Question at position 44 What causes dry mouth during public speaking or stressful events?Dehydration aloneOverproduction of saliva due to anxietyIncreased sympathetic stimulationIncreased parasympathetic activity

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Consider the scenario: dry mouth during public speaking or stressful events. Different physiological pathways can influence salivation, so each option needs inspection.
Option 1: Dehydration alone. While not drinking enough fluid can cause dry mouth, this does not specifically address the stress-related mechanism during public speaking. The question ties the dry mouth to a stress response rather than a simple fluid deficit, so this option is incomplete as the primary cause in this context.
Option 2: Overproduction of saliva due to anxiety. Anxiety typically triggers the opposite effect through autonomic balance, not overproduction. In stressful situations, the body tends to conserve water and reduce salivary flow rather than increasing saliva, making this answer unlikely.
Option 3: Increased sympathetic stimulation. This aligns with the fight-or-flight response seen in stress, where sympathetic activity suppresses salivary secretion, leading to a dry mouth sensation during high-arousal moments like public speaking. The mechanism explains both the timing (during stress) and the symptom (dry mouth) coherently. 
Option 4: Increased parasympathetic activity. Parasympathetic activation generally promotes salivary production, increasing saliva rather than reducing it. Therefore, heightened parasympathetic tone would more likely alleviate dry mouth rather than cause it in stressful contexts.
In summary, when stress or public speaking triggers the body’s arousal systems, the sympathetic pathway dampens saliva production, producing dry mouth, whereas dehydration, anxiety-driven saliva overproduction, or parasympathetic-driven saliva increase do not fit the typical stress-related dry mouth pattern.

Question at position 44 What causes dry mouth during public speaking or stressful events?Dehydration aloneOverproduction of saliva due to anxietyIncreased sympathetic stimulationIncreased parasympathetic activity

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