AUGUSTA, Ga. (American Health Newswire) - It's that sticky or dry feeling in the mouth all of us get once in a while. But for some, it could be more than just an inconvenience. It's believed 44 million Americans suffer from the problem. Now, American Health breaks down the dangers of dry mouth.
 

ER nurse Lauren Geeter is always on the move, but a side effect of her acid reflux meds made constant water breaks a part of her routine.

"I knew my mouth was dry, but I guess I always had dry mouth and never really thought of it as anything," said Lauren Geeter.  

Lauren's dry mouth resulted in a mouth full of cavities.

"If the bacteria are growing in their mouth, there could be a systemic threat to their whole body," Stephen Hsu, Ph.D., Professor of Oral Biology at Georgia Health Sciences University, explains. 

Dr. Stephen Hsu says ignoring it can lead to lots of trouble.

Saliva neutralizes acid and protects against bacterial growth. Dry mouth results in a lack of saliva and can lead to tooth decay and gum disease.

If you're one of the millions with dry mouth, cutting out things high in sugar and acid like soda, sports drinks and candy is a good idea. Dr. Hsu says green tea extract is also a great way to fight the problem.

"We found a lot of protective properties from the green tea polyphenols," Dr. Hsu tells American Health. 

He's even developed a special chewing gum to stimulate saliva flow.

Eating fibrous foods can help make up for a lack of mouth-cleaning saliva. Harvard experts say crunchy fruits and vegetables like apples and carrots are mild abrasives that can remove bacteria and plaque from teeth. People with the problem should also use alcohol-free mouthwashes and check the labels of their toothpaste; if it contains the dry mouth irritant sodium lauryl sulfate, find a new brand.
 

Today, Lauren uses Dr. Hsu's gum to help take care of her dry mouth, so she can focus on taking care of others.

The Mayo Clinic recommends a few other home remedies. Running a humidifier at night can help with dry mouth, and breathing through your nose instead of your mouth can also be beneficial. Also, avoid over-the-counter anti-histamines and decongestants; they can make your symptoms worse.

Cancer Killing Cap!

SEATTLE, WA (American Health Newswire) -- Massive headaches, nausea, vomiting, dizziness; these are the signs of a brain tumor.  

Each year 41 thousand people are told they have one.  Now, a new device is helping put a cap on tumor growth.

Beach volleyball, surfing, and skiing, Reggie Chan does it all.  In fact, until a year ago, Reggie would ride his bike 15 miles to work and 15 miles back, but now riding his new trike is getting harder and harder.

"I woke up and felt my left foot was kind of still asleep," brain tumor patient, Reggie Chan , told IAmerican Health.

It was the effects of a deadly brain tumor called glioblastoma and it all started with a headache.

"Right then and there I knew our lives were changed forever," Reggie's wife, Laurie Chan, explained to American Health Most patients only live a year after diagnosis.

"The tumor sort of infiltrates a healthy brain and that's why it's so difficult to remove completely," Neurosurgeon at the University of Washington Medical Center, Dr. Maciej M. Mrugala, MD, PhD, told American Health.

Doctors at the University of Washington are some of the first to use this FDA approved cap, called T-T Fields, to help kill the cancer.  A battery pack fuels the electrodes.  At the right intensity, the electricity stops the cancer cells from growing, even killing them.   Reggie has been wearing the cap all day long, every day for the past four weeks.

"Actually it's working, the tumor has shrunk again," Reggie Chan said.

Even though the electrical fields can shrink tumors, they do not hurt healthy cells and early studies show there's no other serious side effects.  Right now T-T Fields therapy is only being used for patients whose glioblastomas have regrown, but clinical trials are beginning for patients newly diagnosed.

BOSTON, Mass. (American Health Newswire) - It's believed 33% of all Americans misuse alcohol resulting in 85, 000 preventable deaths a year.

So, how much do you drink? While you might not be one of the millions of alcoholics in the U.S., you could be one of the millions of almost alcoholics.

Many think it's black and white, but Harvard psychiatrist Robert Doyle believes there's a big grey area.

"We're seeing alcohol problems as a spectrum," explains Robert Doyle, M.D., the co-author "Almost Alcoholic." 

The alcoholism expert is focusing on the zone between normal use and alcoholism diagnosis; the so-called almost alcoholic range. Here, the risk of things like insomnia, diabetes and cancer can increase.

"You don't have to be alcoholic to have major problems with alcohol," Dr. Doyle said. "That's that fuzzy area that's really hard to define."

Brenda Wilhelmson believes she was an almost alcoholic.

"It turned into a way that I rewarded myself at the end of the day, and it just escalated from there," said

Brenda Wilhelmson. "I was basically drinking myself to sleep every night."

Brenda can pinpoint the exact moment she crossed the line to full-blown alcoholic.

 "I could have gone either way that night, and I just went for it," Brenda tells American Health. 

Doctor Doyle believes millions who become addicted pass through the almost alcoholic phase, and he thinks a lot can stop the problem there.

"We're not trying to put labels on people. In fact, we're trying to prevent people from getting the label of a very serious condition," said Dr. Doyle.  

Do an honest assessment by asking yourself things like: is alcohol affecting my sleep? Do I depend on alcohol to de-stress? Am I drinking to help deal with a medical problem? If you feel you might be heading toward a problem, try cutting back.

Dr. Doyle recommends, "If you're having four beers on Friday night, see how you do with two beers."

Small changes could make a big difference in where you end up on this spectrum.

Go to thealmosteffect.com for more on Dr. Doyle's book "Almost Alcoholic" and to take a self-assessment of your own drinking habits.