When you fall asleep, you drool. Excessive drooling during sleep

Hypersalivation or ptyalism is a disorder characterized by an increase in the amount of saliva produced. The reasons that provoke increased salivation in both women and men can be very different, including those associated with serious diseases.

Symptoms and manifestations of hypersalivation

The dominant symptom of ptyalism in adults is copious secretion of saliva, more than 2 times the norm. The phrase “I choke on saliva” is relevant for a person with overactive salivary glands. Against the background of the main manifestation, accompanying manifestations arise:

Prerequisites for the disease

The main causes of increased salivation in adults include:

Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity and pharynx: gingivitis, tonsillitis, periodontitis, stomatitis, ARVI. In this case, increased salivation is a protective reaction of the body, allowing the oral cavity to be freed from pathogenic microbes, infectious agents, and tissue decay products.
Gastrointestinal disorders: ulcers, gastritis, neoplasms, pancreatitis, cholecystitis. Microorganisms entering the oral cavity from the gastrointestinal tract have an irritating effect on the glands and gums. This provokes the development of ptyalism.
Neuralgic disorders: brain injuries, cerebral palsy, inflammation of the trigeminal nerve, Parkinson's disease. These pathologies are accompanied by disturbances in swallowing and respiratory function, increased secretion of the salivary glands with nausea and vomiting.
Paralysis of the muscles of the maxillofacial region. If the facial nerve is damaged, a person is unable to control facial muscles, which leads to drooling.
Mumps is an inflammatory process in the salivary glands. The disease causes not only excessive salivation, but also swelling of the face and neck (mumps).
Mechanical irritations. This includes dental procedures, manipulations that damage the gums: removal of stone, tooth, implantation. Ptyalism in this case is temporary.
Medicinal ptyalism. It is a side effect when taking medications that irritate the salivary glands, which causes their activation. In this case, excessive salivation is temporary and disappears after stopping the medication.
The onset of menopause may also be accompanied by increased glandular activity, accompanied by frequent flushing and excessive sweating. Over time, the process of saliva production returns to normal.
Increased saliva production can cause pregnancy. The resulting toxicoses provoke profuse salivation, accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

The cause of excessive salivation may be a hormonal imbalance that occurs against the background of a functioning disorder. thyroid gland.

Types of disease

According to the mechanism of development, ptyalism is classified into the following types:

True

False

The disorder is associated with activation of the function of the salivary glands, which causes their increased secretion.

According to the factor of occurrence, true ptyalism is divided into 4 types:

Bulbar and pseudobulbar. In bulbar syndrome, increased salivation is caused by paralysis of the cranial nerves (vagus, sublingual). Hypersalivation in pseudobulbar syndrome is caused by increased reflexes of oral automatism: violent crying, laughter, uncontrolled strong salivation in an adult.
Somatic. The disorder occurs against the background of somatic pathologies: malignant neoplasms, helminthiases, ulcerative stomatitis.
Psychogenic, resulting from severe psychological trauma.
Medicinal, manifested due to the side effects of the medication.

Excessive salivation, resulting from a disorder of swallowing function, when the mechanism of the process itself is disrupted. The problem is not related to quantitative changes in the secreted fluid, but to the frequency of its swallowing.

In diseases of the nasopharynx, nervous system, facial muscles and jaws, swallowing causes discomfort and causes pain (sore throat, sore throat). Therefore, a person swallows saliva less often than required by the norm. As a result, there is an accumulation of fluid in the mouth.

Excessive salivation can be permanent or temporary. A form of the disorder when the amount of salivary fluid has increased greatly, it is released both day and night, is caused by serious pathologies, and requires the intervention of a specialist.

A temporary increase in the amount of saliva can be caused by irritants, the absence of which will stop the disorder itself. For example, after childbirth, ptyalism caused by toxicosis disappears, and the dosage form of the disease disappears after stopping the drug.

Excessive drooling during sleep

Normally, the activity of the glands that produce saliva decreases during night sleep. If, after waking up, it is discovered that the pillow is wet, then spontaneous activation of the salivary glands has occurred. This is why an adult drools during sleep.

