. I have to rinse my mouth with water in the morning and drink plenty of warm tea. And it turns out that dental caries can be the result of nocturnal xerostomia, and I constantly treat my teeth, and I have caries. Probably it is necessary to agree to an operation to correct the septum of the nose, so as not to earn some other diseases.

    Inna | 15.03.2019 19:58

    After giving birth, I had constant dryness in my mouth, especially in the morning when I wake up, they thought it was due to dry air, they bought a humidifier, but the dryness did not go away. The article describes several variants of diseases and methods of dealing with them. What I have is difficult to determine, only a doctor can make a diagnosis. Now I know that this is an alarm signal and a reason to go to the hospital.

    Arina | 20.03.2019 06:47

    I was interested in the article, because I sometimes have dryness during sleep. According to the signs indicated for xerostomia, no. But for the reasons that cause such an uncomfortable state, I unfortunately found a lot. Eliminate which is possible. Now is the time when the heating in the apartments is not turned off and the temperature is positive outside, so the air in the room is not humid enough. Unfortunately, we pay little attention to such seemingly trifles that quite seriously affect our health. Helpful Hints, which can significantly improve and establish a healthy sleep.

    Alexandra | 24.03.2019 08:39

    More than once, by the way, I have already noticed that in a dream my mouth dries terribly. At first I thought it was because I ate something salty before going to bed or because of cigarettes. But then I told my friend and she told me that perhaps this is a symptom of some disease and this is not the norm. Now I decided to get tested just in case to play it safe. I hope that everything will be fine, I would not want sad consequences ..

    Ivan | 27.03.2019 19:43

    If a feeling of dry mouth appears at night every hour, then a person should consult a doctor and undergo an examination. But I think it is quite normal for a person to get up at night and drink a sip of water or rinse his mouth, especially if the air in the room is warm and dry. Often this problem occurs simply because the nose is partially stuffed up and you have to breathe through your mouth.

Dry mouth at night is a common occurrence that can be caused by external causes, such as dietary habits, and does not indicate a significant danger. But, sometimes it can be a symptom of one of the serious diseases.

Doctors call this phenomenon xerostomia, which can be presented in a temporary form or appear constantly. It depends on the factors that provoke dry mouth at night.

Regardless of the reasons that cause such phenomena, it is better to prevent the occurrence of xerostomia than to deal with its consequences. The result of an insufficient amount of saliva can be dental problems, digestive difficulties, and the development of fungal diseases. To do this, it is necessary to study the causes of tightness in the mouth, learn how to eliminate them.

Causes of dry mouth at night

  • insufficient amount of saliva is secreted;
  • the composition of the secretions has changed.

In some cases, the amount of saliva is sufficient, but due to a violation of the trophism of the mucous membranes, a deterioration in the sensitivity of the receptors, dryness is felt in the oral cavity. Often, unpleasant dehydration appears at night or closer to the morning, since the glands at this time noticeably reduce their activity, the tension of the facial chewing muscles is seriously reduced.

A slightly open mouth during sleep also leads to insufficient moisture of the mucous membranes. Its surface is dried out by breathing, warm air. The result is dry mouth in the morning, disappearing on its own after waking up. Similar symptoms can be observed even with a slight intake of alcohol the day before.

In addition to breathing difficulties associated with nasal diseases, overeating in the evening leads to discomfort. Similar symptoms are also caused by pathologies of the nervous system, as a result of which the functioning of the glands is disrupted.

Internal pathologies

In addition to external causes that provoke the appearance of xerostomia, discomfort can appear as a result of:

  • violations of electrolyte or water balance;
  • intoxication;
  • increase in osmotic pressure;
  • violations of the mechanisms that regulate salivation.

