There are several reasons behind drooling in sleep. It can be a medical condition or some other issues. Read to find out.
Quite often you would have seen the saliva patches on your pillow and it would have made you think about reasons behind it. While some of you would have tried to figure out the scientific explanation behind this but others might have left it, thinking it is normal. So, drooling during sleep is normal? No, it is not and there are various health related problems behind it. Drooling while sleeping is also known as sialorrhea, it occurs due to hyper salivation or excessive salivation. However, drooling in your sleep can be considered normal but it creates problem if it becomes excessive. This can insinuate several underlying health conditions that might be serious too. Hence, it is important to further delve into this problem and try to find the solution. In this article, we will try to understand the cause of extreme drooling and also look at the treatment option for solving the this problem.
There are several reasons behind this!
Medication
Several medications tend to increase salivation. Especially medications that affect the nervous or salivary glands like antipsychotic drugs that are used for treating Alzheimer’s can cause excessive drooling.
Sleep Position
Your sleeping position can influence whether or not you drool. It might sound strange but it has something to do with gravity that can cause drooling while sleeping. The position that you sleep in often leads to drool pooling inside your mouth. Sleeping on your back may make it more likely for saliva to pool and escape from your mouth.
Nasal Congestion
This can happen when your sinuses are blocked, this causes nasal congestion or other issues that make it difficult to breathe through your nose, and you may breathe through your mouth while sleeping. This mouth breathing can lead to more drooling.
Excessive Saliva Production
Some people naturally produce more saliva, especially at night, which can increase the likelihood of drooling.
Sleeping with an Open Mouth
Some people develop this strange habit of sleeping with open mouth. So, if you tend to sleep with your mouth open, it’s easier for saliva to flow out.
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Alcohol or Sedatives
People who tend to consume alcohol or sedative, they are more likely to face this drooling problem. The consumption of alcohol or sedative medications can relax your muscles, including the muscles in your mouth and throat. This muscle relaxation can make it more likely for saliva to escape.
Age
Sometimes, drooling is natural like in case of children especially infant. Here age can be a factor. Infants and toddlers, are more prone to drooling during sleep due to their developing muscular control.
Medical Condition
If you have some critical medical conditions like Parkinson’s disease, it can lead to increased saliva production or difficulty swallowing, which can contribute to drooling.
How Can It Be Treated?
No matter how futile it may sound to some people, it is necessary to treat this problem. Here are some treatment methods:
- Taking medicines can help. Medications like anticholinergic drugs (e.g., scopolamine) can help decrease salivary flow.
- Injecting Botox injections into the salivary glands can temporarily reduce saliva production.
- People can use oral devices like dental splints or orthodontic appliances to help control drooling.
- Speech therapists can work with individuals to improve their oral-motor control and teach techniques to manage drooling, such as practicing swallowing exercises.
- Maintaining good oral hygiene can help prevent complications associated with drooling, such as dental problems or skin irritation. Regular dental check-ups are essential.
- In severe cases or when other treatments are ineffective, surgical procedures may be considered. These surgeries can involve rerouting the salivary ducts or removing the salivary glands.
- Addressing the underlying cause of sialorrhea, such as dental issues, neurological conditions, or infections, can often resolve the drooling problem.
- For individuals with sialorrhea related to psychological factors like anxiety or stress, counseling or therapy may be beneficial.
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