Saliva is not just the stuff that makes your mouth water at the sight of a lovely meal; it plays an important role in making eating a comfortable process, aids digestion and contributes to your general health. Disorders of the saliva glands can make life very uncomfortable.
Why we need salivary glands
The saliva glands are found in and around your throat and mouth and produce almost a litre of saliva every day. The saliva drains into the mouth through the small salivary ducts. It moistens and lubricates the mouth, helps with swallowing, protects your teeth against decay and helps your body to digest food.
Most common saliva gland disorders
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- Salivary stones, or sialoliths, are the most common cause of swelling in the salivary glands. They form when crystallised saliva deposits accumulate and have the potential to block the salivary duct and thereby the flow of saliva. With blockage, the gland becomes painful and swollen. If the blockage is not cleared, the gland is very likely to become infected.
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- Viral gland infection, or sialadenitis, is a painful infection where the gland forms a lump and a bad-tasting puss drains into the mouth. If left untreated, it can lead to fevers and abscesses. Sialadenitis is more common among adults with salivary stones.
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- Besides the infections that occur as a result of blockage to the salivary duct, viral infections, such as mumps, flu, Epstein-Barr virus, the coxsackie virus and HIV, can also cause glandular infection. Glandular infection then usually affects glands on both sides of the face. Bacterial infections usually affect glands on just one side of the face. Symptoms include fever and pain with glandular swelling.
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- Tumours, benign and/or malignant, usually appear as enlargements in the glands that are mostly painless. It usually affects only a single gland.
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- Infections, tumours, injuries or salivary stones can all block the flow of saliva through the salivary duct, causing cysts which have the appearance of blisters or soft raised areas which can interfere with normal eating and speaking.
Sources
www.entnet.org
www.webmd.boots.com