Symptom: Dry mouth

Introduction: Dry mouth

Dry mouth: When the mouth is not as moist as usual. See free access online books about Dry mouth below. See detailed information below for a list of 264 causes of Dry mouth, including diseases and drug side effect causes.

» Review Causes of Dry mouth: full list

Causes of Dry mouth:

The following medical conditions are some of the possible causes of Dry mouth. There are likely to be other possible causes, so ask your doctor about your symptoms.

• Some simple reasons for dry mouth include:
  • Stuffy nose
  • Mouth breathing (see Breathing symptoms)
  • Inadequate fluid intake
  • Dehydration - see causes of dehydration
  • Anxiety
  • Fear
  • Stage fright
• Certain nutritional deficiencies may cause dry mouth:
  • Vitamin deficiency
  • Riboflavin deficiency
  • Vitamin A deficiency
• Salivary gland disorder
• Salivary gland calculus
• Excessive urination - causes dehydration; see causes of excessive urination
• Certain hormonal or metabolic disorders:
  • Sjogren's syndrome
  • Diabetes - mainly if undiagnosed or poorly controlled.
  • Poorly controlled diabetes - because it causes frequent urination
  • Undiagnosed diabetes
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Amyloidosis
  • HIV
• Radiation therapy - if it exposes the head and neck to radiation.
• Radiation exposure
• Certain medications - in fact many medications can cause dry mouth
• Amphetamine intoxication
• Sarcoidosis
• Mumps
• Sjgren's syndrome

See full list of 264 causes of Dry mouth

» Review Causes of Dry mouth: full list

Causes of Types of Dry mouth:

Review the causes of these more specific types of Dry mouth:

• Cracked mouth corner (10 causes)

More types of Dry mouth

Dry mouth: Multiple Symptom Checker

Listed below are some combinations of symptoms associated with Dry mouth, as listed in our database. Visit the Multiple Symptoms Checker, to add and remove symptoms and research your condition.

Multiple Symptom Checker - Other Symptoms

• Dry mouth: Multiple Symptom Checker

Multiple Symptom Checker Combinations

• Dry mouth and Face symptoms (195 causes)
• Dry mouth and Head symptoms (195 causes)
• Dry mouth and Mouth symptoms (194 causes)
• Dry mouth and Throat symptoms (193 causes)
• Dry mouth and Heart symptoms (170 causes)
• Dry mouth and Respiratory symptoms (167 causes)
• Dry mouth and Heart rhythm symptoms (162 causes)
• Dry mouth and Rapid heart beat (162 causes)
• Dry mouth and Emotional symptoms (160 causes)
• Dry mouth and Behavioral symptoms (159 causes)
• Dry mouth and Digestive symptoms (157 causes)
• Dry mouth and Personality symptoms (157 causes)
• Dry mouth and Breath symptoms (156 causes)
• Dry mouth and Breathing difficulties (156 causes)
• Dry mouth and Breathing symptoms (156 causes)
• Dry mouth and Society problems (152 causes)
• Dry mouth and Anxiety (151 causes)
• Dry mouth and Nausea (146 causes)
• Dry mouth and Exercise symptoms (141 causes)
• Dry mouth and Shortness of breath from exercise (141 causes)

See full list of 1057 Multiple Symptom Checker combinations related to Dry mouth

Causes of General Symptom Types

Research the causes of these more general types of symptom:

• Throat symptoms (1143 causes)
• Mouth symptoms (1788 causes)
• Head symptoms (3837 causes)
• Face symptoms (2766 causes)

Causes of Similar Symptoms to Dry mouth

Research the causes of these symptoms that are similar to, or related to, the symptom Dry mouth:

• Dry lips
• Mouth pain (56 causes)
• Saliva symptoms (105 causes)

Diagnostic Guides for Dry mouth

12 MEDICAL SYMPTOM BOOKS: FULL TEXT ONLINE! Read the full text of published book sections related to Dry mouth from the following published medical books for more detailed information about Dry mouth. Free access (no registration): read all online diagnostic book sections about Dry mouth

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Misdiagnosis and Dry mouth

Alzheimer's disease over-diagnosed: The well-known disease of Alzheimer's disease is often over-diagnosed. Patients tend to assume that any memory loss or forgetulness symptom might be Alzheimer's,...read more »

Dementia may be a drug interaction: A common scenario in aged care is for a patient to show mental decline to dementia. Whereas this can, of course, occur due to...read more »

