Strong salivation at night: why do adults and children salivate in a dream, reasons how to stop salivation

Drooling from the mouth is no accident, even if during sleep. This symptom is very dangerous and may indicate serious diseases of the body.

To understand the physics of the process, you need to know what saliva is. It is a viscous liquid that comes out from salivary glands v oral cavity human or animal. It performs tasks such as the initial digestion of food, namely starch, its enveloping, to facilitate further passage, and also ensures the absorption of water. Saliva contains special substances that disinfect the oral cavity, prevent the growth of bacteria and relieve pain.

Salivation in infants

In infants, even normally, salivation is often abundant, as their salivary glands continue to form, and they also begin to appear first teeth. Many parents are worried about this, but if the child is not yet 2 years old, then it is absolutely not necessary to run to the doctor. Drooling while sleeping in young children almost always the norm.

When teething, which is often accompanied by the production of saliva at night and during the day, it is recommended:

• offer the baby cool teethers;
• use special ointments that reduce itching;
• look after the child so that he does not put dirty objects in his mouth;
• put on a bib so that the child is not in wet clothes.

Causes of severe salivation in older children

If older children are drooling in a dream and salivation is profuse, then the reasons can be much more serious:

• brain tumors;
• damage to the cranial nerves;
• Cerebral palsy;
• encephalitis;
• gastritis;
• enteritis;
• poisoning;
• the presence of parasites, such as worms;
• psychological illness;
• damage to the central nervous system;
• stomatitis;
• viral diseases or taking certain medications.

In this case, you need to immediately contact a specialist for a diagnosis and appropriate treatment. In no case should you self-medicate, as you can aggravate the situation.

Why do adults drool in a dream?

In an adult, salivation flows at night for various reasons, mainly strong salivation is caused by some kind of disease. But it happens that due to the specific structure of the jaw, if a person lies on his side, saliva flows out, in which case it is better to sleep on his back.

Diseases and factors that cause profuse drooling during sleep in adults:

1. Runny nose or other inflammatory processes in the nasal mucosa. A runny nose can be caused by an infection, allergy, injury, medication, or other causes. In the presence of such diseases, breathing becomes difficult, therefore, a person's mouth opens up at night, saliva is produced in large quantities and flows out of the oral cavity. Since the mucous membrane performs many tasks, it is impossible to leave a runny nose without treatment.
2. With a curvature of the nasal septum difficulty breathing also occurs, leading to increased salivation.
3. Oral infections, for example, caries, periodontal disease, inflammation of the gums other. These diseases also provoke profuse salivation. In this case, you need to see a doctor and start treatment.
4. Diseases of the gastrointestinal tractsuch as gastritis, enteritis. In the stomach, acidity is not stable and increases due to illness, the body starts the process of salivation to protect itself. If these symptoms are ignored, complications can soon develop.
5. The presence of parasites in the body, namely worms. They, as well as diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, increase the acidity in the stomach, which leads to profuse salivation. In such a situation, it is necessary to pass tests and undergo a course of treatment for worms.
6. Disturbances in the work of the central nervous system. The cause is Parkinson's disease, cerebrovascular accident, trigeminal neuralgia, poliomyelitis, or syringobulbia. These diseases require referral to a specialist. With bulbar and pseudobulbar syndromes, strong salivation is almost always present.
7. Problems with hormones, diseases of the endocrine system: thyroid gland, pituitary gland, hypothalamus. Excessive salivation sometimes occurs with diabetes mellitus.
8. Bad habits: smoking, drug use. In this case, only giving up the habit will help.
9. Sleep disturbance, insomnia, excessive sleepiness.
10. Taking medicines, for example: lithium salts, muscarine, pilocarpine, physostigmine, etc. Ordinary ascorbic acid can also provoke profuse salivation. In this case, you need to reduce the dose or stop taking the medicine altogether.
11. If there are any foreign bodies in the mouth: braces or plate. If they are present, the salivary glands begin to work more intensively.
12. Availability oncological diseases or vascular pathologies provokes a large amount of drooling.
13. Poisoning and pregnancy.

help yourself

In the absence of deviations, the release of excessive amounts of saliva from the mouth at night can be excluded using several methods:

• quitting bad habits: smoking and drug use;
• rinsing with decoctions of various herbs: chamomile, sage and others;
• in a dream, be in a supine position;
• toilet the nose before going to bed;
• a diet that excludes spicy or too salty foods;
• moving the pillow or lifting it, or replacing it with another, more rigid object;
• you need to drink less fluids before going to bed;
• taking a hot shower before bed;
• you need to get rid of excess weight;
• it is important to normalize the work of the whole organism.

Medical help

In order to determine for sure why drooling in a dream and what may be the reason, you need to consult a doctor, undergo an examination, and get tested. For a complete picture, it is necessary to bypass several doctors: a dentist, a gastroenterologist, an endocrinologist, a neuropathologist and a therapist. After the diagnosis is made, the specialist will draw up a treatment plan.

Sometimes special medications are prescribed to control and reduce salivation. However, the use of such drugs gives only temporary relief, therefore, after the end of the drug use, saliva continues to be secreted in the same large quantities.

The basis of therapy is the treatment of a disease that provokes profuse salivation.

If no methods help, then an operation is performed to remove the salivary glands. But the effect is also temporary, in addition, postoperative complications are possible.

Complications

Profuse nighttime salivation can lead to complications. The skin of the face is damaged. Moreover, the appearance of an infectious pustular rash is possible.

When a large amount of saliva is secreted, a person will suffer from a lack of water in the body, which will lead to dehydration. The person does not leave the constant discomfort, there are difficulties with the sleep regime.