Journal of Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences (Nov 2017)
A Review on the Etiology, Types and Treatment of Dry Mouth and Related Diseases Based on Iranian Traditional Medicine
Abstract
Background and purpose: Dry mouth is a common disorder that often occurs due to reduction of the amount of saliva or change in the saliva quality. Dry mouth is not a disease itself, but it is usually a complication of other diseases, medications, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. Conventional medical treatments for dry mouth are not highly effective. But, complementary medicine could potentially suggest some treatments or prevention methods for dry mouth. Materials and methods: In this study, Iranian traditional medicine (ITM) books and the "comprehensive library of Islamic and traditional medicine" software were used. Also, electronic databases including, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for relevant articles. Results: A wide range of diseases were found to be responsible for dry mouth, including mental, respiratory, cardiovascular, and gastrointestinal diseases, food poisoning, and fever. Therefore, dry mouth is not only the results of salivary dysfunction but also it can be associated with dysfunction in other organs. Conclusion: Due to different views of ITM on health and diseases, search in the ITM sources can be useful in finding new methods for treatment of dry mouth. The principles of ITM can be used alongside conventional medicine as a complementary therapy.
