Salivary Gland Diseases - DRHC Dubai ENT Clinic

Introduction

• The salivary glands are responsible for producing the saliva which helps in digestion of food and keeping the mouth moist and thus prevents the teeth from decaying.
• There are a number of disorders which can affect the rather small salivary glands. While there are a few diseases which get corrected with time, however, there are few that requires treatment or even a surgery.

Causes & types

• The most common cause is the blocked salivary glands which lead to excessive pain.
• Sialolithiasis is one salivary gland problem which is caused due to the formation of stones made from calcium which blocks the gland and prevents the flow of saliva
• Sialadenitis is caused due to bacterial infection in the salivary glands
• Sjogren is a salivary gland disorder which affects women and is caused due to the targeting of the healthy cells by the white blood cells
• Viruses such as flu virus, mumps, echovirus, cytomegalovirus and coxsackie virus also cause the salivary glands diseases
• Development of cancerous and non-cancerous tumours in the salivary glands

Symptoms

The symptoms for the various types of salivary gland diseases are as follows:

• Sialolithiasis
  • Painful lumps in the tongue which aggravate when the patient eats something 
• Sialadenitis
  • A lump forms in the cheek or under the chin. There is a formation of a pus which drains into the mouth of the patient. The pus usually has a foul smell. This disease is accompanied by high fever. 
• Cysts
  • The cysts grow in the salivary glands, which causes a yellow mucus which drains when burst. It causes great difficulty in eating, swallowing and speaking. 
• Viral infections
  • It is accompanied by fever, joint pain, headache, muscle pain and swelling on both the sides of the face. 
• Sjogren
  • The symptoms of this disease include dry eyes, mouth and cough, tooth decay, pain in the joint, swelling in the salivary glands and unexplained fatigue. 
• You must visit a doctor if following symptoms surfaces:
  • A bad taste or pain in the mouth or dry mouth or swelling on the face causing trouble in even opening up the mouth.

Diagnosis & Treatment

• Tests may be conducted based on the medical history to watch out for the signs of blockage which caused the salivary gland disorder.
• A dental X-ray followed by CT Scan or MRI of the affected region may be conducted by ENT specialist.
• The treatment depends upon the type of disease one suffers from. If there is a cancerous formation near the gland, the same will be removed through a surgery.
• The bacterial infections can be treated through an antibiotics course.

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