Dry mouth
A dry mouth is rarely a sign of anything serious. There are things you can do to help ease it yourself. See a GP if these do not work or you also have other symptoms.
Causes of a dry mouth
The main causes of a dry mouth are:
- dehydration – for example, from not drinking enough, sweating a lot or being ill
- medicines – check the leaflet that comes with your medicine to see if dry mouth is a side effect
- breathing through your mouth at night – this can happen if you have a blocked nose or you sleep with your mouth open
- anxiety
- cancer treatment (radiotherapy or chemotherapy)
- oral thrush (mouth thrush)
Sometimes a dry mouth that does not go away may be caused by a condition like diabetes or Sjögren's syndrome.
How to help ease a dry mouth yourself
Do
drink plenty of cold water – take regular sips during the day and keep some water by your bed at night
suck on ice cubes or ice lollies
sip on cold unsweetened drinks
chew sugar-free gum or suck on sugar-free sweets
use lip balm if your lips are also dry
brush your teeth twice a day and use alcohol-free mouthwash – you're more likely to get tooth decay if you have a dry mouth
Don't
do not drink lots of alcohol, caffeine (such as tea and coffee) or fizzy drinks
do not eat foods that are acidic (like lemons), spicy, salty or sugary
do not smoke
do not sleep with dentures in
do not use acidic artificial saliva products if you have your own teeth
do not stop taking a prescribed medicine without getting medical advice first – even if you think it might be causing your symptoms
A pharmacist can help if you have a dry mouth
If you have a dry mouth, ask a pharmacist about treatments you can buy to help keep your mouth moist.
You can get:
- gels
- sprays
- tablets or lozenges
Not all products are suitable for everyone. Ask a pharmacist for advice about the best one for you.
If your dry mouth might be caused by a blocked nose, a pharmacist may suggest decongestants to unblock it.
See a GP if:
You have a dry mouth and:
- it makes it difficult when talking or eating
- your mouth is still dry after trying home or pharmacy treatments for a few weeks
- you're struggling to eat regularly
- you're having problems with your sense of taste that are not going away
- your mouth is painful, red, swollen or bleeding
- you have sore white patches in your mouth
- you think a prescribed medicine might be causing your dry mouth
- you have other symptoms, like needing to pee a lot or dry eyes
The GP can check what the cause might be and recommend treatment for it.
A pharmacist may be able to suggest things to provide relief from your symptoms while you're waiting to talk to a GP.
