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A radiation dose of 52 Gy is sufficient to cause severe salivary dysfunction. Radiotherapy for oral cancers usually involves up to 70 Gy of radiation, often given along with chemotherapy which may also have a damaging effect on saliva production. [8] This side effect is a result of radiation damage of the parasympathetic nerves.
A salivary diverticulum (plural diverticuli) is a small pouch or out-pocketing of the duct system of a major salivary gland. [16] Such diverticuli typically cause pooling of saliva and recurrent sialadenitis, [17] especially parotitis. [18] A diverticulum may also cause a sialolith to form. [19] [20] The condition can be diagnosed by ...
A sialolithiasis is a salivary stone that may cause blockage of the ducts, most commonly the submandibular ducts, causing pain and swelling of the gland. [33] Salivary gland dysfunction is either a reduced (hyposalivation), or an increased (hypersalivation) production of saliva.
It has also been defined as increased amount of saliva in the mouth, which may also be caused by decreased clearance of saliva. [4] Hypersalivation can contribute to drooling if there is an inability to keep the mouth closed or difficulty in swallowing (dysphagia) the excess saliva, which can lead to excessive spitting.
Xerostomia, or a decrease in saliva flow, can be a side effect of many drugs, which, in turn, can lead to the development of taste disturbances such as dysgeusia. [39] Patients can lessen the effects of xerostomia with breath mints, sugarless gum, or lozenges; or physicians can increase saliva flow with artificial saliva or oral pilocarpine. [39]
An unstimulated salivary flow rate of 0.1 to 0.2 ml/min and a stimulated flow rate of 0.7 ml/min or less is considered to be abnormally low flow rates indicative of salivary gland hypofunction. [61] Unstimulated saliva production reduces by 40 to 70% between the age of 20 and 80 years, but stimulated saliva production is not affected. [62]
One, she says, is that the discs between the vertebrae in your spine lose fluid as you get older. "They become dehydrated and, with that, they lose height — and you lose a bit of height," she says.
Artificial saliva is primarily used to relieve symptoms of xerostomia, known as dry mouth and hyposalivation, which is a condition that results in reduced saliva production. Various factors, including medication use, cancer therapy , and certain diseases, such as diabetes , stroke or Sjögren syndrome , can cause xerostomia. [ 1 ]