What Causes Waking up With a Dry Mouth?

What Causes Waking Up With A Dry Mouth?

Waking up with a dry mouth can have various causes, ranging in severity from 'very minor' to 'life-threatening'. Finding the true cause means ruling out or confirming each possibility – in other words, diagnosis.

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Diagnosis is usually a complex process due to the sheer number of possible causes and related symptoms. In order to diagnose waking up with a dry mouth, we could:

Research the topic
Find a doctor with the time
Use a diagnostic computer system.

The process is the same, whichever method is used.

Step 1: List all Possible Causes

We begin by identifying the disease conditions which have "waking up with a dry mouth" as a symptom. Here are eight of many possibilities (more below):

Bad Breath
Cigarette Smoke Damage
Mercury Toxicity
Low Carbohydrate Diet Consequences
General Toxicity
Sleep Apnea
Stomach Ulcers
Phosphorus Deficiency

Step 2: Build a Symptom Checklist

We then identify all possible symptoms and risk factors of each possible cause, and check the ones that apply:

regular unexplained nausea

fatigue after slight exertion

back-of-neck lymph node problems

recent heavy tobacco smoking

occasional bowel movement changes

dark spots on gums

long-term low-carb dieting

regular aspirin use

being very easily irritated

poor bodily coordination

moderate upper-right pain after food

having amalgam fillings

... and more than 80 others

Step 3: Rule Out or Confirm each Possible Cause

A differential diagnosis of your symptoms and risk factors finds the likely cause of waking up with a dry mouth:

Cause	Probability	Status
Bad Breath	99%	Confirm
Phosphorus Deficiency	18%	Unlikely
Low Carbohydrate Diet Consequences	16%	Unlikely
General Toxicity	2%	Ruled out
Mercury Toxicity	0%	Ruled out
Stomach Ulcers	0%	Ruled out
Cigarette Smoke Damage	0%	Ruled out
Sleep Apnea	0%	Ruled out

* This is a simple example to illustrate the process

Arriving at a Correct Diagnosis

The Analyst™ is our online diagnosis tool that learns all about you through a straightforward process of multi-level questioning, providing diagnosis at the end.

If you indicate sleeping-related problems, The Analyst™ will ask further questions including this one:

How often do you wake up with a dry mouth? Do not include dry mouth that is caused by sleeping with your mouth open for known physical reasons such as nasal obstruction, a skeletal defect, or abnormally large tonsils.

Possible responses:

→ Never / almost never / don't know
→ I sleep open-mouthed for a known physical reason
→ Occasionally - once a month or less
→ Regularly - a few times a month
→ Usually or always

Based on your response to this question, which may indicate mouth breathing while sleeping, waking up with a dry mouth or often waking up with a dry mouth, The Analyst™ will consider possibilities such as:

Bad Breath (Halitosis)

Without sufficient saliva, oral bacteria are not washed away. This often leads to bad breath.

Bad Breath (Halitosis) also suggests the following possibilities:

Effects of a Low Carbohydrate Diet

The acetone resulting from a state of ketosis escapes through the lungs – giving Atkins Diet followers, for example, what one weight-loss expert calls "rotten-apple breath." [Health 19 (1996): p.102] The other ketones have to be excreted by the kidneys. In a study funded by Dr. Atkins himself, most of the people that could stick with the diet reported headaches and halitosis (bad breath).

Gastric/Peptic/Duodenal Ulcers

General Detoxification Requirement

Mercury Toxicity (Amalgam Illness)

Tonsil Stones

A medical study conducted in 2007 found a strong association between tonsilloliths and bad breath. Among those with bad breath, 75% of the subjects had tonsilloliths while only 6% of subjects with normal breath had tonsilloliths.

Cigarette Smoke Damage

Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)

Periodontal Disease - Gingivitis

A dry mouth can increase your risk of developing gum disease. The lack of saliva allows bacteria to stick to teeth and gums, rather than being washed away.

Susceptibility To Cavities

The lack of saliva in a dry mouth allows bacteria to stick to teeth and gums, rather than being washed away.

Susceptibility To Cavities also suggests the following possibilities:

Phosphorus Deficiency

Phosphorus is just as important for healthy teeth as calcium. Without sufficient phosphorus, your body can not properly utilize the calcium that you consume.

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