Yoga And Dry Mouth

(January 21, 2009)

After doing yoga, my mouth becomes very dry. I've tried many kinds of yoga and got the same symptom.I've sufferd for along time. Anyone knows why and how to get rit of it. I really feel irritable about this. Thank you.

Do you suffer from a dry mouth only after doing yoga or is it generally all the time? We all require sufficient amount of saliva in our mouth to prevent dryness, digest food and to keep our mouth clean. Saliva helps to control the growth of bacteria in our mouth and thus prevents infection. Our mouth gets dry when there is very little or no saliva and that makes us feel very uncomfortable and it also causes infection and other dental problems. Dry mouth in some case is a medical problem and is also known as Xerostomia or cotton mouth. The symptoms include thick saliva, dry chapped skin in the corners of your mouth and around the lips, chapped dry lips, foul breath, difficulty while swallowing and talking, dry cough or soreness in your throat, increase in tooth decay, gum disease and difference in the sense of taste. Dry mouth or Xerostomia is mainly caused by the intake of certain strong medicines used to treat high blood pressure, anti anxiety or depression medicines, drugs used in cancer treatment during chemotherapy, etc. Sometimes it could also be caused due to diabetes, nerve damage, Sjogren's syndrome and Alzheimer's disease. Excessive smoking or use of tobacco may also cause a dry mouth. You need to find out what is causing your problem and then treat it accordingly. If it is due to certain medicines that you are taking or a medical condition then you need to visit your doctor and inform him about the same so you can get a change of medicines.

To avoid dry mouth and to promote the flow of saliva you need to eat healthy, avoid smoking and use of tobacco products. But most importantly you need to drink lots of water and fresh fruit and vegetable juices to keep yourself hydrated. Also keep in mind that you need to breath correctly while doing yoga asanas or poses and breathing exercises. If you were breathing through your mouth instead of your nose while doing certain asanas or poses then it would lead to a dry mouth. Like any other exercise form while doing yoga your body loses moisture as the water inside our body is used up to cleanse our system and flush out the toxins. So if you feel too thirsty while practicing yoga takes small sips of water in between poses. But avoid drinking too much water and do not drink it before doing inverted asanas.

Submitted by G M on January 21, 2009 at 11:28