This happens when salivation increases, the body, relaxed during sleep, does not have time to react, swallowing liquid does not occur, and as a result, saliva flows profusely. The occurrence of such isolated cases is not a violation and a sign of an existing pathology. But manifestations that occur constantly require the intervention of a specialist: copioussalivation during sleep can accompany a serious illness.

Among the main factors that provoke nighttime hypersalivation are:

Missing teeth, creating holes in the dentition through which saliva can leak from the mouth at night. An incorrect bite makes it impossible for the dentofacial rows to come into close contact, which is what causes the phenomenon.
Diseases that provoke disturbance or complete absence of nasal breathing: a common cold, a runny nose in which the mucous membrane swells or snot flows, otolaryngological diseases, a deviated nasal septum - all these are the reasons for drooling during sleep. Impaired nasal breathing forces the sleeper to actively breathe through the mouth without closing the lips, so the accumulated moisture flows out. In such cases, the flow of saliva is accompanied by snoring. Most often, when the disease is eliminated, the accompanying symptoms, including ptyalism, disappear.

The reason why adults drool may be due to sound sleep. In this case, the person is not able to control his reflexes, the liquid is not swallowed in a timely manner, it collects in the mouth - the excess flows out.

Hypersalivation during pregnancy

Frequent salivation in women is often caused by such an exciting and important stage as pregnancy. Numerous changes that occur in the female body can provoke various disorders, including ptyalism.

The main reasons that cause excessive salivation in the expectant mother:

Usually, excessive salivation does not cause complications in expectant mothers and does not threaten the fetus. But the condition needs to be monitored, since sometimes drooling can be a consequence of serious illnesses.

With uncontrolled ptyalism, the following complications may occur:

Violation of adequate taste perception, food aversion.
Sharp weight loss. Carrying a child requires significant energy expenditure and a large amount of nutrients and elements. Rational nutrition is necessary for a favorable pregnancy and fetal development. The reluctance to consume food causes a decrease in weight.
Dehydration of the body.
Psycho-emotional disorders, insomnia.
Deterioration of the condition and color of the skin of the face.
Infectious lesions.

Diagnostic measures

The main task of diagnosis is to determine the cause of excessive salivation. Diagnostic measures include:

Collection of patient complaints, examination of the patient’s medical record. Purpose: to identify the time of onset of primary symptoms, to identify diseases that could provoke drooling.
Life activity analysis, presence of bad habits. One of the common causes of hypersalivation in adults is smoking.
The first appointment with a specialist includes a physical examination: visual assessment of the condition of the oral cavity, nasopharynx, palpation of the head, facial muscles, and neck.
General blood and urine tests that need to be done to identify the cause of drooling.
Study of salivary fluid.
Referral to a more specialized specialist: dentist, neurologist, otolaryngologist.

Based on the diagnosis, the doctor determines the optimal treatment method for hypersalivation.

Effective treatment regimens for excessive drooling

The most common methods of treating increased salivation include classical and folk methods. The first is based on taking special medications and performing special medical procedures to effectively combat hypersalivation or its cause.

Having carried out the necessary diagnostic measures, the therapist can refer the patient to a more specialized specialist to accurately identify the factor that caused excessive salivation:

Dental problems: missing teeth, inflammation in the oral cavity, malocclusion and other diseases that may cause excessive drooling are corrected by a dentist.
A neurologist, using massages or exercise therapy, will eliminate neurological pathologies, which will reduce the amount of salivary fluid.
Gastrointestinal diseases and helminthic infestations are treated by a gastroenterologist, as a result of which the secretion of the glands decreases.

If a situation arises when it is necessary to treat hypersalivation directly, use:

Radiation therapy, due to which the salivary ducts are blocked by scars.
Surgery that selectively removes glands that produce too much saliva.
Cryotherapy. Its essence is to increase the frequency of swallowing, which allows you to reduce the amount of liquid.
Botox injections that paralyze secretion production.
Drugs that suppress excessive salivation in humans.

The folk method is based on herbal medicine. Adequate use of folk remedies evokes positive reviews and comments from practicing dentists. Doctors often prescribe herbal rinses and compresses from infusions of medicinal plants, which reduce the secretion of salivary fluid. The dominant direction of herbal medicine is rinsing the mouth with various tinctures and decoctions:

oak bark decoction;
chamomile tincture;
decoction of viburnum fruits;
vegetable oils;
alcohol tincture from shepherd's purse.

