What is making my mouth feel all dry?

I’VE developed a really dry mouth lately. It’s annoying, makes my breath smell and when I’m giving presentations at work it affects how I speak. Can you provide me with any remedy or reason for this?

GENERALLY, the cause of this is not sinister. Drugs are often the cause — prescription medication such as morphine, antidepressants and drugs to stabilise an irritable bladder may all impact salivation.

But it’s not just prescription drugs — other daily medication like over-the-counter antihistamines can have the same impact.

Dehydration is another common cause and definitely not something to be discounted in this warm weather.

There is also a medical condition called Sjögren’s syndrome which may be the underlying cause.

This can encompass dry eyes dry mouth and joint problems. Patients undergoing treatment for cancer can also experience dry mouth symptoms.

In the general population older patients are more likely to develop salivation problems, in particular women. Patients suffering from anxiety may also exhibit symptoms of dry mouth.

Whatever the cause staying hydrated is important. Sipping water is the best way to do this. As an alternative you could also suck ice cubes or pineapple chunks.

Sugar fee gum or chewing pastilles might also encourage salivation. You can actually purchase artificial saliva. There are many brands — the key is having its constituents similar to that of real saliva and ensuring it is PH neutral.

There is also a drug called pilocarpine, but this is reserved for refractory cases.

In summary, it’s important to establish the cause. Your GP will chat to you and also take a look in your mouth to establish a cause.

Dryness in the mouth can result in soreness and an increased chance of infections such as oral thrush.

Patients sometimes find they develop issues with dentures, have poor oral hygiene and a scalded sensation when eating things like spicy foods or drinking hot drinks.

Remember snoring or mouth breathing due to blocked nasal passages can also contribute.

I am due to fly to America for my summer holiday and want to avoid jet lag. Any suggestions? I will attend a wedding when I get there and am working here in Ireland right up until the day I fly.

JET lag isn’t just something to moan about because you have traversed time zones. Most people don’t realise that this is a genuine medical condition that can cause great discomfort.

It occurs because the internal master clock in our bodies which is governed by dark and light doesn’t immediately adjust to the local time clock at our destination.

Fatigue and disturbed sleep are just one aspect of it and, as a condition, it impacts almost every part of the anatomy. Our gut gets disturbed, our brain tends to fog up, we become irritable, can’t concentrate and often have blinding headache.

So how do we get the better of it? Edging our current timetable closer to that of our destination helps in the days prior to departure.

So, too, does eating a little later or getting up a little earlier depending on where you are travelling. This shift of about 30 minutes to an hour might reduce the impact.

Remaining well hydrated before, during and after a flight also helps as dehydration is a common factor in jet lag.

So avoid the free in-flight drinks and the post-meal coffees on board. Once you touch down, aim to switch your bedtime to local time as quickly as possible.

Getting out in natural daylight also helps, so do that as soon as you can. It takes a full day to recover for every time zone you have traversed so don’t underestimate it. Jet lag is inevitable but the aforementioned tips should make you feel a bit better. Bon voyage!