During eating, irritation of the sensitive nerve endings located in the oral cavity occurs, as a result of which salivation or salivation is observed, which at some points may be impaired.
The causes of excessive salivation are very different and require a thorough medical examination. Most often, a violation of salivation occurs due to the pathology of the innervation of the glands of the salivary gland, but can also be caused by damage to the glands or mucous membrane.
Doctors distinguish between two types of salivation disorders: the first is hypersalivation and the second is hyposalivation. Both species are caused by various etiological factors, which we will touch upon in our article.
Excessive salivation, or hypersalivation, is caused by factors that are the result of acute inflammatory processes in the oral mucosa. In the form of a protective reaction, reflex mechanisms appear that contribute to an increase in saliva production. In this case, irritants for the secretory cells of the salivary glands are salts of heavy metals such as mercury, lead or bismuth.
These are just minor causes of excessive salivation. In most cases, hypersalivation is observed as a result of some organic diseases of the central nervous system. Among them, one can distinguish Parkinson's disease, bulbar and pseudobulbar paralysis, and a previous stroke. With such diseases, violation of swallowing increases, which leads to prolonged hypersalivation.
Often, patients complain of “false” hypersalivation, when the causes of excessive salivation are due to either an obsessive state or normal nervousness. In this situation, you should contact your dentist or neurologist and therapist. Young mothers should not worry about salivation in babies, because copious salivation in children is most often associated with teething.
If the causes of excessive salivation are more or less clear, then the situation with hyposalivation is a little more complicated. Here, the factors due to which the secretory functions of the salivary glands are reduced are diverse. Most often, hyposalivation is observed as a result of diabetes mellitus, vitamin deficiency, mumps, systemic diseases of the connective tissue, in people suffering from Shergin's syndrome, as well as in neurotic sharp conditions, with blood diseases or after taking some drugs of the atropine group.
A large number of elderly people complain of hyposalivation at night, because in a sleepy position, the lower jaw often relaxes at this age , as a result of which it opens and salivation begins. Do not forget that in old age, salivation noticeably decreases, so the effect of all of the above factors is much stronger than that of the group of the younger generation.
In patients with prolonged hyposalivation, an increase in plaque and the appearance of multiple dental caries is possible. In addition, a decrease in the resistance of the oral mucosa to the action of traumatic factors is often observed.
In order to establish the true causes of excessive salivation or, conversely, a decrease in the secret function of the salivary glands, it is worth undergoing several medical examinations so that the course of treatment is aimed at eliminating the underlying disease that caused hyposalivation or hypersalivation. Without fail, the doctor may prescribe vitamin therapy or taking iodine inside. Also, the galvanization of the region of the large salivary glands will give a positive effect.
It must be remembered that the reasons can be very diverse and in order to find out the true one, you need to go to the clinic.