Ptyalism can occur at any age and have different causes. Regular examinations by a specialist will help identify and get rid of pathologies that cause hypersalivation, and prevent the occurrence of new diseases and serious complications.

Salivation is a natural process in the human body, which is regulated by the central nervous system. It would seem that no one should have problems with this process. However, there are various cases in which saliva is released in excessively large quantities or a person does not have time to swallow it (and sometimes both). This is already a serious reason to contact a neurologist or, at a minimum, begin to more carefully monitor your diet, sleep and well-being. This article is intended to answer the question of why drooling occurs in a dream, and also to talk about what saliva is in general and what important functions it performs in the life of the body.

Saliva is a liquid secretion of the body that is constantly secreted by the salivary glands. The body produces saliva exactly as much as it needs. If suddenly an extra portion appears, it is swallowed reflexively. This secretion performs several extremely important functions in the body, and also contributes to the stable functioning of all organs. For example:

Saliva helps soften food in the mouth, forming a bolus, which is then swallowed without much effort. It is also involved in the digestion process, as it contains special enzymes for this.
Regulates the acid balance in the oral cavity, protects teeth from damage and helps restore mucous membranes.
Removes toxic substances or final food processing products from the body. Toxins enter the saliva, which is then reflexively spat out.

Main Factors

There can be many reasons why a person cannot swallow accumulated saliva in time, or why it is released in excessively large volumes. First, you need to understand why this happens in the first place.

Doctors identify three factors that are most often associated with the fact that in the morning a person finds a trace of drool on his pillow. First of all, this is, of course, increased salivation. What reasons may be behind this will be discussed below.

It is important to understand that in this case the body produces too much secretion and there is simply nowhere to put it. The second common reason is the inability to swallow saliva. A person does not control himself during sleep, so the swallowing process occurs reflexively. However, for some reason the body cannot do this while the person is unconscious. Hence the drool on the pillow and a bad mood in the morning.

Why does salivation increase during sleep?

The most common causes of increased salivation during sleep are:

Food. Everyone knows that if you eat a lot of bitter or spicy foods, you will produce more saliva. Check to see if you regularly eat spicy, spicy or bitter foods before bed.
Alcohol. Its effect on the body is so strong that during sleep all muscles, including facial ones, completely relax. And in the morning you may notice an unpleasant surprise in the form of a speck of saliva on the pillow.
Also, excessive drooling can occur due to problems with teeth, gum disease, and enamel damage. Saliva is needed to repair damaged tissue, but a person in a dream simply does not have time to swallow it.

Problems with intestinal microflora or acidity in the stomach. The body makes attempts to neutralize the acid with alkali, that is, it increases the level of saliva production. This can also be the root cause of the problem of drooling on the pillow. In this case, you should contact a gastroenterologist and start treatment.
Allergic reactions and toxins. This is especially common among smokers or those who live near them. Harmful substances are in the air, which is why the body turns on its defense system and the salivary glands begin to work actively. In the first case, an allergic reaction can block the ingestion process.

Causes of hypersalivation in children

Hypersalivation is the scientific name for increased salivation. This process usually occurs in young children and is completely natural. The fact is that their teeth begin to cut, which means, in turn, the body promotes the speedy healing of wounds and restoration of the integrity of the oral cavity. This is why the salivary glands begin to actively work and secrete secretions. The same situation happens when a child at six or seven years old begins to lose his baby teeth. The body also guards the integrity of the gums and produces more saliva than usual.

Hypersalivation in children is not a disease or serious defect requiring treatment. However, for adults, such a problem should be a good reason to go to the doctor.

How to get rid of the problem

How to get rid of a lot of saliva during sleep? There is no special pill or treatment for this. Increased salivation or hypersalivation is just one of the clear signs of a problem that is located in the stomach or central nervous system. Doctors advise initially trying to get rid of possible causes: not drinking alcohol, ventilating rooms more often, getting tested for allergies to anything, drinking more water, controlling your posture while sleeping, and much more.

