Excessive salivation, also known as sialorrhea, is a condition in which the salivary glands produce excessive saliva on a continual basis. This production of the additional saliva can be somewhat embarrassing for suffers, especially when attempting to speak or sing in front of a group of people. Fortunately, there are several ways to successfully control excessive saliva production and get back to the business of living.
In some instances, the underlying cause for the production of excessive saliva is an allergic reaction to something that the individual is coming into contact with, or possibly even consuming. People who work around pesticides or are exposed to chemical fumes on a regular basis may find that the function of the salivary glands is disrupted as a result of the exposure. Typically, using protective clothing and masks when working near substances of this type will slowly reverse the excess flow of saliva.
There are also situations where excessive saliva is a sign of some type of underlying health issue. Some type of oral infection can cause the salivary glands to go into overdrive, producing far more saliva than necessary. When some type of traumatic health event has occurred, such as a stroke or a trauma to the head in general, there is a good chance that the glands will produce additional saliva. Even ongoing health issues like Parkinson’s disease or cerebral palsy may be the reason for the glandular malfunction. With these situations, medication used to treat the illness directly will often minimize the excessive saliva production.
Medications themselves may be the root cause for the excessive saliva. People who begin taking a new medication may find that the additional medicine interacts with other medications that are already being taken. The end result is the salivary glands begin to overproduce saliva. In a situation of this nature, adjusting the dosage or changing to a different medication may minimize or even eliminate the production of extra saliva.
Rarely, there are situations where surgery may be required to inhibit or possibly shut down saliva production altogether. This is sometimes the case when the salivary glands have been damaged in some manner. Depending on the circumstances, the salivary ducts may be partially blocked, nerves to the glands may be severed, or the glands may be removed altogether. Fortunately, surgery is only necessary in highly unusual cases, and making some other life changes are sufficient to stop the flow of excessive saliva.
