Xerostomia treatment - All the underlying causes of xerostomia should be improved, and efforts must be made to avoid the factors that may increase dryness, such as hot and dry environments, dry foods such as biscuits, drugs (eg tricyclic antidepressants or diuretics), alcohol (including mouthwases ), smoking, which produces diuresis drinks (coffee and tea). The lips may become dry and atrophic, and should be kept moist by using a water-based lubricant or lanolin-based products (eg, Vaseline). Olive oil, vitamin E or lip balm can also help (Scully, 2008).
In mild cases can be treated by drinking a lot, and will be very helpful for patients to always provide a glass of water next to his bed or to help swallow food. Mouth rinses such as glycerine of thymol can also be used in certain circumstances.
Giving a particular color and odor, also can be used for a particular patient. Mouth rinses containing 1% methyl cellulose may help severe circumstances; This solution is not harmful if swallowed patients because it can help push food into oesopagus. The drugs with the parasympathetic effects, quite dangerous and ineffective (Gayford and Haskell, 1990).
Xerostomia can also be solved by some drugs such as pilocarpine, cevimeline, and anethole trithione. Each drug has a mechanism of action and contra indications as follows:
1. Pilocarpine
Pilocarpine is a drug that is cholinergic and parasympathomimetic that work is more dominant on the muscarinic receptors stimulate salivary secretion. The counter-indication is in patients with asthma disease, iritis, and hypotension. Besides the side effects of pilocarpine is increase sweating, indigestion, hypotension, rhinitis, diarrhea, and impaired vision.
2. Cevimeline
Cevimeline is a drug that is cholinergic agonist with fascination and high on muscarinic receptors located on epithalium lacrimal and salivary glands, exocrine gland secretion amount of accretion and accretion expenses including saliva and sweat. This drug has the same contraindications as pilocarpine, cevimeline additionally have side effects such as excessive sweating, nausea, rhinitis, diarrhea, and impaired vision. This often occurs at night.
3. Anethole trithione
Trithione anethole is a drug that stimulated and secreted in the bile also stimulated the parasympathetic nervous system and can increase the secretion of acetylcholine, stimulation of saliva produced from serous cells asini. This drug can not be given to patients with Sjögren's syndrome, and side effects are stomach feel uncomfortable and the presence of gas in the stomach or intestines (Bartels, 2005).
Stimulation of salivary secretion is also considered to cope with xerostomia as mechanical (chewing hard foods or chewing gum), by chemical stimulation of taste (sour, sweet, salty, bitter, spicy), neuronal (via the autonomic nervous system, both sympathetic and parasympathetic). When sialogog (a substance that stimulates the secretion of saliva) is inadequate in patients with xerostomia, it is recommended the use of saliva substitutes. Salivary fluid replacement for only the most basic functions can replace human saliva, such as protection, defense and wetting soft tissue and hard tissue of the mouth, and makes it easy to talk and eat (Amerongen, 1992).
See also: Salivary Gland Function