In most cases, this helps, and people begin to feel well again. If the situation does not improve, then consult a doctor as soon as possible. Only a specialist will understand the problem and be able to find the real root cause of this behavior of the body. Perhaps it lies in the stomach or in the central nervous system. The following auxiliary procedures and means also often help, for example:

Rinse your mouth with sage before bed and in the morning.
Refusal of spicy and spicy foods, as well as vegetables containing starch in large doses.
Taking atropine in small quantities often helps, but be sure to consult a specialist.

Our body constantly secretes saliva. Every 5 minutes the body produces 1 ml of saliva, this is considered normal. Much less is produced during sleep.

If there is too much salivary fluid, a person drools in his sleep, staining the pillow, this is a reason to consult a doctor and undergo examination, since this often indicates the presence of some disease. Only those who do not experience increased salivation often should not worry.

If a person is overtired, very tired, which is why he has fallen into deep sleep, his entire body relaxes, including his jaws, so a small amount of saliva may flow out of his mouth.
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Causes

Why does saliva flow during sleep? We will list the reasons why drooling may occur in a dream.

Diseases

There are a number of diseases that cause this feature.

Runny nose. During the cold season, we often catch colds, which leads to rhinitis. Or a runny nose is one of the symptoms of allergies. Because of it, a person cannot breathe through his nose, and he has to compensate for this by breathing through his mouth. If your mouth is slightly open, drool drips onto the floor. For the same reason, patients with a deviated nasal septum experience drooling.
Diseases of teeth and gums. If adults have infections that are concentrated in the mouth area, then during sleep they open their mouths. In addition, in a number of diseases the amount of saliva increases.
Gastrointestinal diseases. If a patient has cholecystitis, acute gastritis or a stomach ulcer, then the person produces more salivary fluid.
Worms. When there are worms in the body, they cause drooling.
Diseases of the central nervous system, mental disorders. If people have diseases of the nervous system, the muscles that are involved in the swallowing process become weaker, so fluid collects in the mouth.
Endocrine diseases. Because of them, salivation in an adult also increases, as the balance of hormones is disrupted. But its release occurs not only at night, but also during the day.

In pregnant women

If a woman is in an interesting position, she may produce more saliva than usual. Why this feature occurs in pregnant women is not yet clear, but doctors suggest that it is due to hormonal changes in the body. This is not dangerous for the child, and after the baby is born everything will go away.

The child has

If a newborn baby produces a lot of saliva, this is considered normal, since his salivary glands have not yet formed. Therefore, at the age of 2 - 3 months, he has a lot of it, but he still cannot swallow it. The amount of saliva secreted from the mouth increases during the period when the child is teething.

Other factors

In an adult, salivation is also associated with other reasons. So, if there are mechanical irritants in the mouth, they lead to increased secretion. These are any foreign bodies, for example, candy or chewing gum, but most often a denture. Or it may be due to an incorrect bite, and sometimes the absence of some teeth.

Saliva flows from the mouths of people who regularly take medications before bed to cure a particular disease. Most often these are heart medications. If there is intoxication of the body in an adult due to alcohol or food poisoning, then the secretion of saliva increases. This also provokes addiction to drugs.

How to fight

What can you do to reduce the amount of saliva produced during sleep? If everything is due to dental diseases, you need to visit a dentist. It will also help cope with malocclusion. To destroy harmful microflora in the body, you can rinse your mouth with a decoction of oak bark or chamomile.

Other diseases also require treatment. First, you should go to a therapist, who will already refer the patient to a specialist. If the cause is a runny nose, you can cope on your own. Use ointments before bed to help improve nasal breathing. Doctors also advise eating less salty foods and not getting carried away with fatty and spicy foods, as they irritate the oral mucosa and cause increased salivation.

During pregnancy, you should rinse your mouth more often to remove microflora in the mouth, which can contribute to excessive salivary fluid. A balanced diet, which should be fractional, is also important. This will help improve the functioning of the digestive system. You should not indulge your desires and eat incompatible foods.

How else can you help yourself to reduce saliva production? Learn to sleep on your back. When you sleep on your side, saliva flows out of your half-open mouth onto the pillow. If you tuck the blanket in so that you can't roll over on your side and spend the whole night on your back, it won't leak out of your mouth. Or buy yourself a high pillow. If you sleep on a pillow, it will help keep your mouth closed and the flow of saliva will stop.

