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Saliva on a baby's lips. Saliva (commonly referred to as spit or drool) is an extracellular fluid produced and secreted by salivary glands in the mouth.In humans, saliva is around 99% water, plus electrolytes, mucus, white blood cells, epithelial cells (from which DNA can be extracted), enzymes (such as lingual lipase and amylase), and antimicrobial agents (such as secretory IgA, and lysozymes).
Drooling can be caused by excess production of saliva, inability to retain saliva within the mouth (incontinence of saliva), or problems with swallowing (dysphagia or odynophagia). There are some frequent and harmless cases of drooling – for instance, a numbed mouth from either benzocaine , or when going to the dentist's office.
Other symptoms include a metallic taste, throat closing or tightening, coughing fits, itchy throat, and choking. Larger tonsil stones may cause recurrent bad breath, which frequently accompanies a tonsil infection, sore throat, white debris, a bad taste in the back of the throat, difficulty swallowing, ear ache, and tonsil swelling. [12]
But when you sneeze, you expel air and change up that flow, forcing odorous particles in your nose or throat upward to the olfactory nerve high in the nasal cavity, which transmits information ...
Saliva acts as a buffer and helps to prevent demineralization of teeth. [10] Oral candidiasis – A loss of the antimicrobial actions of saliva may also lead to opportunistic infection with Candida species. [9] Ascending (suppurative) sialadenitis – an infection of the major salivary glands (usually the parotid gland) that may be recurrent. [3]
Salivary gland dysfunction affects the flow, amount, or quality of saliva produced. A reduced salivation is termed hyposalivation.Hyposalivation often results in a dry mouth condition called xerostomia, and this can cause tooth decay due to the loss of the protective properties 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.
It is a very serious disorder of the back of the throat near the windpipe. The most common cause of epiglottitis is an infection by the bacteria, H influenza. The condition may present all of a sudden with high fever, severe sore throat, difficult and painful swallowing, drooling saliva, hoarse voice, difficulty breathing and malaise. The ...