4. Discussion
non-alcoholic, thirst, HD, Thirst, dry mouth
DRY MOUTH, COMPLICATIONS
In the general population, the rate of saliva secretion averages 0.3 to 0.5 mL/min [There are many ways to treat dry mouth and thirst. For example, to relieve the complications and discomfort caused by dry mouth, patients can sip on water throughout the day or place ice in the mouth to intake fluids slowly. Other treatments include the use of artificial saliva; the administration of parasympathetic mimicking drugs, such as pilocarpine hydrochloride; mouthwash; and non-alcoholic drinks [In the present study, each patient’s degree of thirst was evaluated using VAS and SXI. Thirst significantly decreased in the chewing gum group compared with the control group after dialysis (Thirst is a subjective sensation in long-term HD patients, activated by a reduction in extracellular fluid and an increase in plasma osmotic pressure [A large-scale clinical crossover study (Although chewing gum did not influence the amount of saliva and salivary pH (The study’s potential limitation is its small sample size (