These tips won't help those who are constantly drooling. In this case, you will have to take anticholinergic drugs that will stop excessive secretion of saliva. The doctor may recommend removal of part of the salivary glands or prescribe facial massage or exercise therapy (for neurological disorders). These or other procedures are carried out on the recommendation of a specialist.

We, adults, both sometimes in ourselves and in small children, have probably sometimes observed profuse salivation, independent of the feeling of hunger. It seems that the baby has eaten, is playing, everything is fine, but he is drooling heavily from his mouth, down his beard and beyond, even bubbling. Nothing bad happens, it’s physiological. There's nothing to worry about. The child grows up and becomes an adult.

And so we come to the dentist, sit in a chair, and have to keep our mouth open for a long time. This is where the revelation comes to us that we are extremely slobbery people. It’s uncomfortable; you can’t swallow saliva with your mouth open. Why do you drool profusely? What could be the causes of hypersalivation? Is this normal or not? Let's figure out what to do at home when excessive salivation in the mouth bothers you.

The salivary glands of adults and children can secrete either too much or too little saliva. This happens by various reasons, there are several main symptoms:

There is always too much liquid in the mouth. This happens if the excretion rate is exceeded at least twice.
Due to the unnaturally large amount of secretion in the mouth, there is a constant reflexive desire to swallow the accumulated saliva.
The taste sensations in the mouth change; sensitivity to the taste of food can be either too strong or insufficient.

Sometimes the feeling of excess saliva in the mouth may be false; this happens when the oral cavity suffers from trauma. In this case, the patient may complain of imaginary discomfort, although in fact the secretion occurs normally.

Why do adults produce a lot of saliva?

There are several reasons; the problem of excessive drooling can be associated not only with oral disorders, but also with other dysfunctions of the body.

Digestive system disorders– increased acidity in the stomach, disturbances in the functioning of the liver and pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, ulcers, etc. – most often contribute to the appearance of hypersalivation.
Thyroid pathologies- hormonal balance disorders in the body.
Pregnancy. In women, hypersalivation can be observed during this period due to toxicosis. Nausea during pregnancy makes it difficult to swallow saliva, which contributes to its accumulation.
Taking medications- in both men and women, the problem can be caused by taking certain medications. In this case, it is necessary to make sure that the cause of the disease is precisely in taking the drug, and reduce its dosage.
Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity- in diseases such as tonsillitis or stomatitis (for example, aphthous), the secretion will increase significantly, but will be more of a protective reaction of the body.
Diseases of the nervous system - cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, lateral sclerosis, trigeminal neuralgia and others;

During sleep it can be caused by: mouth breathing; incorrect structure of the dental system; sleep disturbance. A person suffering from hypersalivation during sleep usually does not experience its symptoms during the day.

Increased salivation is more likely a symptom of other, more serious diseases than an isolated problem of the oral cavity. It is because of this that, if you notice the corresponding symptoms, you need to consult a doctor.

Causes of increased salivation in children

Children suffer from hypersalivation more often than adults; this is mainly due to the characteristics of human development in childhood. The main reasons are:

Reflex factor- in children in the first year of life, hypersalivation is not a pathology, it is caused by reflective characteristics and should be perceived as inevitable. Baby teething causes increased salivation, since the gums and oral cavity as a whole are subject to serious stress.
Worms- this happens due to the child’s habit of putting dirty objects into his mouth; with helminths, increased salivation will be observed more often at night than during the day.
Infection or gastrointestinal disorder in infants- a situation may occur when the secretion is normal, but the baby does not swallow saliva due to disorders with swallowing function.
Mental disorders- Occurs in older children. In this case, you must immediately contact a pediatrician and child psychiatrist, who will determine the exact cause of the symptom and refer you for consultation to other specialists or prescribe the necessary course of treatment.

If an older child has constant problems with increased salivation, this can cause speech defects, since in this case it is quite difficult for children to pronounce words correctly and quickly.

Hypersalivation during pregnancy

Due to disruptions in the hormonal balance of a woman’s body caused by pregnancy, hypersalivation may occur; most often, its symptoms appear in the first two to three months after conception.

Toxicosis in the early stages leads to gag reflexes and swallowing dysfunction. As a result, women during pregnancy may experience not only hypersalivation, but also drooling.