Such deviations may appear for the following reasons:

  • dehydration as a result of a violation of the drinking regimen, high temperature air or due to fluid loss (diarrhea, vomiting, etc.);
  • habitual intoxications (alcohol, drugs, tobacco);
  • diabetes;
  • taking drugs that cause dehydration (example: diuretics);
  • diseases of the brain, nervous system, provoking disorders in the functioning of the glands (example: stroke, parkinsonism);
  • purulent inflammation;
  • disorders of the digestive system, including pancreatitis, gastritis, hepatitis, ulcers;
  • acute infections;
  • pathologies of internal organs requiring the intervention of a surgeon, including appendicitis, intestinal obstruction.

Thus, dryness of the oral mucosa at night can become a symptom that indicates a serious pathology of the body.

Salivary glands: consultation with a dentist

A separate reason for the feeling that everything dries up in the mouth during sleep can be dental diseases. Dehydration can lead not only to pathological changes in the work of the salivary glands, but also to the very state of the mucous membranes.

Often, dry mouth after sleep appears in the presence of:

  • infectious;
  • inflammatory and degenerative;
  • autoimmune;
  • oncological diseases of the glands that produce saliva.

The above pathologies lead to tissue atrophy, a decrease in the amount of fluid produced. For example, the first group of diseases includes infectious parotitis (mumps), the second - chronic, acute sialadenitis. Severe dry mouth may be one of the symptoms of Sjögren's syndrome, which has an autoimmune basis. Serious oncological lesions of the glands can be characterized by an independent or metastatic basis.

As a cause of dry tongue in the mouth, adhesions, structures of the ducts of the glands that appear during their diseases and injuries can act. Any condition that leads to mucosal atrophy is capable of bringing a visitor to an otolaryngologist with complaints.

Associated symptoms

Constant dry mouth and thirst is rarely an independent pathology. It manifests itself separately only as a temporary phenomenon, for example, the use of fried, spicy foods, alcohol, as part of one-time violations of the limits of a healthy lifestyle. When increased dry mouth at night appears constantly, it is often accompanied by the following sensations:

  • bitterness;
  • weakness;
  • nausea;
  • dizziness;
  • frequent urination.

At times, dryness in the tongue becomes a diagnostic criterion that allows you to determine the disease or condition of the patient:

  • in combination with bitterness, it is considered a sign of pathologies of the liver, bile ducts, pancreas;
  • when combined with dizziness, it will tell you about the presence of hypotension;
  • with concomitant nausea, it may indicate overeating or the presence of an intestinal infection, if accompanied by diarrhea;
  • The taste of dry mouth, combined with frequent urination and persistent thirst, almost certainly indicates the development of diabetes.

The combination of xerostomia with causeless weakness is considered the most dangerous, since such symptoms may indicate the presence of blood diseases, oncology.

Do you need professional help

Medical treatment for intermittent dry mouth that has clear causes is not required. However, pregnancy is an exception in which specialist advice is required, even when the sensations do not cause severe discomfort. With dehydration, there is a threat to the health of the mother, the unborn baby.

If you feel dryness, you should consult a therapist or dentist. The doctor will offer the necessary studies, determine the cause of discomfort, take measures to eliminate them, including:

  • adjustment of the prescribed treatment (replacement of the drugs used, frequency of administration, doses);
  • making a decision on the need for prosthetics in order to optimize the process of eating;
  • obtaining additional consultations of highly specialized specialists such as an otolaryngologist;
  • issuing recommendations regarding the optimization of the diet, diet;

Using medications, you can temporarily eliminate dry mouth, but it is completely possible to get rid of sensations only when treating the underlying disease.

Timely prevention

When night thirst appears, it is necessary to determine what can provoke it, to exclude external stimuli. For this it is recommended:

  • reduce the air temperature in the bedroom, provide humidification ( daily housekeeping, the use of special devices);
  • optimize the daily diet, eliminate overeating, dry food, a hearty dinner with fatty and high-calorie foods;
  • eliminate negative habits, including the abuse of coffee, tea;
  • get rid of the habit of smoking before bedtime;
  • establish a drinking regimen that involves the consumption of clean water from 2 liters daily;
  • normalize motor activity, provide daily physical activity;
  • include procedures that increase immunity in the daily routine.

