Hypersalivation

With the so-called Hypersalivation it is usually a temporary disease in which too large a quantity of saliva is produced. The causes for this are varied and can range from severe neurological diseases such as Parkinson's to poor nutrition. In most cases, however, hypersalivation is easily treatable.

What is hypersalivation?

The medical term Hypersalivation denotes a excessive production of saliva.

In the course of hypersalivation, sialorrhea, the involuntary leakage of saliva from the mouth, commonly referred to as "drooling", also often occurs.

Drooling occurs when the mouth cannot be closed completely or when it is difficult to swallow saliva.

causes

There are many reasons for increased salivation. Doctors differentiate between local causes, medicinal causes, general diseases and neurological diseases. Hypersalivation often occurs with severe nausea, shortly before vomiting. Even with the wrong diet, e.g. the consumption of spicy, spicy or very acidic foods, temporary hypersalivation can occur.

In babies and toddlers, hypersalivation and sialorrhea are completely normal. Increased saliva production and drooling are harmless up to around the age of four. A local cause of hypersalivation can be tooth decay or inflammation of the oral cavity.

In addition, diseases of the salivary glands can lead to excessive production of saliva. Other causes of hypersalivation can lie in the psychological area, i.e. be based on nervousness or anxiety. Neurological problems, such as Parkinson's disease, can also be the cause.

Certain infections, such as rabies, typically lead to excessive salivation. Poisoning with certain substances, such as mercury, or the ingestion of certain medications can also trigger this clinical picture.

Symptoms, ailments & signs

Hypersalivation manifests itself primarily through an excessive production of saliva. This leads to drooling, speech disorders and other complaints in those affected. For example, some patients experience difficulty swallowing or eating. The increased flow of saliva can also lead to aspiration if it enters the esophagus.

In extreme cases, the affected person suffocates on the saliva. The excessive production of saliva can also affect the mental state of those affected. Hypersalivation is perceived as extremely unpleasant and drooling in particular triggers feelings of shame and inferiority complexes in the patient. In the worst case, depressive moods or even full-blown depression develop.

Outwardly, hypersalivation cannot be seen at first. In the long term, however, drooling can lead to inflammation of the lips and the corners of the mouth. The affected areas often become red and painful to the touch. If the disease is not treated, dehydration can also occur, which can manifest itself in the form of tiredness, dizziness and physical weakness. In general, however, excessive saliva production is harmless and the symptoms do not result in other health problems.

Diagnosis & course

When making the diagnosis, a detailed anamnesis is first drawn up by the attending physician. The first thing to do is to determine whether there is any Hypersalivation present. Sometimes there is a disturbance in the removal of saliva, which at first glance looks like an excessive production of saliva.

Misaligned teeth can cause drooling, for example, even if the amount of saliva produced is in the normal range. After taking the anamnesis, swallowing diagnostics are usually made in order to be able to determine any swallowing disorders that may be present.The amount of saliva released is also measured. Often an approximate estimate of the amount by the attending physician is sufficient.

However, it may also be necessary to analyze the amount of saliva more precisely, also in connection with the amount of saliva released per unit of time. There are certain devices for this, with which the flow of saliva can be measured very precisely. Depending on which underlying disease is responsible for the hypersalivation, the course looks different.

In the case of severe, degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's, the prognosis is certainly worse than, for example, in the case of harmless and temporary hypersalivation, which has arisen due to the consumption of excessively acidic foods.

Complications

In most cases, hypersalivation can be treated relatively well, so that there are no particular restrictions or complications. As a rule, the person concerned suffers from a greatly increased saliva formation, which generally has a negative effect on the quality of life of the person concerned. It is not uncommon for social complaints to occur, as the symptoms of hypersalivation are viewed as unsightly and unaesthetic.

It can also lead to misalignment of the teeth or difficulty swallowing. In the worst case, the risk of aspiration is increased due to hypersalivation, so that death can still occur. Elderly patients and people with Parkinson's disease in particular can suffer from hypersalivation.

The treatment of the disease is always causal and depends on the underlying disease. There are no further complications. However, it cannot be predicted whether the hypersalivation can be completely restricted or whether renewed treatment will be necessary. In many cases, treatment of the underlying disease is also not possible. Life expectancy is not restricted by the disease.

When should you go to the doctor?

If the saliva flows too much, a visit to the doctor is not always necessary. If the symptoms regress after a few hours or days, the condition is not worrying. In these cases, the cause can often be traced back to emotional reasons that are not permanent. However, if the hypersalivation persists or increases in intensity, a doctor should be consulted. If there are problems with eating or if you have difficulty swallowing, you need to see a doctor. If the person concerned refuses to eat food for several days, it is advisable to clarify the symptoms.

