One of the most typical pregnancy symptoms is dry mouth.
That’s in part because you require a lot more water during pregnancy because it aids in the development of your unborn child.
However, there’s also the possibility that your oral health could be impacted by fluctuating hormone levels.
In addition to dry mouth, pregnancy may cause gingivitis and loose teeth.
A dry mouth can also be a symptom of certain pregnancy disorders, such as gestational diabetes.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ While you are pregnant, your hormones may change and you may need more water.
✅ Fortunately, there are many strategies to treat this ailment, including drinking more water and chewing sugar-free gum.
✅ Consult a doctor if you have other symptoms of illnesses like gestational diabetes or if home cures for dry mouth don’t work for you.
What are some causes?
The probable causes of dry mouth during pregnancy are numerous. Among the more widespread reasons are:
Dehydration
Your body becomes dehydrated when it loses water more quickly than it can absorb it. Pregnant women are especially vulnerable to risk. This is so because water promotes your baby’s growth. When you are pregnant, you require more water than when you are not. Dehydration during pregnancy can, in extreme situations, result in birth abnormalities or early labor.
Other indicators of dehydration include feeling hot, black urine, intense thirst, weariness, dizziness, and headache
Gestational diabetes
Only found during pregnancy, gestational diabetes can result in excessive blood sugar. Usually, it goes gone after giving birth. During pregnancy, you need more insulin than usual. When your body is unable to produce that additional insulin, gestational diabetes develops.
Although gestational diabetes can harm both you and your unborn child, it can also be controlled with the right treatment. Exercise and a balanced diet are part of this. You could require insulin or medicine.
The signs of gestational diabetes are either absent or mild in many pregnant women. In this instance, a test administered to all pregnant women would find it. If you do experience symptoms, they may also include extreme thirst, exhaustion, and the desire to urinate more frequently than normal.
Thrush
Candida albicans is a fungus that has overgrown, causing thrush. Everyone carries it in modest amounts, but if your immune system isn’t functioning as effectively as it should, it could increase outside of the typical range. In addition to leaving your mouth feeling dry and cottony, thrush can also show redness in the mouth, soreness in the mouth, and loss of taste. White, cottage cheese-like lesions on your tongue and cheeks that may bleed if scratched.
Sleep problems
Numerous sleep difficulties, including difficulty falling asleep and numerous nighttime awakenings, might be brought on by pregnancy. Additionally, it may cause breathing problems, such as snoring and sleep apnea.
The second and third trimesters of pregnancy are the most prevalent times for snoring. If you are overweight, smoke, lack sleep, or have abnormalities like big tonsils, it is more likely to occur. Your throat and nasal passages may constrict as a result of your shifting hormone levels, which may make breathing difficult.You may have to breathe through your mouth while you sleep if you have snoring or sleep apnea. This dries up your mouth and makes it more difficult for saliva to generate.
A dangerous condition is sleep apnea. Consult a doctor if you snore and feel exhausted during the day.
What are the Symptoms
Beyond the sensation of dryness, other signs of dry mouth may include a persistent sore throat, difficulty swallowing, a burning sensation in the mouth or throat, difficulty speaking, hoarseness, a change in taste, and dental decay.
Treatments available
The majority of the time, home remedies are sufficient to treat dry mouth. Pregnancy-safe home remedies include the following: • Chewing sugar-free gum. More saliva may be produced in your mouth as a result of this.
- Eating hard candy without sugar. Additionally, doing so makes your mouth produce more saliva.
- consuming a lot of water. You’ll stay hydrated and some of your symptoms will go away thanks to this.
- Eating chips of ice. This not only provides you with fluids and moisturizes your mouth, but it can also lessen morning sickness while you’re pregnant.
- Utilizing a nighttime humidifier. This is especially useful if you have a dry mouth when you wake up.
- Maintaining proper oral hygiene. To help prevent tooth decay, regularly brush and floss your teeth.
- Making use of a mouthwash designed especially for dry mouth. This is available at your neighborhood pharmacy.
- Not drinking coffee. Limit your intake of caffeine.
You might occasionally need medical attention. Working with your doctor to switch any medications that might be aggravating your dry mouth is an example of potential therapeutic therapies.
- Placing fluoride trays on your teeth at night to help protect them.
- Treating sleep apnea or snoring if they are the source of your dry mouth.
- If thrush is the root of your dry mouth, take an antifungal prescription to treat it.
- Establishing a gestational diabetes treatment strategy that includes nutrition, exercise, and, if required, medication or insulin.
When should I go visit my doctor?
You should contact a doctor if over-the-counter medications don’t relieve your dry mouth. When necessary, they can recommend treatment and search for underlying causes.
Seeing a doctor is also advised if you have further symptoms of
- Thrush: Your mouth will develop white, cottage cheese-like sores as well as redness or pain.
- Gestational diabetes: Extreme thirst, exhaustion, and a greater urge to urinate.
- Brown or black stains on your teeth and persistent toothache are symptoms of dental decay.
- Signs of severe dehydration include confusion, red or black stools, and an inability to maintain fluid intake.
- Sleep apnea: daytime sleepiness, snoring, and frequent nighttime awakenings.