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Palliative cancer care - oral problems - Management
How should symptoms of a dry mouth be relieved?
- Try simple saliva stimulatory measures first, as these will often relieve symptoms of dry mouth (even if rehydration is not undertaken):
- Cold unsweetened drinks, frequent sips or sprays of cold water or ice cubes/crushed ice/ice lollies.
- Rubbing petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline®) on the lips. However, if a person is on oxygen apply a water-soluble lubricant (e.g. K-Y Jelly®).
- Sugar-free chewing gum, boiled sweets, pastilles, mints.
- If symptom relief is not adequate, consider using:
- A topical saliva stimulant.
- A topical artificial saliva substitute.
- Pilocarpine tablets.
- In people with their own teeth, the use of acidic foods (e.g. pineapple) or acidic artificial saliva products (e.g. Glandosane® aerosol spray) should generally be avoided.
- Note: patient preference is likely to influence product acceptability and compliance.
In depth
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