Dry mouth is often a symptom of another condition, such as dehydration. It can also be a side effect of medication. However, severe dry mouth also comes with its set of symptoms. Some of these can have a grave impact on your health, and many are simply uncomfortable. If you experience these symptoms, you should talk to your doctor. Other treatments include chewing sugar-free gum, using a mouth rinse, or utilizing a humidifier. Before you can treat dry mouth, however, you must identify it as the source of your problems. What signs and symptoms should you look out for to diagnose this condition?

1. Dry Throat

For many people, dry mouth is often accompanied by a dry, scratchy throat. Your mouth becomes dry when it does not produce enough saliva, and this can hurt your throat as well. This symptom is especially common in people whose dry mouth is caused by dehydration or breathing through the mouth. Chewing sugar-free gum or sucking on sugar-free hard candies may increase saliva production, which should soothe the throat. Drinking soothing beverages such as tea or water may also calm a scratchy throat. However, these are temporary fixes, and treatment for the cause of the dry mouth is still needed.