Health Topic

Dry Mouth

Everyone has a dry mouth (Xerostomia) once in a while. But if it's frequent, it can lead to serious health problems. Find a list of common symptoms.

Reviewed Reviewed by a registered pharmacistGeneral information

Also called: Xerostomia

Important: This page is general information, not medical advice. It does not recommend or prescribe any treatment. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping or changing any medicine.

About Dry Mouth

Saliva, or spit, is made by your salivary glands. It helps keep you and your mouth healthy. For example:

  • It moistens and breaks down the foods you eat, which makes it easier for you to chew and swallow.
  • It washes away small food pieces from your teeth and gums, which helps fight against tooth decay.
  • It contains minerals such as calcium and phosphate, which can also help fight tooth decay.
  • It contains antibodies that can fight against infections of the mouth and throat. Antibodies are proteins that your immune system makes to fight foreign substances such as viruses and bacteria.

Having dry mouth, also called xerostomia, means that you don't have enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. Everyone has a dry mouth once in a while, like when you are nervous or stressed. But if you have a dry mouth all or most of the time, it can be uncomfortable. It can make chewing, swallowing, and even talking difficult. It also raises your risk for tooth decay or infections in the mouth.

There are many possible causes of dry mouth, including:

  • Side effects of certain medicines, such as some medicines for high blood pressure, depression, and bladder-control issues
  • Diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome, HIV, salivary gland disorders, and diabetes
  • Radiation therapy, which can damage your salivary glands if they are exposed to radiation during the treatment
  • Chemotherapy, which can make your saliva thicker and cause your mouth to feel dry
  • Nerve damage, when it involves the nerves that tell salivary glands to make saliva
  • Breathing through your mouth
  • Use of alcohol, tobacco, or other substances

The symptoms of dry mouth may include:

  • A sticky, dry feeling in your mouth
  • Trouble chewing, swallowing, tasting, or speaking
  • A burning feeling in your mouth
  • A dry feeling in your throat
  • Cracked lips
  • A dry, rough tongue
  • Mouth sores
  • An infection in your mouth
  • Bad breath

If you have dry mouth, it's important to find out the cause. To do that, your health care provider or dentist will review your medical history, examine your mouth, and ask about any medicines you take. They may also suggest blood tests or a test that measures how much saliva you produce.

Treatment for dry mouth depends on the cause. For example, if a medicine is causing dry mouth, your provider or dentist may suggest adjusting the dosage or switching medicines. In some cases, they might give you artificial saliva or a medicine to help your salivary glands work better.

There are also several things you can do to help relieve your symptoms:

  • Drink plenty of water
  • Avoid drinks with caffeine, which can dry out your mouth
  • Chew sugarless gum or suck on sugarless hard candy to stimulate saliva flow
  • Avoid spicy or salty foods because they can cause pain if your mouth is dry
  • Avoid alcohol and tobacco
  • Using a humidifier at night
  • Use a mouthwash made for dry mouth

Since dry mouth can raise your risk of tooth decay, it's important to brush and floss your teeth regularly and see your dentist at least twice a year.

It sits within Mouth and Teeth.

The lead U.S. institute for this subject is the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

When to speak to someone. Reading about a topic cannot tell you whether it applies to you. Speak to a doctor or pharmacist if symptoms are severe, sudden, getting worse, or simply not going away — and seek emergency care immediately for chest pain, breathing difficulty, sudden weakness or confusion, or a serious allergic reaction.

Research on Dry Mouth

710 studies areregistered for this condition on ClinicalTrials.gov, the U.S. National Library of Medicine's public registry. A selection is below — the links go straight to the registry entry, not to a summary of ours.

What a registered study does and does not mean. Registration means a study exists and has been declared publicly. It says nothing about whether the treatment being tested works, is safe, or is available to you. Many studies find no benefit — that is what research is for. Never seek out an experimental treatment on the strength of a registry entry alone.

Research currently under way

Research already completed

Study data from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Retrieved 2026-07-30. Registry entries are supplied by study sponsors and investigators; ClinicalTrials.gov does not verify their scientific validity. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH.

Where to read more

Rather than paraphrase, we point you to the primary sources. Every link below is to a government health agency, a national institute or a recognised medical body — grouped by what you are trying to find out.

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Treatments and Therapies

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Related Issues

Clinical Trials

Medical subject headings

Clinicians and researchers index this subject under Xerostomia. These are the terms to use when searching medical literature.

This page is built from the MedlinePlus health topic record for Dry Mouth, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health. Information is from MedlinePlus.gov. PocketsInfo is not affiliated with, and is not endorsed by, the NLM or the NIH. Retrieved 30 July 2026.