There are several diseases that cause problems with your salivary glands, preventing them from producing or releasing saliva. These diseases can include cancers, infections, and stones that form in your salivary glands. Saliva helps keep your mouth moist, protects your teeth from decay, and allows you to chew and digest food.
The salivary glands are located around the inside lining of your mouth, lips, and cheeks. They are responsible for producing and secreting saliva, a thin mixture of water, organic matter (such as a protein called glycoproteins), and nonorganic substances that help lubricate the mouth, protect your teeth from decay, and aid in digestion.
Some conditions, such as a virus or an infection, can settle in your salivary glands and cause swelling and pain. These are the most common causes of swollen salivary glands, but they can also develop from a salivary gland tumor or an enlarged salivary gland.
Viral infections that spread from the lungs or other parts of the body to the salivary glands can cause swelling, pain, and difficulty eating. Mumps, a type of viral infection that affects the mouth and throat, is one of the most common examples.
Cysts that form in the salivary glands can also cause trouble. These are fluid-filled sacs that can be formed in the major and minor salivary glands, and they may be the result of a traumatic injury or infection or a stone that has formed in a salivary gland duct.
Sialadenitis is a disorder of the parotid salivary gland that causes inflammation and pain. It usually happens in people over 50 years of age. The symptoms can be pain, swelling, and a bad taste in the mouth. Symptoms can occur for a short period of time or be chronic. Treatment includes antibiotics and pain medication.
Necrotizing sialometaplasia is a rare disorder of the submandibular salivary gland that can be mistaken for oral cancer. This condition causes a hard, painful swelling of the submandibular gland and can be accompanied by severe pain or a lump in the area.
Occasionally, the disease can progress to malignant status and cause the gland to shrink or fall out. The surgery to remove the gland is called a submandibular sialadenectomy.
Non-neoplastic disorders of the salivary glands can range from autoimmune and inflammatory diseases to infections and cancers. Diagnosis of these conditions is often made by a medical history and careful examination.
Pleomorphic adenomas are the most common benign tumors of the parotid gland, and they can also develop in the submandibular and minor salivary glands. These tumors are usually slow-growing and are more common in women.
Warthin’s tumor is the second most common benign parotid gland tumor, and it’s more common in men. These tumors start as a soft, round lesion at the back of the jaw, and they can grow into other areas of the body.
When tumors in the salivary glands become larger, they can block the flow of saliva, causing a buildup of mucus or pus. This can lead to an accumulation of toxins that can cause damage to the other glands in the head and neck. It’s important to diagnose these conditions early, because they can lead to serious problems with your health.