Tremor need not be Parkinson's disease: There is the tendency to believe that any tremor symptom, or shakiness, means Parkinson's disease. The reality is that there are various possibilities, such as benign essential tremor...read more »

Rare diseases misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease: A rare genetic disorder is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson's disease for men in their 50's. The disease Fragile X disorder can show only mild symptoms in the early years, and Parkinsons...read more »

Read more about Misdiagnosis and Dry mouth

Diagnostic tests for Dry mouth:

Various tests are used in the diagnosis of Dry mouth. Some of these are listed below :

• Physical examination
  • Look for evidence of dehydration
  • Inspect for dental caries which may be a complication of dry mouth
  • Inspect for oral candidiasis which may be a complication of dental caries
  • If suspect salivary gland stones, the stones can sometimes be felt in the floor of the mouth

See full list of 19 diagnostic tests for Dry mouth

Diagnosis Checklist: Questions your doctor may ask (and why!)

During a consultation, your doctor will use various techniques in their assessment of Dry mouth. Your doctor may ask several questions when assessing your condition. It is important to remember that your consultation is a two-way process and any extra information you can share with your doctor about your symptoms may help them with their diagnosis. Some of the questions your doctor may ask are listed below:

• How long have you had the dry mouth (xerostomia)? - to establish if acute or chronic.
• What is the age of the person with dry eyes? - elderly people often complain of a dry mouth as salivary secretion tends to fall with age.
• Are there simple reasons for the dry mouth? - e.g. stuffy nose, mouth breathing, snoring, stage fright, fear, anxiety.
• Fluid intake? - may suggest inadequate intake of fluid and dehydration as cause of dry mouth e.g. poor fluid intake due to illness, anorexia, malnutrition or neglect.
• Have you been treated with radiation therapy? - may cause dry mouth if the head and neck has been exposed to radiation.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Dry mouth (18 listings)

Diagnosis Checklist: Associated symptoms your doctor may ask about (and why!)

Sometimes, other symptoms may be present and may help your doctor analyse your condition. The symptoms your doctor may ask about (in association with Dry mouth) may include:

• Symptoms of dehydration ? - e.g. thirst, postural dizziness, fainting and reduced urine output - may cause dry mouth.
• Symptoms of Primary Sjogren's syndrome? - e.g. dry eyes, dryness of the mouth, skin or vagina. This syndrome may be associated with many systemic conditions such as Raynaud's phenomenon, difficulty in swallowing (as seen in systemic sclerosis), painful joints (like that seen with systemic lupus erythematosus), thyroid disease, myasthenia gravis, primary biliary cirrhosis, chronic active hepatitis, renal diabetes insipidus, renal tubular acidosis and vasculitis.
• Symptoms of Rheumatoid arthritis? - e.g. joint pain, swelling, deformity and morning stiffness. It may also cause a number of systemic symptoms including carpal tunnel syndrome, anemia and enlarged spleen. 15% of people with Rheumatoid arthritis have a secondary Sjogren's syndrome which comprises dry eyes and dry mouth.
• Symptoms of diabetes mellitus - e.g. frequent urination, excessive thirst, weight loss, fatigue - dry mouth may be present in uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes mellitus due to excessive urination.
• Symptoms that may cause dehydration? - e.g. vomiting, diarrhea, fever, excessive urination, extensive exfoliation of skin, gastrointestinal bleeding.

See Diagnosis Checklist for Dry mouth (18 listings)

Stories from Users for Dry mouth

Real-life user stories relating to Dry mouth:

• Too young for Fibromyalgia
• too young for memory loss
• dry throat
• bladder frequency, burning eyes, dry mouth, some diarrhea
• Feel Contagious? Tingly? Long lasting illness? Dry Mouth? CLICK HERE
• Too young for this
• MY Tongue
• Throat
• Sores in the corner of mouth
• Swollen Throat Infection/Redness in Mouth
• Tongue
• tongue issues
• is my son too young for type too
• VA too slow need help!!
• Difficulty Swallowing/Dry Mouth
• I'm too YOUNG for this!!!
• unexplained dry mouth
• Throat Issue :(
• Sore throat,Yellow Tounge, Mouth ulcers and a fever please Help?
• Dry mouth...Dry and Itchy throat

Symptom specific forums: The following patient stories in our interactive forums and message boards relate to Dry mouth or relevant symptoms:

