Has your mouth been dry for a while? This can be a dangerous sign - voila! health

2023-05-10T05:47:24.286Z

Highlights: Dry mouth can be associated with snoring, taking medication, smoking or too much alcohol. Poor oral health can also be a red flag for serious, potentially life-threatening diseases like diabetes, stroke and even HIV. Dry mouth can manifest as stickiness in the mouth, dryness or sore throat, difficulty chewing or swallowing or even bad breath. It is essential to keep a close eye on your health and if you notice any persistent symptoms of dry mouth, you should see your GP.

Many of us will ignore a dry mouth, even if it continues for weeks, but the truth is that it can be a red flag for difficult chronic diseases

Dry in your mouth? (Photo: ShutterStock)

Dry mouth is a common symptom, and one that most of us can often ignore, but it can still be a red flag for some serious illnesses to look out for.

Dry mouth can be associated with problems such as snoring, taking medication, radiation therapy to the head-neck area in oncology patients, smoking or too much alcohol. However, poor oral health can also be a red flag for serious, potentially life-threatening diseases like diabetes, stroke and even HIV. Dr. Azdairomelu told the Metro website that persistent dry mouth can often be a sign of something gone wrong elsewhere in the body.

A sign of other places on the body

"A dry mouth can be a sign that something is wrong elsewhere in the body. It can manifest as symptoms such as stickiness in the mouth, dryness or sore throat, difficulty chewing or swallowing or even bad breath." As a result, nutritional deficiencies and gastrointestinal problems may arise, difficulty speaking that may cause social or occupational difficulties, recurrent infections in the oral cavity and an increased risk of tooth decay and gum disease.

"Dangerous health conditions like stroke, diabetes or Alzheimer's disease can also show themselves this way, and these symptoms can also be an indicator of an autoimmune disorder like HIV or Sjogren's syndrome," he said. This autoimmune syndrome causes dysfunction of the secretory glands in the body and a significant decrease in the secretion of saliva and tears.

"When you visit a dentist, we don't just worry about oral health. We are also trained on how to identify certain broader problems in overall health. It is essential to keep a close eye on your health and if you notice any persistent symptoms of dry mouth, you should see your GP."