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Causes of Sticky Saliva

The most important common reason for sticky saliva is dehydration.

When this happens, your body is not taking in enough fluids to replace fluids that are lost. This can happen during intense exercise, from being in the sun too long, during illness including vomiting or diarrhea, or from taking medications like diuretics for blood pressure. Other medications include decongestants, antihistamines, medication for anxiety and depression, blood pressure medication.pain medication, and muscle relaxers.

An illness like a cold or seasonal allergy can cause a stuffy nose. Nasal congestion often forces you to breathe with your mouth open, which can dry your mouth and make your saliva thicker and stickier than usual.

Dry mouth can also come from tobacco and alcohol use or overuse. Alcohol is a diuretic and acts similarly to a medication for that purpose.

Pregnant women experience changes in hormonal levels that can affect salivary production and can cause dry mouth.

Prolonged anxiety can also result in discernible dry mouth.

Some cancer therapies affect the salivary glands from chemotherapy or from radiation therapy. Radiation therapy to the head and neck can disable the salivary glands causing a great deal of dry mouth and discomfort.

There are other less frequent causes of dry mouth which are rarer but can include:

Progressive, terminal motor neuron diseases such as ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease). Salivary stones that block salivary ducts. Sjogren syndrome affects your salivary glands and can cause dry mouth or obstructed salivary ducts. Cystic fibrosis is a genetic condition that alters the production of mucus, sweat, and digestive enzymes in the cells.

Home Remedies for Sticky Saliva

First, speak to your doctor or dental professional to determine the cause and recommend the steps you should take. This can prevent more severe problems down the road. There are also a few things you can try at home.

When eating, take small bites, chew your food well, and sipping liquids during meals to moisten the foods and assist with swallowing.

Take frequent sips of water. Suck on ice chips.

Use a room humidifier.

Avoid alcohol, tobacco, hot, spicy, or acidic foods, chewy candies, tough meats, pretzels and chips, and hard raw fruits or vegetables.

Avoid mouthwashes containing alcohol.

Macmillan Cancer Support recommends leaning over a steaming bowl of hot water with a towel over your head to loosen thick saliva.

What are general guidelines for treating thick saliva?

There are many treatments, depending on the cause, which your doctor or dentist can help you to decipher.

There may be medication that can be substituted if dry mouth is a side effect of your current medication.Use over the counter or prescription saliva substitutes.

Avoid tobacco, caffeine, alcohol mouth rinses, alcohol, soft drinks, spicy foods, orange juice, and coffee.Removing dentures before bedtime

Use commercial rinses and toothpastes for dry mouth.

Drinking 8 to 10 glasses of fluid daily while sipping slowly to avoid washing away the saliva you do have.

Sucking on but do not chew ice cubes.

Using a humidifier in your bedroom when you sleep.

Chew thoroughly before you swallow.

Reducing or eliminating sugar consumption and limit salt intake.

Consulting your medical professional for dietary recommendations.

Additional recommendations for people experiencing thick saliva due to radiation or chemo include:

Eat soft or pureed foods as possible and avoiding sticky foods.

Clean your mouth thoroughly before and after every meal with mouth rinse or water.

Consult your doctor about using liquid meal replacements to get adequate nutrition, as well as avoid drying out your mouth.

When to see a doctor

People who are experiencing thick saliva should consult their doctor or dentist to begin the process of pinpointing the root cause.

You could have an infection in your salivary gland if you are experiencing:

An unusual or bad taste in your mouth.

High fever.

More dryness in your mouth than usual..

Intense pain that lasts more than four hours.

Difficulty opening your mouth.

Pain or pressure when eating.

Redness or swelling in your neck and face.

If you have postnasal drip along with thick saliva, contact your doctor if you have:

Fever

Wheezing

Green, yellow, or bloody mucus

Mucus with a strong odor

If you are severely dehydrated, you may require immediate medical attention. Symptoms include:

Lack of sweat production.

Excessive thirst

Rapid breathing

Rapid heart rate

Low blood pressure

Fever

Dark urine

Sunken eyes

Shriveled skin

In all cases, contacting you health professional is the first step to take in changing the downhill course of dry mouth.

(07/03/2021)
by Dr. Korwin

More Information: https://drkorwin.com/dental-health-tips-what-causes-sticky-saliva/

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