Olive oil a novel solution for dry mouth symptoms
PEOPLE’S PHARMACY PRESCRIPTIONS AND HOME REMEDIES
Q: The dentist recommended xylitol for my dry mouth. What else can Iuse for a dry mouth? A: You are not the only one to complain about the compounds in sugarless gum and some products recommended for dry mouth. Another reader shared your discomfort: “Any of the sugar alcohols give me terrible diarrhea, even in very small amounts.”
A different reader offered this alternative: “I recently discovered that extra-virgin olive oil works well for a dry mouth. When I wake up with a dry mouth or have to go to the bathroom, I just put three to four drops on my tongue. It stimulates saliva production almost immediately and helps make my mouth moist. This lasts for a few hours.”
Q: I have always watched my diet, exercised and consumed lots of water, never soda.
When the hot flashes of menopause became too strong, I wanted something besides water. According to the research I found, flavored seltzer water could be the answer.
I drank tons of it.
After about eight months, a kidney stone hit out of nowhere. The emergency room nurses and doctors told me it was the carbonation. I haven’t touched seltzer water since.
A: Hot summer months are the time of year that kidney stones are most likely to show up. Perhaps that is because people are more likely to become dehydrated when the temperature rises. This concentrates the urine, which makes stone formation more likely.
The No. 1 recommendation for preventing stone formation is to drink lots of water — between 2.5 and 4 liters daily (Journal of Urology, March 2013). Carbonated water (aka seltzer water) is a bit more complicated.
Soft drinks, especially colas, seem to increase the risk of repeat kidney stones (Annals of Internal Medicine, Nov. 4, 2014). Mineral water, whether still or sparkling, did not increase the likelihood of a problem.
Carbonation might even be somewhat beneficial (Urolithiasis, February 2016).
Plain seltzer water with lemon juice provides citrate, which can help prevent the formation of kidney stones (Archivio Italiano di Urologia, Andrologia, July 7, 2015).
Q: I know you have warned against using Vaseline to moisturize the inside of the nostrils. My question is: What CAN be used to relieve a dry nose? When I asked my thoracic surgeon about using Vaseline, he told me that in his long career, he has never seen a case of lung disease attributed to this.
A: A pharmacist wrote to us to recommend an OTC product, AYR Nasal Gel, for moisturizing dry nasal passages.
He continued: “You are perfectly correct that usage of Vicks, Vaseline or similar petroleum-based products in the nose may very well result in lipoid pneumonia, an extremely dangerous condition.”
Q: According to some research, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, ginger and rosemary are spices that have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. Some spices also may help to prevent dementia and control blood sugar and blood pressure.
Do you need to take them with food for them to be effective? A: There are studies demonstrating that such spices do have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory power (Clinical Nutrition Research, October 2015). A pilot study demonstrated that a combination of sage, rosemary and lemon balm seemed to help people with word recall (Phytomedicine, Jan. 15, 2018).
We generally think that spices work best when used with foods.
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Send questions to them via www .peoplespharmacy .com.
A different reader offered this alternative: “I recently discovered that extra-virgin olive oil works well for a dry mouth. When I wake up with a dry mouth or have to go to the bathroom, I just put three to four drops on my tongue. It stimulates saliva production almost immediately and helps make my mouth moist. This lasts for a few hours.”
Q: I have always watched my diet, exercised and consumed lots of water, never soda.
When the hot flashes of menopause became too strong, I wanted something besides water. According to the research I found, flavored seltzer water could be the answer.
I drank tons of it.
After about eight months, a kidney stone hit out of nowhere. The emergency room nurses and doctors told me it was the carbonation. I haven’t touched seltzer water since.
A: Hot summer months are the time of year that kidney stones are most likely to show up. Perhaps that is because people are more likely to become dehydrated when the temperature rises. This concentrates the urine, which makes stone formation more likely.
The No. 1 recommendation for preventing stone formation is to drink lots of water — between 2.5 and 4 liters daily (Journal of Urology, March 2013). Carbonated water (aka seltzer water) is a bit more complicated.
Soft drinks, especially colas, seem to increase the risk of repeat kidney stones (Annals of Internal Medicine, Nov. 4, 2014). Mineral water, whether still or sparkling, did not increase the likelihood of a problem.
Carbonation might even be somewhat beneficial (Urolithiasis, February 2016).
Plain seltzer water with lemon juice provides citrate, which can help prevent the formation of kidney stones (Archivio Italiano di Urologia, Andrologia, July 7, 2015).
Q: I know you have warned against using Vaseline to moisturize the inside of the nostrils. My question is: What CAN be used to relieve a dry nose? When I asked my thoracic surgeon about using Vaseline, he told me that in his long career, he has never seen a case of lung disease attributed to this.
A: A pharmacist wrote to us to recommend an OTC product, AYR Nasal Gel, for moisturizing dry nasal passages.
He continued: “You are perfectly correct that usage of Vicks, Vaseline or similar petroleum-based products in the nose may very well result in lipoid pneumonia, an extremely dangerous condition.”
Q: According to some research, cinnamon, turmeric, garlic, ginger and rosemary are spices that have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activity. Some spices also may help to prevent dementia and control blood sugar and blood pressure.
Do you need to take them with food for them to be effective? A: There are studies demonstrating that such spices do have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory power (Clinical Nutrition Research, October 2015). A pilot study demonstrated that a combination of sage, rosemary and lemon balm seemed to help people with word recall (Phytomedicine, Jan. 15, 2018).
We generally think that spices work best when used with foods.
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Send questions to them via www .peoplespharmacy .com.
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