At the same time, it is not at all necessary that the glands begin to secrete more saliva, it’s just that the swallowing process occurs less frequently, and accordingly, it lingers in the oral cavity.

Drooling while sleeping

Frequent salivation in the dark can be caused by several factors:

the salivary glands “wake up” earlier than a person - during sleep their work occurs much more slowly, but sometimes they resume the work process long before the moment when a person begins to be awake;
sleeping with your mouth open - if a person, for some reason, sleeps with his mouth open, then in his sleep he will be susceptible to hypersalivation. In this case, it is necessary to contact an ENT specialist, because the problem, most often, is within his competence, but it is also necessary to undergo a consultation with a dentist, since the mouth may not close due to the incorrect structure of the dental system;
sleep disorder - if a person sleeps too deeply, then he actually does not control some processes in his body. The human brain is not able to control the release of secretion, as a result of which hypersalivation occurs.

If the increased appearance of saliva in the mouth during sleep is not too frequent, and it is not released too abundantly, then there is little cause for concern.

How to reduce salivation: treatment, what to do at home?

Increased salivation and the discomfort it causes cause people a strong desire to get rid of this problem as quickly as possible. Treatment, in turn, directly depends on the causes of its occurrence.

The process of diagnosing a disease plays no less a role than the fact of treatment itself. First of all, you need to contact a doctor: this could be a therapist. If the problem of hypersalivation is beyond his competence, he can redirect the patient to an ENT specialist or dentist.

Treatment by doctors

If excessive saliva production needs to be stopped, doctors may prescribe medications to suppress overactive salivary glands (eg, ribal). But if the cause is not specifically in them, but in diseases of other organs or systems, then this will not be the treatment of the disease, but the suppression of its symptoms. You can completely get rid of this problem only after completely eliminating its source.

If the source of the disease is the salivary glands themselves, doctors can remove them, but this only happens as a last resort. Most often, a course of treatment is prescribed, for example, cryotherapy, which stimulates the swallowing reflex. Some medications may be injected into the salivary glands to slow down the secretion.

Traditional medicine: remedies

There are also folk remedies that can be used at home. So, rinsing your mouth with a decoction of chamomile or nettle can temporarily reduce annoying symptoms. But such treatment is in the form of an auxiliary one, and when serious problems But the body's methods will be completely ineffective.

What can be done:

take viburnum berries and grind them in a mortar;
pour the mixture with water (approximate proportion: 2 tablespoons of viburnum per 200 ml of water) and let it brew for 4 hours;
rinse your mouth with the product 3-5 times a day.

Angina And increased salivation. With a cold or inflammatory processes in the oral cavity, including sore throat, hypersalivation may indeed appear, since during an illness an infection enters the mouth, which inflames the salivary glands. It is necessary to cure the underlying disease, after which increased salivation, one of its symptoms, will disappear.

Before or during menstruation. A rather rare symptom, it can be associated with changes in the hormonal balance of a woman during this period. If the frequency and amount of saliva in the mouth causes discomfort, you should consult a doctor.

Salivation And nausea. Nausea can actually be a source of this. During toxicosis in pregnant women, for example, the swallowing reflex is disrupted - the person begins to swallow less often and there is excess saliva in the oral cavity.

After meal a lot of saliva in the mouth - what to do? Most likely, the glands react this way to too spicy or sour foods. This is not a very threatening phenomenon, but if it causes you severe discomfort, then you should consult a doctor.

Why does a child drool and what to do about it?

On the video channel “Baby Health”.

I understand that now your child’s clothes are wet due to drool, a slight irritation has appeared on his face, he may begin to get nervous and even cry about this. However, it’s okay, all parents go through this. Your child is completely healthy. Very rarely, saliva runs a lot as a consequence of a serious illness; in all other 99 percent of cases, this is a completely natural phenomenon; some babies just drool a little more than others.

Increased salivation causes in women, men, adults: how to stop

On the video channel “New Video”. Increased salivation causes in women, men, adults. How to stop salivation.

Excessive saliva production can be caused by oral infections, neuromuscular diseases, the use of certain medications, or poorly fitting dentures. Saliva is a watery secretion that is produced in the salivary glands, including the parotid gland, submandibular gland, sublingual glands and minor salivary glands in the cavity and mucous membrane of the mouth. Saliva consists of water, electrolytes, mucin, glycoproteins, salts, ptyalin, etc. It lubricates the mouth and also helps moisten food during chewing.

