Excessive production of saliva negatively affects the quality of existence and brings a lot of inconvenience to humans. In practice, there are cases of false hypersalivation. This is due to impaired swallowing function due to trauma to the tongue, inflammation in the oral cavity, pathology of the bulbar nerves. It simply seems to a person that there is a large amount of saliva in his mouth. In order to distinguish real from erroneous hypersalivation, it is necessary to find out in more detail how salivary chains function and what are the reasons for their increased activity.
Causes of increased salivation in children
Hypersalivation can occur at any age. The reasons for this phenomenon can be:
- Physiological changes - tooth growth, hormonal changes.
- Pathologies of complex genesis - a violation of the processes of swallowing saliva, neurological abnormalities, paresis or paralysis of the muscles of the larynx, inflammation of the lingual-pharyngeal nerve, rickets, and so on.
The exact cause of increased salivation in a child can only be determined by a qualified pediatrician based on complaints from the mother, father or the child himself and the results of laboratory tests.
How are physiological changes manifested?
The physiological causes of increased salivation are always in the change in the state of the body. It is absolutely normal when moving from one age group to another. The most common phenomena of "growth and maturity" are listed below.
Teething and tooth growth
The phenomenon characteristic of babies 3-18 months. An increase in the amount of amylase at this age is necessary for internal sanitation of the oral cavity, since the exit of the tooth from the gum tissue is accompanied by the appearance of a small wound, which must be constantly moistened and treated. During this period, the baby has increased fatigue, moodiness, refusal to eat (loss of appetite), a sharp jump in temperature in a child with increased salivation is possible.
Hormonal changes
Adolescence in boys and girls, contrary to popular belief, begins with 12 years. It is at this age that the first menstruation and morning sperm eruption appear. The beginning of changes in the “natural status” is accompanied by a restructuring of many metabolic processes, which leads to sweating, increased salivation, the formation of acne and so on. To help the teenager survive this difficult stage, you need to take him to the doctor. A qualified specialist will give useful recommendations for taking care of yourself and your body, a nutrition program, prescribe homeopathic teas or tablets. After passing the first stage of external and internal stabilization of the hormonal background, the phenomena of hypersalivation disappear.
Pathological changes during hypersalivation
To talk about the presence of pathology with increased salivation is possible only if additional painful changes or obvious signs of a violation are observed. These phenomena include:
- Inability to swallow saliva. This rare anomaly occurs with increased salivation in a child at 2 years old. With timely detection and treatment, it passes by 3-4 years. The main signs of swallowing disorders are difficulty in sucking, prolonged drinking, and swallowing.
- Diseases of the oral cavity are the cause of increased salivation in a child 3 years old and older. An extensive group of pathologies, which includes inflammation of the glossopharyngeal nerve, and spastic disorders, and neurological abnormalities. It is very simple to identify these problems with the child’s health - in case of inflammation, the mucous membranes of the oral cavity will be bright red, a characteristic plaque will appear on the tongue and gums, and a swelling will be visible. The neurological profile is characterized by a sharp change in behavior, convulsive seizures, general inhibition of body movements, a weak reaction to events around. In addition, there is a general developmental delay - the baby later begins to sit, walk, smile and stand up. An experienced neuropathologist will be able to recognize and correct the pathological condition in time at a routine examination.
- Rickets. Lack of calcium and phosphorus in cells and tissues is accompanied by a whole complex of unpleasant symptoms: an increase in the circumference of the head and abdomen, diarrhea, curvature of the legs and spine, sweating and baldness, impaired respiration, arrhythmia. In milder cases (at the initial stages of the formation of the pathology), you can notice increased sweating, in combination with loose stools, profuse salivation, rapid fatigue, and bone crunching with sudden movements. After drug correction of this condition, metabolic processes stabilize, and the amount of saliva becomes normal.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of increased salivation in children is teething. In children in the age group from 4 to 7 months, milk teeth begin to erupt, in connection with this, the body reacts to the process by increasing the release of saliva. This is a fairly harmless cause of hypersalivation. After the selection process will return to normal.
Quite often, in children with a symptom of hypersalivation, stomatitis occurs. Stomatitis is characterized by a disease of the oral mucosa and is inflammatory in nature. It becomes rather painful for the baby to swallow, and he ceases to do this often, as a result of which saliva remains.
Also, one of the causes of hypersalvation can be gingvit. The disease is manifested by gum disease. Increased saliva release is a protective function of the body.
Increased salivation may be a symptom of clay infestation, as well as a symptom in cerebral palsy.
Ear or throat problems may very well be symptoms of hypersalivation.
Be sure to remember: if a child has been poisoned by iodine, pesticides or even mercury, you must immediately bring the victim to the hospital. In such cases, too, of course, there is profuse salivation.
What to do with increased salivation in children?
Excessive salivation is normal in children, but can also be a symptom of a wide variety of diseases. If this symptom is very worrying, you need to find out the cause of the discharge. The doctor determines the amount of saliva secreted within ten minutes. Specialists are also worth a visit. This is necessary in order to identify the underlying disease that provokes severe salivation.
If the reason is still not completely clear, then if irritation occurs, special ointments or creams should be used to mitigate irritation. It is also necessary to wipe saliva from the chin or lips from time to time. To do this, it will be enough to take a clean handkerchief or dry wipes.
With hypersalivation, the doctor prescribes anticholinergic drugs. This drug reduces the effect of the nervous system on the organs responsible for the salivation of the child's body, thereby weakening the discharge.
If hypersalivation occurs against the background of a neurological disorder, in such situations it is recommended:
- Physical therapy, cryotherapy, facial massage, radiation therapy.
- Homeopathic medicines with anthropin are also used, which are prescribed by a doctor.
Folk methods
Treatment consists in rinsing the oral cavity with infusions of various herbs and their decoctions. Tea, a decoction of nettles, an infusion of water pepper, and oak bark or sage can also be used. The mass of secreted saliva is also reduced by vegetable oil or very weakly concentrated potassium permanganate.
There are two good recipes that reduce salivation in both children and adults. It is necessary to pour 2 tablespoons of viburnum, which was previously mashed. Pour boiling water, cover, wait until completely cooled. Then use the infusion after filtering to rinse your mouth, you can drink it throughout the day. In children, it often happens that saliva is excreted in normal amounts, but the child does not have time to swallow it, as a result, you might think that there are a lot of secretions. In this situation, you need to teach the child to leave his mouth closed, from time to time to swallow saliva.
Exercises
There are not bad exercises that help kids to cope with this task.
There is a fossa under the jaw; it needs to be worked out for about 5 seconds with vibrating movements with your index finger.
Another option: find two points under the tongue in its base, massage them counterclockwise for about 10 seconds.
Slightly below the ears of the baby, you can find areas where the jaws are in contact (close). It is necessary to make small circular movements along the points of contact. First you need to do with a covered mouth, then tell your child to open his mouth for a while, continue the procedure.
You can attach an ice cube to your child’s lips. Sometimes you should gargle with slightly warm mineral water. Also, give your child muscle bites or carrots for face muscle training.