Dry Mouth

A dry mouth can occur whenthe salivary glands in your mouth don't produce enough saliva.

Thisis often the result of Dehydration , which means you dont have enough fluid in your body to produce the saliva you need. It's also common for your mouth to become dry if you're feeling anxious or nervous.

A dry mouth can sometimes be caused by an underlying problem or medical condition, such as:

• medication many different medications can cause a dry mouth, including antidepressants , antihistamines and diuretics; check the leaflet that comes with your medicine, or find it in the Medicines A-Z to see if dry mouth is listed as a side effect
• a blocked nose breathing through your mouth while you sleep can cause it to dry out
• diabetes a lifelong condition that causes a person's blood sugar level to become too high
• radiotherapy to the head and neck this can cause the salivary glands to become inflamed ( mucositis )
• Sjgren's syndrome a condition where the immune system attacks and damages the salivary glands

If you see your dentist or GP, let them know about any other symptoms you're experiencing and any treatments youre having, as this will help them work out why your mouth is dry.