Back to Blog
Excessive saliva production6/12/2023 Surgery and medication can reduce the amount of saliva the patient produces. Oral-motor therapy can help patients learn how to swallow. Rather than the mouth creating too much saliva, the problem is that a person can not get rid of the saliva by swallowing.Ĭerebral palsy, facial nerve palsy, and Parkinson’s are a few examples of neurological disorders that cause hypersalivation. Neurological DisordersĪny disorder that makes it hard to control mouth muscles and the tongue can result in excess saliva. If left untreated, continual hypersalivation can become a choking hazard and can affect your mental health. Symptom management, such as pharmaceutical medicines, speech therapy, and surgery, are available to reduce excess salivation. Causes of Continual HypersalivationĬhronic hypersalivation will not go away because its causes can not be treated. Medication and lifestyle changes reduce GERD and decrease hypersalivation. This prompts your salivary glands to increase saliva production to keep any acid and bacteria out of your mouth. GERD causes stomach acid to flow backward into your esophagus. However, if your medications are meant for sustained use, ask your doctor about hypersalivation symptom management. Chelation is the primary way to eliminate high levels of heavy metals from your body. Once these compounds are out of your system, increased salivation should stop. Some organophosphate insecticides can also cause hypersalivation. Mercury can be found in many water sources and some seafood, while thallium is present in cigarettes and hazardous waste. Mercury and thallium are heavy-metal toxins that also cause hypersalivation. Drugs and toxinsĪntipsychotics are the primary drug type that cause excessive saliva. After giving birth, salivation levels should return to normal. This often accompanies morning sickness in pregnant women. The salivary glands are overstimulated, which leads to excess salivation. Temporary hypersalivation is a common side effect of pregnancy. Treat infections with antibiotics and cavities with composite fillings to reduce hypersalivation. When you have an infection or cavity, excess saliva production keeps your mouth bacteria-free. Saliva naturally removes bacteria from your mouth. Mononucleosis, nasal infections, and cavities all create excess saliva. Fortunately, once you determine its cause, treatment can eliminate temporary hypersalivation. Temporary hypersalivation causes chapped lips, bad breath, speech disturbance, and a bad sense of taste. However, symptom management decreases continual hypersalivation. Continual hypersalivation occurs as a symptom of chronic health conditions that affect motor control which often have no cure. Temporary hypersalivation is the result of many underlying conditions which need to be treated before hypersalivation ceases. The causes of excess saliva, or hypersalivation, are either temporary or continual. It can be embarrassing, lead to bad breath, and may be a choking hazard. Surgical intervention, including salivary gland excision, salivary duct ligation, and duct rerouting, provides the most effective and permanent treatment of significant sialorrhea and can greatly improve the quality of life of patients and their families or caregivers.Drooling occurs when saliva spills over the bottom lip. The injection of botulinum toxin type A into the parotid and submandibular glands is safe and effective in controlling drooling, but the effects fade in several months, and repeat injections are necessary. Anticholinergic medications, such as glycopyrrolate and scopolamine, are effective in reducing drooling, but their use may be limited by side effects. Treatment options range from conservative (i.e., observation, postural changes, biofeedback) to more aggressive measures such as medication, radiation, and surgical therapy. Treatment of sialorrhea is best managed by a clinical team that includes primary health care providers, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, dentists, orthodontists, neurologists, and otolaryngologists. Sialorrhea causes a range of physical and psychosocial complications, including perioral chapping, dehydration, odor, and social stigmatization, that can be devastating for patients and their families. Contributing factors may include hypersecretion of saliva, dental malocclusion, postural problems, and an inability to recognize salivary spill. It is most commonly caused by poor oral and facial muscle control. Sialorrhea (drooling or excessive salivation) is a common problem in neurologically impaired children (i.e., those with mental retardation or cerebral palsy) and in adults who have Parkinson's disease or have had a stroke.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |