All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. On top of feeling unpleasant, dry mouth can lead to thick, sticky saliva, bad breath, and difficulty swallowing—none of which are exactly ideal in the bedroom, especially where kissing and oral sex are concerned.
Before tackling the problem, it helps to know why this is going on in the first place. As SELF previously reported, one of the most common culprits is dehydration. Chugging water like your name is Mrs. Not to mention, Dr. So when arousal causes your body to pump up the flow to those tissues, you might get congested. Next up, there are your hormones. Your body tends to interpret these feelings as stress, and it responds with a rush of hormones like adrenaline and norepinephrine. This can leave your mouth high and dry.
The reason? That includes our digestive system, home of our salivary glands. In other words, your nervous system turns the knob down on your spit production as it attends to other parts of your body, like your heart and lungs.
Medications and supplements are another common underlying cause. Seriously, how often do you see dry mouth listed among potential side effects? Luckily, there are a few things you can try to grease the wheels.
As you might imagine, staying hydrated in general—and keeping water by the bed during sex—can go a long way in combating the spit-killing effects of slowed saliva production and mouth-breathing.