The above procedures will help to cope with dry mouth only in the absence of serious pathologies. A healthy lifestyle, a high level of physical activity will be the key to a calm, full sleep without discomfort.

Health problems can manifest as a variety of symptoms, including harmless and common ones. For example, dry mouth at night - the causes of what disease? A sign can signal the impact on the body of negative factors or diseases.

Dry mouth (xerostomia) is often accompanied by other symptoms:

  • sore throat, unproductive dry cough;
  • strong feeling of thirst;
  • frequent urination at night;
  • cracks in the corners of the mouth, on the lips;
  • feeling of dryness in the pharynx, nasal cavity;
  • plaque on the tongue and inside of the cheeks;
  • bitterness, sour taste;
  • burning sensation in the mouth;
  • hoarseness, discomfort or pain when trying to speak;
  • bad breath in the morning;
  • change in taste sensations;
  • difficulty swallowing.

These symptoms occur at night, but can also be observed in the morning. A few hours after waking up, they disappear either on their own or after drinking enough fluids or following standard hygiene procedures.

Causes of dry mouth at night

Why does the mouth dry at night during sleep? The causes can be varied, and the symptom is common: every person, even a healthy one, has encountered it at least once in his life. With single and rare manifestations, the matter is probably in the influence of external or internal negative factors.

If the symptom persists, occurs constantly and intensifies, it signals abnormalities and health problems. Below are the main categories of causes that provoke xerostomia.

Influence of factors

Dry mouth can be due to exposure to several factors:

  1. Dry air in the bedroom, for example, in hot summers on dry days or in winter when heating appliances are used. The skin and mucous membranes need moisture, some of which they absorb from environment. And if the humidity in the room is reduced, drying of the tissues develops.
  2. Mouth breathing, snoring. Breathing through the mouth, the sleeper involuntarily provokes the drying of the mucous membranes, because moisture quickly evaporates from their surface.
  3. Wrong drinking regime. A person who does not drink enough liquid during the day causes dehydration. Water rushes to vital organs to ensure their vital activity and leaves less important parts, including mucous membranes.
  4. Unhealthy food. Dryness in the mouth and thirst causes the abuse of salty foods. The salt contained in food attracts and retains water, which causes a deficiency in the tissues.
  5. Stress is a big load on the body that disrupts the functioning of its systems. After stressful situations, sweating increases, and due to the intensive removal of moisture, the mucous membranes dry out.
  6. The use of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol causes intoxication, and the body, trying to get rid of toxic substances, uses water to flush them out. For this reason, dry mouth is a symptom of a hangover and often occurs at night after drinking.
  7. Smoking. Cigarette smoke irritates, thins the mucous membranes of the mouth, provokes their drying out. It is especially harmful to smoke before going to bed.

Diseases that cause dry mouth at night

Dry mouth signals a variety of diseases:

  1. Diseases of the mouth and throat: tonsillitis, gingivitis, stomatitis, periodontitis. Inflammatory processes provoke thinning of the mucous membranes, accelerated evaporation of moisture from their surface.
  2. Hypertension against the background of kidney disease (these paired organs are responsible for filtering the blood and timely removal of fluid). If the pressure begins to rise, this may mean that there is fluid retention in the body, with which the blood vessels cannot cope fully and in a timely manner. An increase in pressure can be recognized by pressing pains in the heart and chest, pulsations in the temples, and malaise.
  3. Diseases of the endocrine system, in particular diabetes mellitus. Glucose, which does not have time to be processed by insulin in a timely manner, attracts liquid, like salt.
  4. Diseases of the digestive system (stomach, gallbladder, pancreas): pancreatitis, gastritis, cholecystitis. In these cases, gastric juice with high acidity or bile impurities can be thrown into the esophagus, reach the mouth and irritate the mucous membranes, causing drying out. Other manifestations: nausea, heartburn, sour or bitter taste, vomiting, pain.
  5. Liver disease affects glucose synthesis and digestive processes.
  6. Diseases of the pharynx and nose, disrupting nasal breathing and making it impossible. These are rhinitis, hay fever, adenoiditis, sinusitis, polyps.
  7. Acute infections, accompanied by a significant increase in body temperature, which provokes large losses of moisture and its accelerated evaporation.
  8. Infectious diseases affecting the functioning of the salivary glands, such as mumps (mumps), in which the lower part of the face begins to swell.
  9. Autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.
  10. Sjögren's syndrome is a connective tissue lesion that can appear in women older than 50-55 years.

