If you are an allergy sufferer, then you know that allergy season can be miserable for many reasons. While plants, trees, and flowers may be beautiful as they bloom out and cover the world in color, they also release pollen into the air that can make your allergies overwhelming. As beautiful as spring is, for allergy sufferers, it is often best enjoyed from inside.
The most miserable symptoms of allergy season include nasal congestion, postnasal drip, sneezing, a sore throat, and itchy, watery eyes. Many people would tell you that suffering from allergies is worse than having the flu because it can last for weeks or even months at a time.
Combating allergies is rough stuff, we know. To further compound the misery of allergy seasons, there is a specific way that allergies can take their toll on your oral health. Dry mouth, a condition in which the salivary glands do not produce enough saliva to keep the mouth moist, affects many allergy sufferers. More than just uncomfortable, dry mouth is caused by breathing in and out through your mouth and can lead to severe oral health complications.
As strange as it sounds, saliva is one of the most important components of oral health. Not only is a moist mouth comfortable, but it also helps to protect your mouth against tooth decay, gum disease, and mouth infections. You see, inside every human mouth, millions of oral bacteria thrive off of the food particles left behind after you eat. Saliva helps to rinse these particles and the damaging bacteria away so that they do not remain inside your mouth and adhere to your teeth.
If you suffer from allergies, pay attention to the symptoms of dry mouth:
- A dry, sticky feeling inside your mouth
- Frequent thirst
- A dry throat
- Hoarseness
- Bad breath or a bad taste in your mouth
- Sore throat
- Dry, raw tongue
- Cracked lips
Most allergy medications contain antihistamines to help dry up the excess mucus being created by your irritated sinuses. As helpful as these medicines are, they can produce dry mouth as a side effect. It is imperative that you drink at least eight 8-oz glasses of water per day to keep your mouth and entire body well hydrated.
Contact The Smile Lounge if dry mouth is bothering you. We will help protect your smile.
