Masayoshi Takashima, MD, FACS | Source | Houston Methodist

Waking with dry mouth, also known as xerostomia, occurs when salivary glands in the mouth simply don’t produce enough saliva to keep your mouth moist, explains Mas Takashima, MD, chair of otolaryngology at Houston Methodist Hospital. “It can occur out of the blue and happen now and then or more frequently, depending on the cause.”

“Saliva helps to prevent infections and reduce the risk of oral diseases and can aid in wound healing and tissue repair within the mouth,” adds Dr. Takashima.

“Less often, medical treatments like radiation therapy for head and neck cancers and conditions like diabetes and Sjogren’s syndrome can lead to chronic dry mouth,” explains Dr. Takashima.

Although this is a simple enough concept, it can be intimidating in practice, as “it’s not a natural thing to be forcing a lot of water up your nose,” said Mas Takashima, an ENT specialist at Houston Methodist Hospital.

“The whole goal of the nose is to filter the air for your lungs,” Takashima said. Just as with any other filtering device, it’s important to keep that filter clean. A neti pot “keeps the opening of the sinuses open and aerating well,” Takashima said.

An added benefit is that during an active infection, “that addition of the salt water makes the environment less conducive for the bacteria to grow,” Takashima said.