Increased salivation or hypersalivation

Increased salivation or hypersalivation is also known as ptyalism or sialorrhea.

Often the cause is an open mouth, due to diseases of the central nervous system.
When lying down, the saliva accumulates in the rear region of the neck and triggers the natural swallowing reflex.
This is more common at rest or immediately after meals.

Who is affected by sialorrhea?

Sialorrhea often occurs:

• at healthy one or two year old children and is particularly noticeable in the period of teething;
• at pregnant women – up to the fourth month of pregnancy;
• at older people, because:

• they are more likely to suffer from neurological disorders;
• you are taking medications that have hypersalivation as a side effect;
• they use a denture that prevents swallowing of the saliva.

Forms of sialorrhea

Increased salivation can be broken down as follows:
1. Primary sialorrhea – increased saliva production of the salivary glands (less common).
2. Secondary sialorrhea – A neuromuscular disorder means that the affected person cannot control his or her mouth and face muscles, or only to a limited extent, which leads to increased salivation.
3. Emotive sialorrhea – Excitement and stress are the trigger for increased salivation, for example before an exam.
The problem is exacerbated by swallowing saliva infrequently or ineffectively.