Dry mouth with menopause

Due to hormonal changes that occur in the female body after 50 years, the condition of the oral cavity may worsen - its mucous membrane reacts sharply to the level of progesterone, as well as estrogen in the body. Burning and dry mouth during menopause begins to manifest when a woman has a deficiency of these hormones.

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Causes dry mouth with menopause

During menopause, a woman's ovaries begin to function less actively, as well as the body's production of sex hormones. This causes dryness of all mucous membranes, including those in the oral cavity.

Read also: Vaginal dryness during menopause

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Symptoms dry mouth with menopause

Dry mouth can be identified by the presence of the following symptoms:

• Strong thirst;
• Dryness in the mouth, as well as a sticky feeling;
• The appearance of small cracks on the labial border and in the corners of the lips;
• A feeling of dryness in the throat and nose;
• The tongue becomes hard, red and itchy;
• Problems with swallowing appear, it becomes difficult to talk;
• The activity of taste buds decreases;
• Hoarseness of voice occurs;
• There may be a sore throat;
• Bad breath.

Similar symptoms are seen in a rare autoimmune disease called Sjogren's syndrome. It involves multiple lesions of all mucous membranes in the body - with pronounced xerosis syndrome. This pathology mainly develops in women who have entered the postmenopausal period. Its manifestations include a feeling of dryness in the throat and mouth, the appearance of sores in the corners of the mouth, and a burning sensation in the eyeballs.

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Complications and consequences

Among the complications, it is necessary to first highlight that this phenomenon causes significant discomfort. In addition, since saliva is a barrier to the development of pathogenic bacteria, in case of dryness, the risk of various diseases (such as caries, candidiasis, gingivitis, etc.) increases many times. Also, dryness in the oral cavity complicates the process of wearing dentures.

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Differential diagnosis

Dry mouth during menopause must be differentiated from the following diseases:

• HIV;
• stroke;
• diabetes mellitus;
• anemia;
• Sjögren's syndrome;
• shaking palsy;
• Alzheimer's disease;
• rheumatoid arthritis;
• decrease in blood pressure.

Treatment dry mouth with menopause

The symptoms of the disease are relieved after the gynecologist prescribes various medications used during menopause - these are vitamins, sedatives, as well as non-hormonal and hormonal drugs, and in addition, antidepressants.

Medicines

To increase the rate of saliva production, such medications as Prozerin, Thermopsis, and in addition Galantamine, coltsfoot and potassium iodide are prescribed. Multivitamins, which contain complexes of groups B and C, as well as A and E, also help to alleviate the symptoms of menopause. They should be used for 21 days, then take a break for 21 days and repeat the course again.

Folk remedies

Dry mouth can be eliminated using folk remedies.

Drink an alcohol infusion of Echinacea (10 drops) every hour. The treatment course should last a maximum of 2 months.

Season your food with a pinch of chili pepper (red), as it contains capsaicin, which helps activate the salivary glands.

You can also hold small ice cubes in your mouth and lubricate your lips using a moisturizer or balm.

You can moisten and thin your food using sauces. In addition, it is recommended to eat soft and warm foods, avoiding hard foods, such as nuts or crackers. You should also stop eating dried fruits and bread.

In order not to provoke the occurrence of dry mouth, you need to give up smoking, because it significantly increases the manifestations of this pathology. At the same time, you need to stop drinking alcohol - it not only has a drying effect, but also has pronounced diuretic properties, due to which the body loses fluid even more actively.

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Forecast

Dry mouth during menopause is not a life-threatening symptom, but it can cause some discomfort. In general, the prognosis for dry mouth depends on the type of disease that provoked it and the nature of its development, and in addition, on the degree of activity of the salivary glands.

In all situations, except for cases where there is complete atrophy of the salivary glands, with a responsible approach to treatment, it is possible to significantly improve the condition or even completely get rid of the disease.

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