Hi, I wonder if there is a close correlation between the weather and dry mouth. These days the humidity in Hong Kong is very low and I find my mouth extremely dry apart from developing cracked lips. Moreover I notice blood in the mucus I spit. Is this 'normal' and has anyone shared similar experience?

Karen, stage 4 tonsil cancer diagnosed in 9/2001

Karen, you are absolutely correct. I have found that a humidifier helps enormously and recommend that you try that for some relief.

Joanna

Hi Karen........Yes, there is a correlation between weather and dry mouth; anyway I think there is. Winters are extremely hard on my oral cavity. I am from Minnesota where the winters are long, cold, dark, snowy and DRY! When walking my dog I wear one of those white surgical masks because being a mouth breather my oral cavity just gets too dry. The mask seems to help even though it is ugly, but hey, a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do......
If I don't cover my mouth I end up with dozens of mouth sores and cracked,dry bleeding lips much like what you have described. As it is I use a lot of Carmex on my lips to prevent the chapping and that helps some. Sleeping at night is difficult for me and that is with a humidifer going in my bedroom. I still suffer from the dryness in the air. Winter can be an awfully long season. Water is the one and only thing that gives me any relief. I have tried every OTC capsule, throat loungzen, and even tried the Biotene gum to see if that would help. Nothing works except the water......if ever anybody finds anything on the market to help with the dry mouth be sure and share it with us. Sincerely, Donna

Hi Karen,

I too sleep with a hunidifier by my bed at night. And was just telling my husband yesterday how dry I was all day...duh!!! Big cold front and no humidity.

Try the humidifier - hopefully it will help you, too.

Take care,
Dinah

Thanks a lot for all your responses. I will certainly get a humidifier this weekend to see if it works for me. You know ever since I came across this website, I have been addicted to it. The first thing I do every morning when I arrive school is to switch on the computer and visit this website. Each time there is some new insight.Although I do not find anyone else from Hong Kong registered here, I am not at all lonely and it seems that I have made a lot of friends from various parts of the world. Brian has really done a very splendid job.

I moved from very dry (high altitude) Santa Fe, New Mexico to Laguna Beach for this very reason. The weather will dry out the tissues of your throat and mouth. When dry, microscopic cracks develop in these tissues and they can be the source of the blood you are describing. Also I find that the dryer the weather the more sensitive I am to spices in my foods. This is because those thousands of tiny little cracks in the soft tissues at the back of my throat hate it when a bit of lemon juice, OJ, or whatever hit them. Humid weather or a humidifier at night makes it all good again

I have thought of using a humidifier but have not tried it yet. My mouth was so dry every night that I could not sleep until I bought some Biotene Oral Gel. Now, I put a little bit on my tongue and it allows me to sleep. I usually get up a couple of times during the night and I use it again. It is at least good for a few hours.
After reading your posts I guess that I should no longer complain that I live in one of the most humid areas of the country.

Danny G.

I too sleep with humidfier on during the winter months. I even have one under my desk at the office that I use when things get too dry. This was recommended by radiologist to keep the membranes from drying out.

There was a marvelous spray product for dry mouth called OPTIMOIST which they stopped making around June of 2000. You can't buy it because it is expired, but some of you may find that your dentist has some in a drawer. It should still be good.

Eileen

When my xerostomia was at it's worst during the months right after treatment, I used my own concoction to keep my mouth from turning into the Sahara at night. I would mix USP glycerin with water and rinse with it, spitting it out afterwards into a cup by the bed. This put a little film of glycerin on my soft tissues that helped. Don't be drinking this concoction, it will give you the Mexican two step if you swallow too much of it. I don

My mother has found that certain of her other medicines, especially her high blood pressure medicines, add to her dry mouth. Her head and neck doctor and her general practitioner are discussing changing her medications, but meantime she has found relief at night with several of the over the counter products for dry mouth that the pharmacist has "behind the counter." All seem to be glycerin based washes or swabs. They aren't terribly expensive, but then you don't get much. I think Brian's idea of a homemade concoction is worth a try.

Karen, I'm up the river from you about 2 hours by ferry, having the same problem the last few days. Noticed the humidity was down to like 30%. For us folks used to the extremely humid weather in this area, dry mouth isn't the only problem. I'm up to about 3 litres of water a day trying to keep hydrated.

Bob

My husband drinks ice water which seems to help but he also drinks plenty of milk with ovaltine or chocolate syrup mixed in it. It seems to help coat the inside of his mouth, since he also suffers from dry mouth, mouth sores...you name it. But he also used the Biotene Oral Jel especially at night - which seems to help a great deal as well. We live in an apartment in Ohio and the winter here has been colder than usual this year, which means we have the heat cranked up pretty high. I hate to turn down the heat because he gets chills then, so maybe a humidifier is also the way to go.

I too find that the orajel helps me at night, at least for a few hours at a time. I just bought a humidifier and have been using it for a couple of nights and am not sure yet if it makes much difference. Houston is usually such a humid city, although the air conditioning by definition dehumidifies, but until this week we have had unusually cold and dry weather.

Danny G.

Yes milk with ovaltine or chocolate gives an overall moist feeling to the mouth. But we have the risk of damaging our teeth with sweet stuff. So alert your husband not to take too much of it or at least have a mouthwash after drinking the milk. Humidity in Hong Kong is very low these days and the chapped lips are very uncomfortable.When I swallow, the throat has a sore feeling because there is no saliva. It is especially acute if I am walking and have to sip water all the time to wet the throat. And the voice becomes more raspy. Strange that when I had a cold last week, my voice became very clear. Don't know if anyone here feel the same. Take care. Karen.

Karen,

I was really glad to hear you describe your throat and how it feels in cold weather and while walking. I was beginning to wonder if there was something wrong with my throat. (I know - I meant besides the normal what's wrong with your throat)

I was in cold weather (-10 wind chill) last week and my throat was really painful. It still hurts a bit even in San Antonio weather, but last week was tough. Nice to know that it's not something new.

Take care,
Dinah

Hi Dinah:
I also have problems with cold weather affecting my throat and breathing. The weather here for the last month has mostly been below normal temps., not above freezing with a lot of single digit weather along with below zero wind chill. It makes my mouth dry and throat hurts to swallow and becomes raspy and soar and makes me feel like I would if I had asthma, when I breathe. The breathing part apparently is coming from the swelling from the radiation and the rad doctor advises not to worry it can take up to a year for the swelling to subside.

Mike D.

Diagnosed 06/2002, w/Laryngeal cancer, 1st stage

Hi Dinah, I don't know if it works on your throat to make it more comfortable or not. I have tested myself that during lunch hour if I went out for lunch, my throat had a sore feeling when I walked back to my school (about ten minutes) but if I was inside a car, there was no such feeling. Then I found out recently that after lunch I put a sugar free chewing gum inside my mouth with some drinking water and started chewing, the sore throat did not appear. I need not drink water all the time and the chewing gum can give me an hour of peace. Of course it gives me a sticky mouth too.But I think it is better than a sore throat.
Karen.

Thanks Mike & Karen,

It really is nice to hear from you both and know that this throat thing isn't a new symptom of something wrong.
Karen, unfortunately the gum and hard candies went out the window with the mouth full of partials. I'll just have to stick to water.

Thanks again guys,
Dinah