Question

During assessment of your client, you notice signs of severe xerostomia. You would expect the client to have all of the following symptoms, EXCEPT one. Which one is the EXCEPTION?

1) Dry mouth
2) Difficulty swallowing
3) Increased salivation
4) Cracked lips

Answer 1

In severe xerostomia, symptoms include dry mouth, difficulty swallowing, and cracked lips due to reduced saliva production; increased salivation is the exception and is not expected as it contradicts the condition's characteristics.

Step-by-step explanation:

When assessing a client with severe xerostomia, which is a medical term for dry mouth caused by a lack of saliva, you would expect them to experience a number of symptoms. Typically, these would include dry mouth, difficulty swallowing due to reduced lubrication, and cracked lips (also known as cheliosis) which can be an indication of dehydration and the lack of protective saliva. However, increased salivation would not be a symptom you would expect to find; in fact, it is quite the opposite of what xerostomia represents. The regulation of salivation is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, and during certain conditions like stress or dehydration, the production of saliva is reduced leading to a dry mouth sensation.