The Healthy Geezer

ACROSS

1 Oil cartel 5 Largest continent 9 Crime scene evidence 12 Lounge around 13 Charged bits 14 A billion years 15 Perry Mason’s client 17 Entertainment 18 Smell bad 19 Geneva’s river 21 Skiers’ 7-Down 24 String instrument 25 Do as you’re told 26 Old cars for new ones 30 “Help!” 31 Repeat verbatim 32 Arctic bird 33 Con scations 35 Sans siblings 36 Diner sta er 37 Name 38 BLT meat 40 Swimming venue 42 Alias abbr. 43 Secret or Sure 48 Crib 49 Elderly 50 Press 51 Pismire 52 May honorees 53 Kindly bloke

DOWN

1 Antiquated 2 “The Raven” writer 3 Sprite 4 Group of priests 5 Helper 6 Drench 7 Hostel 8 On both sides of 9 Leaves-dropper? 10 Proper subject, maybe 11 Heche or Hathaway 16 Born 20 Weeding implement 21 Privation 22 Reed instrument 23 Drying agent 24 Cisterns 26 Ankara resident 27 Fish eggs 28 -- and void 29 Terrier variety 31 Former 34 Menagerie 35 Drilling apparatus 37 Also 38 Ali -- 39 Related 40 Verse 41 Probability 44 Id counterpart 45 Exist 46 Negative pre x 47 Explosive stick

EVEN EXCHANGE

by Donna Pettman

Each numbered row contains two clues and two answers. The two answers di er from each other by only one letter, which has already been inserted. For example, if you exchange the A from MASTER for an I, you get MISTER. Do not change the order of the letters.

The Healthy Geezer Medication can cause dry mouth dry mouth

BY FRED CICETTI

QMy mouth seems to be a bit dry most of the time. Does this mean anything?

AEveryone experiences dry mouth occasionally. We mouth occasionally. We get it when we are under stress. But if you have dry mouth all or most of the time, you need medical help. The medical term for this condition is xerostomia.

Symptoms of this problem are: saliva that seems thick, sores or split skin at the corners of your mouth, di culty speaking and swallowing, bad breath, a change in your sense of taste, increased plaque, tooth decay and gum disease.

Most xerostomia is related to the medications taken by older adults rather than to the e ects of aging. More than 400 medicines can a ect the salivary glands. These include drugs for urinary incontinence, allergies, high blood pressure, depression, diarrhea and Parkinson’s disease. Also, some over-the-counter medications often cause dry mouth.

Dry mouth can also be caused by cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, nerve damage in the head or neck, the autoimmune disease Sjogren’s syndrome, endocrine disorders, Alzheimer’s disease, stroke, anxiety disorders and depression.

Sjögren’s syndrome can occur either by itself or with another autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus. Salivary and tear glands are the major targets of the syndrome. The result of the syndrome is a decrease in production of saliva and tears. The synThe syn

drome can occur at any age, but the average person with the disorder at the Sjögren’s Syndrome Clinic of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) is in his or her late 50s. Women with the disorder outnumber men 9 to 1.

In addition, tobacco, alcohol (in beverages and mouthwash), drinks with caffeine, snoring and breathing with your mouth open can aggravate dry mouth.

If you think you have dry mouth, go to your doctor or dentist. Your doctor may adjust your medication that is suspected of causing the problem. Or, your doctor may prescribe a medication to stimulate saliva production.

There are other ways to improve saliva  ow. Try sugar-free hard candy or chewing gum. Avoid lemon- avored hard candy, because it makes saliva acidic, increasing the possibility of tooth decay. You can also sip water regularly, try over-the-counter saliva substitutes, avoid breathing through your mouth, and use a humidi er in your bedroom.

If you have dry mouth, you have to pay greater attention to your teeth. Brush your teeth with an extra-soft toothbrush after every meal and at bedtime. If brushing hurts, soften the bristles in warm water. Floss your teeth gently every day. Always use toothpaste with  uoride in it. If you have a sweet snack, brush right away.

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