- Make It Yourself Lavender Heart-Shaped Bath Bombs!
- 20 Things You Never Knew About “Down There”
- 12 Best Foods For Those Suffering From Arthritis Pain
- 12 Personal Hygiene Mistakes Almost Everyone Makes (Mom Never Told You About #4!)
- 15 Medicinal Plants And Herbs From The Cherokee People
- 12 Mind-Blowing Benefits Of Drinking Coconut Water During Pregnancy
- 12 Outstanding Winter Foods That Won’t Fatten You Up Like A Christmas Turkey
12 Incredible Ways to Wet Your Whistle & Stop Dry Mouth (We Never Thought of #4!)
Photo credit: bigstock.com
Is it true that loud mouths get dry mouths? Although you might think that would be the case, Chatty Cathys and those perpetual loud mouths, although they might get sore throats, don’t necessarily have dry mouth. Technically dry mouth is known as xerostomia, a condition in which the saliva production in mouth shuts down for unknown reasons.
Your saliva actually has many important duties, including helping you talk, chew, spit, swallow; cleaning your teeth; lubricating food for swallowing; helping to predigest food, and re-mineralizing your pearly whites.
Although the exact reason for this condition is unknown, the most common factor is the use of certain medications. Read any prescription’s warning label, and you will find that dry mouth is one of the first side effects listed. The worst offenders are antihistamines and other types of allergy medications. Other drugs that can cause dry mouth are used to treat depression, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
Other factors that can cause dry mouth include smoking, radiation therapy, menopause, and removal of the salivary glands due to disease or injury. Pregnant women or breastfeeding mothers sometimes experience dry mouth due to hormone changes.
Although it won’t really hurt you, that cotton mouth feeling is terribly irritating and annoying. If you suffer from dry mouth and are looking to wet your whistle, we have 12 natural ways to help stop that sticky tongue feeling. Keep reading and find out which methods might work best for you.
1. Aniseed
One of the ugly things that goes along with dry mouth is bad breath. Chewing a few aniseed can help to stop bad breath and increase saliva production. If you have ever eaten at an Indian restaurant, you might have noticed small bowls of anise seeds on the table. This is a common way to stop bad breath after meals in this country. Chewing on some of these seeds can be a real lifesaver.
2. The Obvious
Dehydration is one of the main causes behind dry mouth. Drinking plenty of water and eating foods that are water-based is a great way to help fight dry mouth. Besides drinking the recommended eight or 10 glasses of water, you can also try:
- Sucking on ice
- Eating partially frozen chunks of fruits such as watermelon, cucumber, and pineapple
- Drink smoothies, vegetable juice, and fruit juices
- Drink a few glasses of coconut water
- Drink more herbal tea such as green tea or black tea
- Eat more soups and stews
- Avoid sodas and alcoholic drinks as these lead to dehydration
3. Ginger
Ginger is super effective when it comes to fighting a dry mouth by stimulating the production of saliva. You can chew a small fresh piece of ginger root slowly throughout the day. You can also drink two or three cups of ginger tea mixed with a bit of raw honey to encourage your salivary glands to keep up production.
Continue to Page 2
