Contents:
- Medical Video: 7 Things Your Saliva Says About Your Health
- What is hypersalivation?
- What causes excessive saliva?
- What are the consequences if there is excessive saliva?
- What can be done?
Medical Video: 7 Things Your Saliva Says About Your Health
Drooling when sleeping is normal. Maybe you are just used to sleeping mangap. But the problem is when saliva comes out a lot and continuously, even though it's not sleeping. In the medical world, excessive saliva production is called hypersalivation. What caused it?
What is hypersalivation?
Saliva (saliva) is a liquid produced by salivary glands that are in the oral cavity. Saliva fluid plays a role in softening food and helps the process of ingesting food and contains digestive enzymes. Saliva is needed to prevent dry mouth, heal wounds in the mouth, eliminate bacteria, and protect the mouth from poisons. However, if there is too much saliva production or hypersalivation, it may be related to certain health conditions.
Hypersalivation is a condition caused by the production of too much salivary fluid so that the saliva can come out by itself without realizing it. This condition is not directly dangerous, but can interfere with one's self-confidence and create discomfort.
The production of excessive saliva is generally associated with certain conditions such as the presence of bacterial infections in the mouth. Hypersalivation can occur acutely or chronic depending on the cause.
What causes excessive saliva?
Saliva production will increase as soon as someone experiences a number of conditions, such as:
- Cavity
- Acid reflux
- Infections in the oral cavity
- Sprue
- Take sedatives
- Exposed to poisons
- Is pregnant
- Injury or trauma to the jaw
- Serious infections, such as tuberculosis and rabies
- Using dentures
Saliva production can also increase when someone chews gum, is eating, or when he is happy or anxious.
Meanwhile, if the production of excessive saliva has been prolonged and chronic, this may be caused by a disruption in the control of the mouth muscles, such as those caused by:
- Malocclusion - the condition of the two teeth does not close evenly when the jaw closes
- Intellectual disorders
- Parkinson's disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Stroke
- Cerebral palsy
- Facial nerve palsy
- Swelling of the tongue
What are the consequences if there is excessive saliva?
Hypersalivation causes the mouth to continue to be filled with saliva so that it can cause a person to look stool or drool, need to spit continuously, and have difficulty swallowing. Besides hypersalivation can also cause:
- Dry lips
- Damage to skin infections around the oral cavity
- Bad breath
- Dehydration
- Difficulty speaking
- Difficulty in feeling food
A person who experiences hypersalivation is more likely to breathe salivary fluids, food and drinks consumed into their lungs. This can increase the risk of aspiration pneumonia infection. The inhalation process occurs more when the reflexes for vomiting and coughing are impaired.
What can be done?
The production of excessive saliva will stop and return to normal as well as the thing that causes it to be lost or treated.
The doctor will recognize the hypersalivation condition by discussing other symptoms and possible other health conditions related to the cause of hypersalivation. If hypersalivation is related to problems with cavities and infection in the teeth, then you should immediately see a dentist.
Handling hypersalivation at home can be done if there are no serious infection problems such as those caused by inflammation of the gums and mouth irritation. This can be handled by maintaining oral hygiene. Regular brushing is one way to control hypersalivation because it causes the effect of drying the mouth. The same thing can be found when you rinse with mouthwash containing alcohol.
Hypersalivation can be treated with drugs containing glycopyrrolate and scopolamine. Both work as inhibitors of nerve impulses to the salivary glands so that the mouth produces less saliva. But both of these drugs can cause side effects such as urinary disorders, hyperactivity, dry mouth, and vision problems.
Botox injections, surgery, and radiation therapy can also be an alternative to overcome excessive saliva production. Talk to your doctor about the treatment options that are best for you.
