How to Get Dry Mouth Relief (Xerostomia) from Herbal Remedies
You can get dry mouth relief (xerostomia) from a number of herbal remedies. Most of these dry mouth remedies involve stimulating the secretion of saliva (See Resource #1 below). This eHow highlights a few herbs that can be used to relieve drymouth.
Instructions
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1
Chew some fennel seeds. This helps provide dry mouth relief by stimulating saliva production and also controls the bad breath that is associated with drymouth (xerostomia).
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2
Put 4 to 5 whole cloves in your mouth, and suck on them to boost saliva secretion. Keep sucking until they lose their effectiveness to deliver dry mouth relief and to get rid of bad breath.
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3
Place a few thin slices of ginseng in a cup of boiling water and let steep for about 10 minutes. Sip about three cups of this ginseng tea throughout the day. Add a teaspoon of honey if you find it to be bitter.
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4
Sprinkle some red pepper flakes over food or add red pepper powder into drinks. Capsaicin, the compound that gives pepper its "hotness", stimulates not only salivation but also other watery discharges such as sweat and tears.
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5
Sip a cup of echinacea tea. Echinacea contains a compound called echinacein, which can help to stimulate saliva production.
**IMPORTANT: Echinacea also stimulates the immune system and should not be taken if your dry mouth is due to Sjögren's syndrome, a condition in some rheumatoid arthritis patients.
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Resources
- Photo Credit Image credits: amimiu under the StockXchange license
