Dry mouth psychosomatics
Dry mouth happens when there is not enough saliva to keep the mouth moist. According to the NHS it rarely means anything serious: more often the cause is not enough fluid, medicines, mouth breathing at night or anxiety. If the dryness does not go away for several weeks, gets in the way of talking and eating, or comes with dry eyes and frequent peeing, book a doctor. The Ladder method helps you notice when your mouth gets dry, and it does not replace a doctor.
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When to see a doctor
A GP or a dentist. The doctor will ask about your medicines, look inside your mouth, and may order blood tests and a test of the amount of saliva (NHS, MedlinePlus). Come if the dryness does not go away after home measures within a few weeks, gets in the way of eating and talking, or comes with dry eyes, joint pain and tiredness.
In the Ladder method
In the Ladder method dry mouth is not explained by the words "you are silent because you are afraid" and is not seen as your fault. It is not your fault: the causes are more often water, medicines and mouth breathing. A doctor comes first, and questions to yourself go alongside the check, not instead of it.
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In the method the mouth fits the image of a word that gets stuck: you want to say it, and it does not come out. This is an image, not the cause of the dryness, and it does not replace an examination.
On the ladder this shows up as the rungs "I am not allowed to say my own thing" and "I am afraid of being judged". You can work through them at your own pace.
These are questions for reflection, not an explanation of what causes the condition and not a treatment.
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How it shows up
Book a doctor’s appointment if you notice:
- A sticky, dry feeling in the mouth
- Hard to chew, swallow and talk
- Dry, cracked lips
- A burning mouth, a rough tongue
- Bad breath
- Your sense of taste has changed
What medicine knows
Saliva moistens food, rinses food from your teeth and contains minerals and antibodies against infection (MedlinePlus). When there is little of it, your mouth feels dry and sticky, and chewing, swallowing and talking get harder. From time to time this happens to everyone, for example when you are nervous.
The main causes according to the NHS: not enough fluid, medicines (check the leaflet), breathing through the mouth at night with a blocked nose, anxiety, cancer treatment and oral thrush. MedlinePlus adds side effects of medicines for blood pressure, depression and incontinence, nerve damage, alcohol and smoking.
Sometimes lasting dryness is linked to diabetes or Sjogren's syndrome, in which the glands that make tears and saliva stop working properly. It causes dry eyes and mouth, muscle and joint pain, severe tiredness and vaginal dryness (NHS).
Without saliva the risk of tooth decay and mouth infections is higher. The NHS advises sipping water, sucking ice cubes, chewing sugar-free gum, brushing your teeth twice a day and using an alcohol-free mouthwash. It is better not to drink a lot of alcohol and coffee, not to smoke, and not to stop prescribed medicines yourself without a doctor's advice. A pharmacist can suggest gels, sprays and lozenges.
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Frequently asked questions
What causes dry mouth?
According to the NHS, most often not enough fluid, medicines, mouth breathing at night, anxiety, cancer treatment and oral thrush. Sometimes the cause is diabetes or Sjogren's syndrome, so lasting dryness needs a doctor.
Can dry mouth come from nerves?
Yes, the NHS names anxiety as a cause of dry mouth, and MedlinePlus writes that the mouth dries when you are nervous. But if the dryness does not go away, medicines, mouth breathing, diabetes and gland diseases need to be ruled out. In the Ladder method it is a reason to ask yourself what you are keeping quiet about, and this does not replace a doctor.
What should I do if my mouth gets dry at night?
The NHS advises keeping water by the bed and sipping it, asking a pharmacist for a nasal product if your nose is blocked, not sleeping in dentures, not smoking and not drinking a lot of alcohol.
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Answers to common questions
Psychosomatics does not replace tests and treatment. Only a doctor can make a diagnosis.