Salivary gland

Both Salivary glands these are exocrine glands that produce saliva. The purpose of the process is to facilitate the swallowing process. The salivary glands have other tasks. Diseases of the Glandulae salivariae are rather rare.

What are salivary glands?

Salivary glands are the body's exocrine glands. They form saliva and thus enable food to be swallowed. Without saliva, tooth enamel, the inside of the mouth and throat would be exposed to great stress. In addition, the salivary glands are essential for digestion, as the saliva produced contains starch-splitting enzymes.

The salivary glands can be affected to a minor extent by diseases such as Sjogren's syndrome. Swellings, cysts or tumors also occur in some cases. The causes of the diseases are different. Treatment is usually simple because, in contrast to diseases of vital organs, only individual glands or small areas are affected. This means that the chances of recovery are good, even with serious diseases such as tumors.

Anatomy & structure

The salivary glands are responsible for the production of around 90% of human saliva. There were three pairs of salivary glands. The first pair are the parotid glands, also known as the parotid gland, which lie in front of the ears on both sides.

The second pair are the submaxillary glands, also known as the submandibular gland, which are located on the inside of the jaw. The third and last pair are the sublingual glands, which are located in the floor of the mouth under the tongue. They are also known as the sublingual gland.

In addition to the three large pairs of glands, the human body also has about 1,000 smaller glands. They are located in the area of ​​the lips, in the mouth and in the throat and supply around 1,500 ml of saliva per day in an adult. Production increases sharply, especially before or during meals.

The saliva itself is mainly composed of four elements. In addition to water, it contains electrolytes, proteins and enzymes. While other mammals add other enzymes, in humans it is mainly substances that facilitate the swallowing process.

Function & tasks

The salivary glands have the task of making food slippery with the help of saliva and, under certain circumstances, enriching it with certain substances. These are necessary for the later digestive process.

The flavors are also prepared for transport by adding proteins and various enzymes. Saliva is also needed to protect the mucous membrane in the mouth. This and the cleaning of the same are important functions of the salivary glands. The salivary glands are therefore responsible for killing pathogens. The salivary glands are also important for the tooth substance. The saliva produced neutralizes acids that could damage tooth enamel. The minerals also harden the teeth.

Finally, the salivary glands are used to excrete the body's own and foreign substances. Depending on the situation, the excreted saliva contains antibiotics, heavy metals, viruses and other substances. Iodine and the body's own antibodies are also excreted in this way. The functions of the salivary gland are therefore diverse and indispensable for the human organism.

Illnesses & ailments

The salivary glands can be affected by various diseases. The salivary gland can have salivary stones. As well as various pathological changes such as sialadenitis. This is an inflammation of the salivary glands, which causes painful swellings.

Cracks in the ducts lead to uncontrolled flow of saliva into the tissue. This can cause salivary cysts. The causes of sialadenitis are different. On the one hand there is the chronically active form, which is triggered by bacteria, and on the other hand there is autoimmune sialadenitis, also known as Sjogren's syndrome.

The disease is characterized by swelling of individual salivary glands. This is accompanied by pain when swallowing and a fever. Treatment is relatively straightforward and focuses on administering drugs that encourage saliva production. In most cases, Sjogren's syndrome is not a problem.

The chronically active sialadenitis is again divided into an acute, a chronically unspecific and a chronically sclerosing form. With the last variant, large parts of the salivary gland tissue can be affected. This hardens, which significantly inhibits the flow of saliva. To prevent further injuries to the throat and esophagus, appropriate medication must also be administered here.

In addition to these diseases, various tumors can occur on the salivary glands. Often the pleomorphic adenoma occurs. This is a benign salivary gland tumor. The Warthin tumor is also relatively common. There are also a large number of malignant tumors, such as adenocarcinoma NOS.

If there is a disease of the parotid glands, one speaks of a parotid gland. As the disease progresses, the salivary glands become blocked, which hinders the flow of saliva.