Dry mouth

Introduction Dry mouth is a subjective feeling. Subjective dry mouth is mostly accompanied by objective dry mouth. Some people mistake dry throat and dry lips for dry mouth, and some people say that dry mouth is not all accompanied by oral cavity. The objective performance of drying. Therefore, dry mouth may also be the patient's dry mouth feeling, or it may be dry mouth. Long-term dry mouth - dry mouth patients typically have the following symptoms: chewing and swallowing difficulties when eating dry and hard foods such as biscuits, as well as the burning of the oral mucosa, weakening or changing taste.

Cause

Chinese medicine believes that dry mouth is caused by liver and kidney yin deficiency, and Jin is not upheld, or caused by heat and stagnation, and burning and boiling fluid. I always thought that the mouth of the district would not hinder the overall situation, and drinking more water would be easy to solve. In fact, dry mouth is a signal of a variety of Western medicine diseases.

1. Dry mouth is one of the main symptoms of Sjogren's syndrome. Its dry mouth is often unbearable, even if the water does not leave the mouth and does not quench the thirst. The patient's saliva is reduced, the food for swallowing is very difficult, the tongue and mouth are cracked and painful, and the teeth are prone to tooth decay. About half of the patients had enlarged parotid glands, and some patients had symptoms of submandibular gland or nearby lymph nodes. Some patients had joint pain, which was more common in the elbow and knee joints. Severe cases can cause damage to the renal tubules, causing dangerous consequences such as arrhythmia. People with Sjogren's syndrome often have foreign body sensation and burning sensation in the eyes, and the nostrils are dry and easy to scar. The diagnosis of Sjogren's syndrome is not difficult, but its dry mouth symptoms are not noticed by patients and doctors, resulting in missed diagnosis and misdiagnosis.

2. Diabetic people often have dry mouth and thirst symptoms. The typical symptoms of clinical diabetics can be summarized as "three more and one less", namely polydipsia, polyphagia, polyuria and weight loss. Polyuria includes increased urine output and increased urination times. The total daily urine output can reach 3 to 5 liters, or even up to 10 liters. Due to polyuria, the body loses a lot of water, so the mouth is thirsty and enjoys drinking more. The amount of drinking water is proportional to the blood sugar concentration, urine volume and the amount of sugar lost in the urine. As an early signal of diabetes, dry mouth is often easily overlooked because other symptoms are not typical, resulting in a good opportunity for early treatment. The diagnosis of diabetes is relatively easy, and high blood sugar is the main basis for the diagnosis of diabetes. As long as the fasting blood glucose and postprandial blood glucose are measured, the diabetes can be clearly identified.

3. Hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism) may also have dry mouth symptoms. Patients with hyperthyroidism have increased energy metabolism, increased oxygen consumption, increased heat production, and accelerated heat dissipation. The clinical symptoms are dry mouth, sweating, heat, skin moist and elevated temperature, goiter and exophthalmos. Hyperthyroidism is slow onset, and most patients can't remember the exact onset time. In addition, the early symptoms are not obvious, so they are easily ignored by patients. However, if the laboratory tests of thyroid function are used early, it is easy to get a definite diagnosis.

an examination

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Diagnosis can be based on clinical symptoms.

The reduction of saliva secretion in the oral cavity leads to changes in the local environment; the tooth body is prone to cause sputum or periodontal disease due to the lack of self-cleaning effect and the decreased antibacterial efficacy of saliva. The oral mucosa is dry and atrophied. The tongue is red, the tongue coating is reduced, the groove is on the back of the tongue, and there is a burning sensation.

The patient's complaint of dry mouth is only used as a general diagnosis basis, and it needs to be further confirmed by some objective examination. The commonly used method is the determination of salivary flow rate. Under relatively constant conditions, the flow rate is less than 0.2ml/15min, which can be diagnosed as "dry mouth", and the flow rate between 0.2-0.91ml/min can be called "saliva reduction". ".

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis of dry mouth:

(1) mouth acid: Chinese medicine believes that most of the acidity of the liver and gallbladder caused by heat spleen, this situation is due to liver and stomach disharmony, resulting in excessive gastric acid. Common people: more common in gastritis and stomach and duodenal ulcers.

(2) Sweet mouth: also known as "mouth". Even if you drink boiled water, you will feel sweet, or sweet and sour. Chinese medicine believes that the sweetness of the mouth is mostly caused by dysfunction of the spleen and stomach. Common people: Spicy and thick foods eat too much, old or long-term illnesses and spleen and stomach will generally have sweet mouth symptoms. In addition, diabetic patients have a sweet taste in their mouth due to an increase in blood sugar.

(3) mouth fragrance: there is a scent in the mouth, such as fruit aroma. Common people: more common in diabetes (diabetes). You should go to the hospital immediately to confirm the diagnosis and treatment.

(4) Spicy: People who are conscious of hot mouth may have a high tongue temperature. When the temperature is between 18 °C and 22 °C, the normal tongue temperature is mostly between 33 °C and 35 °C, and the mouth is sometimes more than 36 °C. Chinese medicine believes that the mouth is spicy with kidney yin deficiency, liver fire is more prosperous, followed by lung heat. Common population: high blood pressure, neurosis, menopausal syndrome and long-term low fever.

(5) Salty mouth: I feel salty in the mouth, just like salt in the mouth. Chinese medicine believes that the salty mouth is mostly caused by kidney deficiency, which is caused by the kidney fluid, accompanied by symptoms such as weak waist and knees, dizziness and tinnitus. Common people: patients with chronic pharyngitis, chronic nephritis, neurosis or oral ulcers are prone to salty mouth.

(6) The mouth is light: the mouth is light, the taste in the mouth is delayed, the taste of the food cannot be tasted, and the taste is sweet, sour, bitter and salty. The threshold of the taste threshold is generally increased. Common people: more common in the onset or regression of inflammation, and more common in digestive diseases, but also in patients with endocrine diseases, vitamins and trace element zinc deficiency. In addition, the mouth is light and tasteless, the taste is weakened or even disappeared, and it is one of the characteristics of cancer patients.

(7) Oral sputum: When the threshold of bitter taste of the tongue taste cells is lowered, the secretion of salivary glands is reduced, and the tactile sensation of the tongue is abnormal, mouth sputum may occur. Common people: neurosis or overnight sleepless people are prone to mouth sputum, generally just adjust the sleep time, if necessary, use a sedative to eliminate. However, it should be noted that some malignant tumors, especially in the advanced stage, are often bitter and bitter.

The material in this site is intended to be of general informational use and is not intended to constitute medical advice, probable diagnosis, or recommended treatments.