• Constitutional (General Wellbeing) (156)
  • Sore Scalp/hair follicles
  • Fat loss in entire body
  • Dont know how much more I can take..
  • I'm Lost.
  • My wife does not sweat I'm worried
  • More user stories
• ENMT (Ears, Nose, Mouth and Throat) (275)
  • Swelling in roof of mouth
  • Pain on one side of throat
  • Please help! Mucus/dark circles/bad breath...
  • Painful white bumps on tongue
  • Sinus headache & eye area pain
  • More user stories
• Gastrointestinal (Food - from entry to exit) (452)
  • Bloating/Distention/Intestinal Gas
  • Intense Abdominal Pain
  • Help Please! Extreme Abdominal Pain/Gas/Bowel Symptoms ++
  • Feels like a baby kicking-not pregnant
  • 7 year old with severe heartburn/stomach aches
  • More user stories
• Allergic/Immunologic (88)
  • Chronic hives
  • Spontaneous flushing and redness of face and body.
  • Non-stop itching, no rash
  • Swelling & itching
  • Problems with my scalp can anyone help me
  • More user stories

Videos for Dry mouth

Patient Surveys for Dry mouth

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Causes of Dry mouth listed in Disease Database:

Other medical conditions listed in the Disease Database as possible causes of Dry mouth as a symptom include:

• Amitriptyline
• Amphetamine
• Antipsychotic agents
• Atropine
• Botulism
• Chlorpheniramine
• Chlorpromazine
• Cinnarizine
• Cyclobenzaprine
• Dehydration
• Deserpidine
• Desipramine
• Diphenhydramine
• Disopyramide
• Dothiepin
• Entacapone
• Etretinate
• Guanfacine
• Hydroxyzine
• Levomepromazine

See full list of 264 causes of Dry mouth
- (Source - Diseases Database)

Medications or substances causing Dry mouth:

The following drugs, medications, substances or toxins are some of the possible causes of Dry mouth as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Numerous medications - various medications can cause dry mouth
• Antihistamines
• Certain diuretics
• Certain high blood pressure medications
• Certain muscle spasm medications

See full list of 1409 medications causing Dry mouth

Drug interactions causing Dry mouth:

When combined, certain drugs, medications, substances or toxins may react causing Dry mouth as a symptom. Always advise your doctor of any medications or treatments you are using, including prescription, over-the-counter, supplements, herbal or alternative treatments.

• Cyclobenzaprine and narcotic pain reliever interaction
• Flexeril and narcotic pain reliever interaction
• Cyclobenzaprine and ipratropium interaction
• Flexeril and ipratropium interaction
• Cyclobenzaprine and other anticholinergic drug interaction

See full list of 747 drug interactions causing Dry mouth

Article Excerpts about Dry mouth

Dry mouth (xerostomia) is common in many adults and may make it hard to eat, swallow, taste, and speak. (Source: excerpt from Taking Care of Your Teeth and Mouth - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Dry mouth (xerostomia) is common in many adults and may make it hard to eat, swallow, taste, and speak. (Source: excerpt from Taking Care of Your Teeth and Mouth - Age Page - Health Information: NIA)

Definitions of Dry mouth:

An oral condition in which salivary flow is reduced. --2004
- (Source - Diseases Database)

Organs affected by Dry mouth:

The list of organs typically affected by Dry mouth may include, but is not limited to:

• Mouth

Detailed list of causes of Dry mouth

The list below shows some of the causes of Dry mouth mentioned in various sources:

• Amitriptyline
• Amitriptyline toxicity - dry mouth
• Amoxapine toxicity - dry mouth
• Amphetamine
• Amphetamine abuse - dry mouth

See full list of 264 causes of Dry mouth

How Common are these Causes of Dry mouth?

This information refers to the general prevalence and incidence of these diseases, not to how likely they are to be the actual cause of Dry mouth. Of the 264 causes of Dry mouth that we have listed, we have the following prevalence/incidence information:

• 1 causes are "very common" diseases
• 2 causes are "common" diseases
• 1 causes are "uncommon" diseases
• 0 causes are "rare" diseases
• 7 causes are "very rare" diseases
• 256 causes have no prevalence information.

See the analysis of the prevalence of 264 causes of Dry mouth

Conditions listing symptoms: Dry mouth:

The following list of conditions have 'Dry mouth' or similar listed as a symptom in our database. This computer-generated list may be inaccurate or incomplete. Always seek prompt professional medical advice about the cause of any symptom.

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Causes of Dry mouth Based on Risk Factors

This information shows analysis of the list of causes of Dry mouth based on whether certain risk factors apply to the patient: