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Dry Mouth Center - Gainesville, FL

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Gainesville, Florida

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Dry Mouth

What Causes Dry Mouth?

There are several causes of dry mouth, also called xerostomia. These include:

  • Side effect of certain medications. Dry mouth is a common side effect of many prescription and nonprescription drugs, including drugs used to treat depression, anxiety, pain, allergies, and colds (antihistamines and decongestants), obesity, acne, epilepsy, hypertension (diuretics), diarrhea, nausea, psychotic disorders, urinary incontinence, asthma (certain bronchodilators), and Parkinson's disease. Dry mouth can also a side effect of muscle relaxants and sedatives.
  • Side effect of certain diseases and infections. Dry mouth can be a side effect of medical conditions, including Sjögren's syndrome, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, anemia, cystic fibrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and mumps.
  • Side effect of certain medical treatments. Damage to the salivary glands, the glands that produce saliva, for example, from radiation to the head and neck and chemotherapy treatments for cancer, can reduce the amount of saliva produced.
  • Nerve damage. Dry mouth can be a result of nerve damage to the head and neck area from an injury or surgery.
  • Dehydration. Conditions that lead to dehydration, such as fever, excessive sweating, vomiting, diarrhea, blood loss, and burns can cause dry mouth.
  • Surgical removal of the salivary glands.
  • Lifestyle. Smoking or chewing tobacco can affect saliva production and aggravate dry mouth. Continuously breathing with your mouth open can also contribute to the problem.
  • ...

Recommended Reading Related to Dry Mouth

Smoking (How to Quit Smoking) »

Smoking and quitting smoking facts

  • Although smoking is an addiction, people can quit smoking.
  • Secondhand smoke is harmful to the health of children, unborn children, family members, and coworkers.
  • Quitting smoking cuts the risk of lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases.
  • The steps in quitting, each of which requires special attention and efforts by the smoker, are getting ready to quit, quitting, and staying quit.
  • A number of techniques are available to assist people who want to quit, including nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), behavioral modification, self-help literature, and prescription medications.
  • In nicotine replacement therapy, which is the cornerstone of most smoking cessation programs, another source of nicotine is substituted while the cigarettes are stopped. (The idea of nicotine replacement therapy is to eliminate both...

Emergency Contact for Gainesville

  • In case of Emergency, call 911

Nearby Gainesville Hospitals *

Shands at AGH
801 SW 2nd Ave
Gainesville, FL 32601
(352)372-4321

Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center
1601 SW Archer Rd
Gainesville, FL 32608
(352)376-1611

Shands at the University of Florida
1600 SW Archer Rd
Gainesville, FL 32610
(352)265-0111

North Florida Regional Medical Center
6500 Newberry Rd
Gainesville, FL 32605
(352)333-4000

Shands Rehabilitation Hospital
4101 NW 89th Blvd
Gainesville, FL 32606
(352)265-5491

Shands at Vista
4101 NW 89th Blvd
Gainesville, FL 32606
(352)265-5497

Nature Coast Regional Hospital
125 SW 7th St
Williston, FL 32696
(352)528-2801

Shands at Starke
922 E Call St
Starke, FL 32091
(904)368-2300

Lake Butler Hospital Hand Surgery Center
850 E Main St
Lake Butler, FL 32054
(386)496-2323

Kindred Hospital Ocala
1500 SW First Ave
Ocala, FL 34474
(352)369-0513

Munroe Regional Medical Center
1500 SW 1st Ave
Ocala, FL 34471
(352)351-7200

Ocala Regional Medical Center
1431 SW 1st Ave
Ocala, FL 34471
(352)401-1000

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