Other possible causes

Other causes of the symptom:

  • Improper oral hygiene: use of toothpastes with aggressive, irritating ingredients, use of rinses or fresheners containing alcohol.
  • Pregnancy. Dry mouth often accompanies toxicosis, manifested in the form of vomiting, nausea, and malaise. The cause of the symptom in pregnant women may be an increased body's need for water, due to an increase in the volume of circulating blood, the need for the formation of amniotic fluid.
  • Climax. During this period, a global hormonal restructuring of the body begins, affecting the functioning of the endocrine system and some individual glands, including the salivary ones. With menopause, a woman can feel sick, there are weakness, dizziness, hot flashes, increased sweating, mood swings.
  • Head injuries that provoked damage to the salivary glands or areas of the brain responsible for salivation, as well as surgical operations performed on these areas.
  • Conducted chemotherapy, transferred radiation.
  • Respectable age. In older people, dryness is provoked by the inevitable aging and dehydration of tissues, as well as a number of chronic senile diseases (Alzheimer's, Parkinson's).
  • Dehydration due to heat or sunstroke, severe diarrhea, repeated vomiting, intense physical exertion.
  • Intoxication of the body caused by inhalation or ingestion of toxic substances.
  • Violations of the salivary ducts or glands, due to the presence of stones, neoplasms.
  • Taking certain medications: antibiotics, antifungals, diuretics, laxatives, antidepressants, antihistamines, muscle relaxants.

Sticking tongue to palate

Why does the tongue stick to the palate at night while sleeping? This suggests that the drying is extremely strong and affects the entire oral cavity. The signal is alarming and is unlikely to arise due to the influence of negative factors: it is provoked by serious disturbances in the functioning of the body. Possible reasons described above, and often sticking of the tongue to the palate is caused by diseases, moreover, they proceed for a long time and are not treated. It is important to find out the diagnosis as soon as possible and start therapy.

Diagnostic Measures

If your mouth is dry at night and you are very thirsty, you should not take time and wait for the symptom to disappear. Consult a general practitioner and undergo an examination, which will include blood tests (general, for hormones). Diagnostic procedures can be prescribed to analyze the functioning of organs: ECG, CT, radiography, MRI.

After receiving the results of the examination, the therapist refers the patient to narrow specialists: an endocrinologist, an ENT specialist, a surgeon, a gynecologist, an infectious disease specialist, a dentist, a gastroenterologist. The doctor will conduct a detailed diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Solution

You can solve the problem if you eliminate its cause. The main goal of therapy is to get rid of the disease that causes dryness, or to achieve remission and reduce the frequency of exacerbations if the disease is chronic. At diabetes insulin therapy is recommended, for infections - immunomodulators, antifungals or antibiotics (depending on pathogens). Hypertension requires medication to lower blood pressure blood pressure. For diseases of the digestive system, antacids, enzyme preparations are taken. The course of menopause will be facilitated by hormonal therapy, herbal remedies. If dry mouth is caused by internal or external factors, rule them out. It is also important to improve nasal breathing.

Important! Treatment, regimens and dosages are prescribed by the doctor after the examination.

