Most common cause of xerostomia is:

# The most common cause of xerostomia is:
A. Hereditary
B. Medications
C. Tooth decay
D. Mouth breathing

The correct answer is B. Medications.

Xerostomia (dry mouth) is not a disease, however, it can be a symptom of certain diseases. Many times xerostomia is caused by failure of the salivary glands to function normally, but the sensation can also occur in people with normal salivary g lands. Xerostomia can cause health problems by a ffecting nutrition, as well as psychological heal th. At its most extreme, it can lead to rampant tooth decay and periodontal disease.

Perhaps the most prevalent cause of xerostomia is medica tion. The main culprits are antihistamines, antidepressants, anticholinergics (e.g .. atropine and scopolamine) , anorexiants, antihypertensive, antipsychotics {e.g. , chlorpromazine and prochlorperazine), anti-Parkinson agents, diuretics and sedatives.

The most common disease causing xerostomia is Sjogren's syndrome (SS), a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease that occurs predominantly in postmenopausal women.

Sarcoidosis and amyloidosis are other chronic inflammatory diseases that cause xerostomia.

Other systemic diseases that can cause xerostomia include rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythema tosus, and scleroderma. 

Remember: Xerostomia is the most common toxicity associated with radiation therapy to the head and neck.