Family doctor: Elderly people drinking lotus seeds water can alleviate dry mouth

Elderly people often consider dry mouth as a sign of thirst and usually resolve it by drinking water. Family doctors remind us that occasional dryness may be a sign of thirst, while frequent dry mouth could be a symptom caused by oral diseases (http://www.120.net/zhengzhuang/) and should be treated differently.

People with frequent dry mouth often breathe through their mouths. The air going in and out of the mouth takes away a lot of moisture, causing dry mouth. For those with chronic lung diseases or chronic bronchitis, their lung function is generally poor, and the body lacks oxygen severely. Therefore, they often perform compensatory breathing through their mouths. In traditional Chinese medicine, methods such as nourishing liver and kidney, invigorating qi to moisten dryness, and clearing heat to generate body fluid are commonly used to treat dry mouth syndrome. In daily diet, it is recommended to eat more soups and avoid spicy and stimulating foods. It's also beneficial to consume fruits and vegetables that nourish yin and generate body fluids, such as pears, water chestnuts, and lilies. Eating more sour fresh fruits and vegetables like hawthorn, apricots, and kiwifruits can also help.

Family doctors suggest that two tricks can be used to relieve frequent dry mouth.

Soaking lotus seeds in water for drinking can prevent dry mouth and tongue. Soak the lotus seeds in boiling water, neither too concentrated nor too light. Drinking two or three times a day can prevent dry mouth, tongue dryness, and rising false fire. Besides, some small tips also help relieve dry mouth and generate body fluid and moisten dryness.

Perform saliva-generating exercises

The specific method is: every morning after washing up and before sleeping at night, gently press the upper palate with the tip of the tongue. When saliva fills the mouth, slowly swallow it down. It is suggested that people who experience long-term dry mouth symptoms and do not get significant relief after drinking water should go to the hospital for a check-up for early diagnosis.

Family doctors remind us that if elderly people feel persistent dry mouth symptoms (http://www.120.net/zhengzhuang/), they cannot rely solely on drinking water to solve the problem. They should pay attention to adjusting their diet and can use methods such as soaking lotus seeds in water or performing saliva-generating exercises to alleviate dry mouth symptoms.