Dry mouth getting you down

Why a "dry mouth" might be more than just a thirst issue:

What It Means

Ever feel like your mouth is a desert? Waking up parched, tongue sticking to the roof of your mouth, no saliva in sight? Welcome to Dry Mouth Season — but what if I told you it is not just dehydration or too much coffee to blame?

Let's analyse it step by step.

The Nervous System Runs the Show

Your gut, saliva, and stomach acid — a hidden superhero system governs all of it called the Enteric Nervous System (ENS). It is referred to as the "second brain" because it operates semi-independently but stays closely connected to the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) — the master controller of things you do not think about, like heart rate, breathing, and digestion.

The ANS has two key branches:

• Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) – Think: rest and digest
• Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) – Think: fight or flight

Stress = Sympathetic Dominance

Here is the thing: modern life doesn't often demand that we sprint away from tigers, but our bodies still react to emails, arguments, deadlines, and doomscrolling as if we're under attack.

This puts us in a state of SNS dominance, where the fight or flight response takes over.

What does this mean? Your body goes:

"We're under threat! Prioritise survival! Divert all energy to the heart, lungs, and muscles! Shut down non-essentials — like digestion!"

What Happens When Digestion Shuts Down?

The following things could be happening:

• Less saliva: Salivary glands slow down. That is your dry mouth.
• No stomach acid: Hydrochloric acid (HCl) production drops.
• No bile: Gallbladder chills out.
• No mucus: The Lining of the gut dries up.

All of these secretions are essential for breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and keeping the gut lining healthy. But when you are in SNS mode, your digestive system gets sidelined.

Dry Mouth: A Clue from the Gut-Brain Axis

So, dry mouth is not just annoying — it's your body's signal that the gut-brain axis is out of balance.

If you're experiencing persistent dry mouth, ask yourself:

• Am I constantly stressed?
• Do I eat on the go or while multitasking?
• Do I rush through meals without chewing properly?
• Do I find it hard to "rest and digest"?

What You Can Do

To switch from fight or flight to rest and digest, try:

1. Deep breathing before meals
2. Chewing slowly and mindfully
3. No screens while eating
4. Grounding activities like walking, journaling, or stretching
5. Hydration — with minerals, not just plain water

Bottom Line

Dry mouth might seem like a minor symptom, but it often points to a bigger imbalance — one where your nervous system is in stress mode and your digestive function becomes downregulated.

It's not just a dry mouth — it's a dry month for your gut, too.