Excessive salivation is considered normal only for young children,
This is due to teething...

The digestion process begins in the mouth - with the help of enzymes contained in saliva, food starch and fat in food are broken down. Antimicrobial substances present in saliva reduce the risk of dental infections. Saliva also provides calcium and phosphate ions to the surface of the teeth, thereby preventing erosion of tooth enamel.

Since saliva performs many vital functions, too little or too much saliva can lead to problems. For example, increased salivation can lead to slurred speech and even leakage of saliva. This condition is referred to by the medical term ptyalism(or drooling), excessive drooling can result from either excessive saliva production or an inability to swallow it.

Favorable factors

Teething is a common cause of excessive drooling in babies or young children. However, if excessive saliva production is observed in children over 4 years of age and adults, it is not considered normal. Although excessive salivation is not a disease in itself, it can be a sign of an underlying medical condition. Here are some of the factors causing hypersalivation.

Use of certain medications

Saliva production is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. While the parasympathetic nerves produce watery saliva, the sympathetic nerves are involved in the production of thick saliva. The salivary glands produce more saliva when the parasympathetic nervous system releases a neurochemical called acetylcholine. It is for this reason that the use of cholinergic drugs (medicines that enhance or mimic the effects of acetylcholine) can lead to excessive saliva production. Here are some drugs that may cause ptyalism as a side effect:

Excessive salivation in an adult may indicate the presence of a disease,
Therefore, it is necessary to consult a specialist as soon as possible...

In addition to these drugs, certain toxins are also believed to contribute to the development of hypersalivation. These include mercury, copper, arsenic and phosphates.

Diseases

Some diseases can also be accompanied by excessive salivation. Among them are:

Pregnancy

Sometimes pregnant women may complain of excessive saliva production in the mouth. It is believed that this is mainly due to changes in hormonal levels. Ptyalism typically occurs in women suffering from toxicosis of pregnancy, which is a severe form of morning sickness.

Dentures

Most people who wear dentures experience an increase in saliva flow when new dentures are inserted. Increased salivation occurs because the salivary glands perceive dentures as a foreign body. However, salivation will return to normal after a few days. Wearing dentures that don't fit well can also cause excessive drooling.

Apart from the above-mentioned factors, excessive consumption of starch can also cause excessive salivation.

Inability to swallow saliva

Ptyalism can develop if the rate of saliva ingestion is below normal. Under normal conditions, saliva is regularly produced and swallowed. However, some diseases negatively affect people's ability to swallow saliva. These diseases include:

Some diseases can have a negative impact on the functioning of the muscles responsible for swallowing. The inability to swallow saliva may be associated with the following neuromuscular diseases:

Treatment

Sometimes this problem may go away on its own. For example, in the case of women who suffered from ptyalism during pregnancy, the issue of excessive salivation may resolve after the first trimester.

Excessive salivation is common in infants and toddlers. It's important to note that babies tend to drool excessively, which is natural, especially when they are teething. However, medical attention should be sought if drooling persists in children 4 years of age and older. Treatment will vary depending on the underlying cause of ptyalism. If excessive salivation is caused by taking medications, you should inform your doctor. You may need to stop taking or reduce the dosage of any drug.

Increases saliva production and smoking, so it is better to avoid it.

In severe cases, anticholinergic drugs may be recommended. Glycopyrrolate (Robinul) is an anticholinergic drug that has already been shown to be effective. However, its dosage must be monitored as it may be associated with adverse side effects. If excessive saliva production is caused by a medical condition, treating the underlying condition may help resolve the problem. Injection of botulinum toxin into the parotid and submandibular glands is also considered to be somewhat effective in treating drooling and excessive salivation. In some cases, the use of portable battery-powered suction devices is suggested to reduce the risk of suffocation.

Drug therapy combined with personal hygiene measures can help treat ptyalism. However, you need to make sure that saliva production does not drop below normal levels. Saliva performs several vital functions, and not producing enough saliva can put a person at risk for developing a variety of health problems.

Disclaimer: The information presented in this article is for informational purposes only and does not replace the advice of a medical professional.

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