This is especially true for children, elderly people or people with a low body weight. There is a threat of an undersupply of the organism, which can turn into an emergency without medical care. If hypersalivation occurs in the child's growth phase, misaligned teeth can occur. It is therefore advisable to visit a doctor as soon as any abnormalities in the position of the teeth become apparent. Patients suffering from Parkinson's disease very often show increased salivation as an accompanying symptom. A doctor should therefore be consulted as soon as the symptoms persist or typical signs of Parkinson's disease are detected. If you vomit more often or if you have a sore throat, you should consult a doctor.

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Treatment & Therapy

Since there are so many different causes for excessive saliva production, the treatment must eliminate the underlying disease, which is the Hypersalivation is a symptom.

If the cause is local, it may be necessary to correct misaligned teeth or better adjust braces that are not optimally adapted. Surgical measures may also be necessary. There are drugs that reduce the flow of saliva, including the active ingredient atropine, which is administered in the form of tablets. There is also an active ingredient that is stuck behind the ear as a plaster. Both active ingredients significantly reduce saliva production.

In particularly severe cases, botulinum toxin can also be used; the doctor injects botox into the salivary glands in the ear or in the lower jaw. If drugs are the cause of hypersalivation, they must either be discontinued or combined with other drugs that have dry mouth as a side effect.

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Outlook & forecast

Hypersalivation can have a variety of causes, depending on the prospects of speedy recovery. The prognosis looks best with temporary triggers. Pregnancy-related hypersalivation, for example, often occurs in hyperemesis gravidarum and improves as soon as the pregnancy sickness decreases. If the hypersalivation is due to dental problems or other changes in the mouth, it can also recede quickly by treating the cause.

If the cause cannot be treated that quickly, an option is to treat the increased salivation by injecting botulinum toxin into the salivary glands. Whether this is an option for the patient depends on whether the hypersalivation is actually related to the salivary glands or whether it is a swallowing disorder. In the case of swallowing disorders, this method would be out of the question as long as saliva production is within normal limits.

If the hypersalivation is actually due to an overproduction of saliva, this can be brought back to a normal level. The patient no longer suffers from hypersalivation, even if the original cause persists. This option comes into question, for example, in the case of degenerative diseases, in order to alleviate hypersalivation as a symptom of the disease and to offer the patient a better quality of life.

prevention

There are no specific, generally applicable measures for the creation of a Hypersalivation to prevent, as the causes are very diverse. Having good dental and oral hygiene is a step in the right direction because brushing your teeth and rinsing your mouth can help keep your mouth drier.

In most cases, hypersalivation is not a permanent disease, it only occurs temporarily and is easily treatable once the underlying problem has been identified.

Aftercare

Hypersalivation usually occurs as a concomitant symptom in the context of other diseases. For this reason, hypersalivation usually ends when the underlying disease has been successfully treated. Follow-up care measures are therefore geared more towards the specific disease and less towards the hypersalivation itself.

The requirements for responsible aftercare are correspondingly diverse, as hypersalivation occurs in connection with a large number of chronic or acute diseases. If the disease is related to poisoning, aftercare initially focuses on the patient's physical regeneration and close medical check-ups.

For example, the doctor analyzes the blood values ​​of the person affected and ensures that the poisoning has been overcome and the triggering substances have been eliminated from the body. If the hypersalivation occurs in the context of dental diseases, follow-up care includes regular examinations by a dentist.

In this way, the patient also prevents renewed diseases of the dental system and thus further hypersalivation. Sometimes hypersalivation also occurs with mental disorders and stress. Then, as part of the follow-up care, the person affected must ensure that he maintains his mental balance and, in an emergency, quickly turns to his psychologist. A recurrence of hypersalivation can be a helpful indication that a new flare-up of mental illness is building up.

You can do that yourself

As an acute measure in the event of hypersalivation, a cup should always be kept ready to absorb the saliva. It is best to place a terry towel under your mouth at night. In addition, suitable lip care products should be used, because the permanent flow of saliva causes inflammation and cracks on the lips, which can sometimes cause severe pain. A lip balm avoids irritation of the lip as a result of the constant cleaning of saliva.

In terms of diet, spicy or otherwise irritating foods and drinks should be avoided. Alcoholic beverages and coffee should also be avoided. Bread reduces the flow of saliva in the short term and can thus provide temporary relief. Lemon essential oil soothes the nasopharynx and can be inhaled or inhaled through a cloth, for example. Occasionally sucking ice cubes for five minutes also helps.

Alternatively, some remedies from homeopathy can be used. The remedies Alumina, Belladonna and Ignatia as well as the preparation Ammonium Carbonicum have proven themselves. If the symptoms do not decrease despite the measures mentioned, or if further complications occur, a visit to a doctor is recommended.