The Center for Quality in Health Care in Germany said that dry mouth is due to several causes, some of which are simple and some are serious.
The German Center explained that the simple causes of dry mouth are: lack of drinking fluids, lack of saliva secretion due to advancing age, or that it is a side effect of some medications such as antihypertensive drugs, psychiatric drugs and hypnotics.
In these cases, dry mouth can be counteracted by drinking fluids in sufficient quantities, at a rate of at least 1.5 liters per day, taking into account eating foods rich in fluids such as cucumber and watermelon. Saliva can also be stimulated by chewing sugar-free gum.
If these measures do not succeed in dealing with dry mouth, then a doctor should be consulted, because dry mouth may portend a serious disease such as diabetes, rheumatic diseases, or multiple sclerosis.
Sjögren’s syndrome, which is an autoimmune disease, causes dryness of the mucous membranes.
