Salivary Gland Disorders

Salivary gland malfunction is more common among adults and usually involves too little saliva production. When the flow of saliva is insufficient or almost nonexistent, the mouth feels dry. This condition is called xerostomia Dry Mouth Dry mouth is caused by a reduced or absent flow of saliva. This condition can cause discomfort, interfere with speech and swallowing, make wearing dentures difficult, cause bad breath (halitosis)... read more (dry mouth).

Certain conditions can decrease saliva production:

Dry mouth due to radiation is usually permanent, especially if the radiation dose is high. Dry mouth due to chemotherapy is usually temporary.

However, not all cases of dry mouth are caused by salivary gland malfunction. For example, dry mouth may be caused by

The mouth may also dry somewhat as a person ages, although in such cases, drying is more often caused by taking a drug that causes dry mouth than by the aging process itself.

Because saliva offers considerable natural protection against tooth decay Overview of Tooth Disorders Common tooth disorders include Cavities (caused by tooth decay) Pulpitis Periapical abscess Impacted teeth read more , an inadequate amount of saliva leads to more cavities—especially in the roots of teeth. Dry mouth, if severe, can also lead to difficulty speaking and swallowing.

In rare cases, the salivary glands produce too much saliva. Increased saliva production is usually very brief and occurs in response to eating certain foods, such as sour foods. Sometimes even thinking about eating these foods can increase saliva production.

A stone can form from salts contained in the saliva. Stones are particularly likely to form when people are dehydrated or take drugs that decrease saliva production. People with gout Gout Gout is a disorder in which deposits of uric acid crystals accumulate in the joints because of high blood levels of uric acid (hyperuricemia). The accumulations of crystals cause flares (attacks)... read more are also more likely to form stones. Salivary gland stones are most common among adults. About 25% of people with stones have more than one.

Salivary stones create problems when they block the tube (duct) that carries saliva from the gland to the mouth. Blockage makes saliva back up inside the duct, causing the salivary gland to swell painfully. A blocked duct and gland filled with stagnant saliva may become infected with bacteria.

A typical symptom of a blocked salivary duct is swelling and pain over the gland that is affected. The pain and swelling worsen after eating, particularly when people eat something that stimulates saliva flow (such as a pickle or lemon juice) because when the duct is blocked, the saliva has no place to go and the gland swells. The swelling may go down after a few hours, and the duct may release a gush of saliva. Some stones do not cause any symptoms.

Salivary gland infection is also called sialadenitis. Most salivary gland infections occur in people who have something that blocks the flow of saliva (such as a stone) or who have very low flow of saliva. Infection is most common in the parotid gland and typically occurs in people who

Mumps Mumps Mumps is a contagious viral infection that causes painful enlargement of the salivary glands. The infection may also affect the testes, brain, and pancreas, especially in adolescents and adults... read more is a viral infection that usually affects the parotid gland, along with other parts of the body. Mumps occurs mainly in people who have not had the mumps vaccine Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccine The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is a combination vaccine that helps protect against these three serious viral infections. The vaccine contains live but weakened measles, mumps... read more .

Adolescents and young adults with anorexia Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by a relentless pursuit of thinness, a distorted body image, an extreme fear of obesity, and restriction of food consumption, leading to... read more are also prone to this infection. The usual infecting organism is the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus.

People with a bacterial infection of a salivary gland have fever, chills, and pain and swelling on the side of the face with the infected gland. The skin over the infected gland becomes red and swollen. Sometimes a collection of pus (abscess) forms in the gland, and a small amount of pus comes out of the duct of the gland.

Childhood mumps Mumps Mumps is a contagious viral infection that causes painful enlargement of the salivary glands. The infection may also affect the testes, brain, and pancreas, especially in adolescents and adults... read more , certain bacterial infections (for example, of the tonsils or teeth), and other diseases that are typically more common among adults (such as AIDS Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Infection Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a viral infection that progressively destroys certain white blood cells and is treated with antiretroviral medications. If untreated, it can cause... read more , Sjögren syndrome Sjögren Syndrome Sjögren syndrome is a common autoimmune connective tissue disorder and is characterized by excessive dryness of the eyes, mouth, and other mucous membranes. White blood cells can infiltrate... read more , diabetes mellitus Diabetes Mellitus (DM) Diabetes mellitus is a disorder in which the body does not produce enough or respond normally to insulin, causing blood sugar (glucose) levels to be abnormally high. Symptoms of diabetes may... read more , sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis Sarcoidosis is a disease in which abnormal collections of inflammatory cells (granulomas) form in many organs of the body. Sarcoidosis usually develops in people aged 20 to 40 years, most often... read more , and bulimia Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by the repeated rapid consumption of large amounts of food (binge eating), followed by attempts to compensate for the excess food consumed... read more ) often cause swelling of the major salivary glands.

Swelling also can result from cancerous (malignant) or noncancerous (benign) tumors in the salivary glands. Swelling resulting from a tumor is usually firmer than that caused by an infection. If the tumor is cancerous, the gland may feel stone-hard and may be fixed firmly to surrounding tissues ( see Mouth and Throat Cancer Mouth and Throat Cancer Mouth and throat cancers are cancers that originate on the lips, the roof, sides, or floor of the mouth, tongue, tonsils, or back of the throat. Mouth and throat cancers may look like open sores... read more ). Most noncancerous tumors are moveable.

An injury to the lower lip—for instance, from accidental biting—may harm any of the minor salivary glands found there and block the flow of saliva. As a result, an affected gland may swell and form a small, soft lump (mucocele) that appears bluish. The lump usually disappears by itself within a few weeks to months.