Help with dry mouth

You can get rid of dryness in the following ways:

  1. Try drinking some water if you feel uncomfortable.
  2. Mint or sour candies, dried fruits, chewing gum will help to increase salivation and moisturize the mucous membranes.
  3. You can suck or chew on a piece of ice.
  4. When dryness begins to occur, rinse your mouth with water or herbal decoctions.
  5. Useful for inhalation mineral water, decoctions, pharmaceutical preparations ("Vitaon").
  6. You can add a moderate amount of chili pepper to food: the product contains a substance that causes salivation.
  7. There are special drugs that stimulate the salivary glands or replace saliva, but they should be taken on the recommendation of a doctor.

homemade recipes

Folk remedies will help get rid of dryness:

  • Regularly rinse your mouth with decoctions of herbs with moisturizing, regenerating, anti-inflammatory properties. Suitable chamomile, calendula, coltsfoot, string.
  • The decoctions described above can be heated and the steam inhaled through the mouth to moisten the mucous membranes. This is a kind of simple inhalation.
  • Chew a few fresh mint leaves to freshen your breath and relieve discomfort in your mouth.
  • Use saline rinses. Add a teaspoon of each ingredient to a glass of water, mix everything and rinse your mouth several times a day and at bedtime.

Consequences

Dryness itself is not dangerous if it occurs infrequently and does not cause discomfort. But an increase in the symptom can disrupt sleep and prevent sleep at night, cause insomnia and, as a result, chronic fatigue, irritability. Thinned mucous membranes can be damaged, bleed, become covered with abscesses, interfere with normal eating and drinking.

Constant dryness will worsen the quality of life and affect all its areas: career, personal life, communication with loved ones. If the disease that provoked the symptom is not treated, it will become chronic or cause serious consequences.

Preventive measures

Prevention measures to help avoid dry mouth during sleep:

  1. Observe the water regime, drinking at least 1.5-2 liters per day.
  2. Raise the humidity in the room with a humidifier or containers filled with water.
  3. Avoid eating salty and sugary foods at night.
  4. Give up smoking and alcohol.
  5. For rinsing and oral hygiene, do not use alcohol-containing and aggressive products.
  6. Breathe through your nose.
  7. To avoid snoring, choose a comfortable body position, such as lying on your side.
  8. Visit your doctor regularly and undergo routine examinations.

Dry mouth is a concern for many. If it occurs rarely, you should not panic. If the symptom persists and worsens, see a specialist and take action to solve the problem. Health to you and sound sleep!

Hours in the gym, multi-kilometer runs, severe dietary restrictions ...

What kind of sacrifices do women not make for the sake of chiseled and slender legs! And the results will certainly become visible sooner or later: the buttocks are tightened, fat is leaving the hips. But the shins do not always respond to efforts, and sometimes even become larger.

Bulky calves look disharmonious, interfere with wearing short skirts and tight trousers, and become the cause of complexes. Sometimes the desire to reduce calves reaches the point of absurdity. So, in the United States, plastic surgery to correct this part of the body is gaining more and more popularity.

In order to quickly and correctly get rid of large calves, first of all, you need to find out main reason their appearance and try to eliminate it.

The main "culprits" are an excessive layer of subcutaneous fat, too voluminous muscles that appeared as a result of training or are a hereditary feature.

Genetics. If large shins are your genetic feature (this can be seen by looking at your parents and immediate family), then reducing the muscles on the calves will be extremely difficult.

You can try to slightly change the proportions of the body and adjust the features of the anatomy. For example, if you have a short Achilles tendon that connects the back of your heel to your calf, then your calves will look bigger. This is due to the fact that the muscle has to stretch down a lot to connect with the short tendon.

If the tendon is long, then the place of its connection with the muscle is higher. As a result, the calf muscle "sits" high, the lower leg looks thinner and more elegant. Unfortunately, tendon lengthening is not possible. The only thing that can be advised in this case is to avoid loads that provoke the growth of the calf muscles.

