Xerostomia is a warning sign of diabetes – indicates high blood sugar
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Diabetes is a serious condition that results in blood sugar levels becoming too high. This is the case for both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, although the causes differ. The earlier you spot the signs of diabetes, the earlier you can seek treatment.
Commonly known symptoms of diabetes include feeling thirstier than usual and needing to urinate more often.
However, there are signs that are less known.
One such sign is xerostomia – or a dry mouth – which is caused by high levels of blood sugar.
Among some people this can actually be the first “noticeable” symptom of diabetes.
The Cleveland Clinic explains: “Dry mouth (xerostomia) is a lack of saliva in your mouth.
“It can be a symptom of high blood sugar in people with diabetes or another health issue.
“It can cause serious health issues such as gum disease and mouth infections.
“People with diabetes should have regular dental checkups and make lifestyle changes to maintain oral health and prevent dry mouth.
“Dry mouth is a common symptom of high blood sugar in people with diabetes.
“Sometimes dry mouth is the first noticeable symptom of diabetes.
“If you have dry mouth and think you could have diabetes, talk to your healthcare provider.”
Xerostomia can cause changes in your mouth.
These include:
- Bad breath, even after you brush your teeth
- Cracked, chapped lips
- Loose teeth
- Mouth sores
- New or wider spaces in the teeth
- Pain or a burning sensation in your mouth or throat
- Rough tongue
- Sticky, thick or stringy spit
- Trouble chewing, swallowing or talking.
It can also raise your risk of:
- Cavities
- Gingivitis (early gum disease)
- Infections in your mouth
- Periodontitis (severe gum inflammation)
- Plaque buildup
- Thrush (candidiasis), a fungal infection in your mouth
- Tooth decay.
One study, published in the Journal of Diabetes Research in 2016, proved that xerostomia was more prevalent among people with diabetes, compared to those without it.
Using biomedical databases from 1970 to 2016 it found between 12.5 percent and 53.3 percent of diabetics had xerostomia compared to zero to 30 percent of non-diabetics.
It said: “The review conducted demonstrated the considerable variation in prevalence of xerostomia and salivary flow rates among diabetes mellitus population in relation to non-diabetes mellitus patients.
“Most studies found a higher prevalence of xerostomia and lower salivary flow rates in DM with respect to control group.”
Common symptoms of diabetes include:
- Feeling very thirsty
- Urinating more frequently than usual, particularly at night
- Feeling very tired
- Weight loss and loss of muscle bulk
- Itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
- Cuts or wounds that heal slowly
- Blurred vision.
The cause of type 1 diabetes is not yet known but type 2 is associated with factors such as being overweight, not exercising enough and family history.
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