Why Water Alone Is Not Enough We’ve all heard the standard advice that drinking 8 to 10 glasses of water a day can boost hydration. But drinking water alone is not going to solve your body’s dehydration issues. Your hydration needs depend on your age, body weight, medical conditions, medications, activity levels, diet, alcohol intake and environmental conditions. In addition, travel and altitude can cause dehydration. And just boosting your intake of water doesn’t ensure that the electrolytes and nutrients are adequately absorbed into the bloodstream, interstitial cavities and cells. Drinking water alone does not replace all the electrolytes your...

If you have ever experienced a persistent sticky, cottony dry feeling in your mouth, difficulty swallowing or tasting food, and constant sore throat or hoarseness - you are probably suffering from a dry mouth also known as xerostomia. The American Academy of Oral Medicine (AAOM) estimates that nearly 4 million people suffer from persistent dry mouth. And women are affected nine times more frequently than men. Dry mouth can result as a side effect from a host of medications used to treat pain, allergies, obesity, diarrhea, nausea, asthma, and even Parkinson's disease and lymphoma. According to (AAOM), there are more...

Does your mouth, throat, or nose feel dry and scratchy when you get up in the morning? Do you feel tired only hours after waking up in the morning? Do pains and aches start to kick in around in the early afternoon? By 3 PM, are you so tired that you can hardly keep your eyes open without a critical cup of coffee? Well, you may be dehydrated. While many of us may experience these symptoms every day, we often dismiss them as being a part of "early morning state" and never really get to the bottom of why the...

Let's face it, persistent dry mouth isn't ranked on the list of medical conditions that are considered severe illnesses, but if you have ever woken up in the morning with a sore throat, numbness on your tongue and cottonmouth, you know how uncomfortable it can be. Dry mouth also known as xerostomia in medical terms results from an inadequate production saliva. While it is not a disease, dry mouth is a common symptom of a medical disorder or a side effect that occurs from medications, such as antihistamines, decongestants, pain killers, diuretics, and many others. Saliva plays a critical role...