Gait and movement. Repeated day-to-day actions can affect the shape of your legs. For example, walking on your toes all the time, with your body weight on the forefoot (as when wearing heels), can lead to calf muscle buildup.

It is also worth analyzing your gait: with weak other leg muscles, especially the tibialis anterior, the calves can compensate for the entire load, increasing over time. The solution to the problem is a comprehensive strengthening of the leg muscles.

Body fat is another very common reason why calves look big. Each person has their own specific problem areas, from which fat goes last. If these are calves and ankles, then you will have to be patient and persevere in order to find the legs of your dreams.

  • Remember that it is impossible to lose weight locally, along with the calves, the hips and buttocks will decrease. You may need to add isolated exercises for them if your goal is to be in good shape.
  • For slimming legs, drying the muscles of the thighs and calves, cardio training with minimal or no resistance is recommended. This means that you need to choose a flat place on the street, and set the minimum slope on the treadmill. It is with such training that the legs and calves will lose weight and at the same time acquire nice shape. Endurance running helps to reduce the calf muscles and fatty tissue around the calf (as well as throughout the body), which make the legs look bulky. Double benefit - burn fat and reduce muscle!
  • Avoid exercises aimed primarily at developing leg strength, as they cause muscle growth and make the calves even more voluminous. For example, short and intense cardio workouts, strength exercises for the legs (squats, lunges), step aerobics, mountain hiking are contraindicated. Walking uphill, including on a high-incline treadmill, makes the calves even bigger.
  • Do not jump rope and generally avoid jumping with high leg lifts. Swimming, walking, cross-country and elliptical trainers are more suitable for losing calves. The elliptical trainer is a great tool for low-intensity cardio when you set the resistance to the minimum. Instead of burning calories by increasing resistance, increase your exercise time. Long walks also slim down the lower legs, as they lengthen the hamstrings and calf muscles.
  • Avoid step machines and other exercises that simulate climbing stairs or mountains, as they primarily increase the calf muscles. Remember that your goal is to make the calves thinner, not to "pump" them even more.
  • It is better to refuse resistance training or perform more repetitions with small weights. Weight-bearing exercises that involve the calf muscles only lead to more calf muscles, even if your goal is fat loss. It is absolutely impossible to reduce the point of the lower leg with their help. Effective methods for getting rid of calf fat are diet, low-intensity cardio and liposuction.
  • Stretching exercises help stretch and lengthen the large calf muscles, including the “pumped” ones. For this purpose, you can attend stretching training, yoga or Pilates. Great calf exercises can be done against a wall. Stand facing her, one foot at a distance of 25-30 cm from the wall, the second - at 70-80 cm, the feet are parallel, the heels are on the floor, and the socks are looking at the wall. Bend your front leg while keeping your back leg straight, lean over and place your hands on the wall. You should feel a stretch in the back of your leg and especially your calf. Hold this position for 15-30 seconds, switch legs and repeat. This exercise helps stretch the calf muscles.
  • Pilates is great for shaping toned and elongated muscles. Even with intense workouts, your calves will not swell.
  • The following simple calf stretching exercise can be done anytime, at work or at home. Sit on a chair, with your back straight, press against its back. Raise your left leg and make 6 rotational movements clockwise with your foot. The amplitude should be maximum. Repeat the same number of times on the other side, and then do the same exercise on the right leg.
  • There are many ways to visually reduce large calves with clothes and shoes. By resorting to them, you can make the legs in girth look a few centimeters smaller.

Remember, you can be in good physical shape, fit and slender without protruding muscle bumps. The main thing is to correctly draw up a training program that includes strength and cardio exercises and avoid stress and diets that provoke muscle growth. With such tactics, volumes (and not only calves!) will steadily decrease.

How to treat full calves, each woman decides for herself. For example, actresses Mischa Barton and Katie Holmes are not shy about these body parts and look great. Even if you are unable to reduce calf volume, do not dwell on it. Focus on the best parts of the body and emphasize them.