All about salivary glands: anatomy, functions and diseases

Salivary glands are located in the oral cavity and secrete saliva. They are divided into large and small. The quality of secreted secret can be mixed, mucous and protein.

Located in the mucosa of the tongue, cheeks, lips, palate, and also in the sublingual, submaxillary, anterior and posterior lingual and parotid glands( the largest of all).

Small salivary glands are in the area of ​​the tongue, palate, cheeks and lips. Large salivary glands, they are also called paired, are located in the sublingual, submaxillary and parotid.

Parotid salivary gland is in the mandibular fossa and consists of several lobules, the submaxillary gland is located in the submaxillary triangle, the sublingual gland is located on the maxillofacial muscle.

About the functional necessity of

The action of salivary glands:

• wetting of the oral cavity;
• liquefying food;
• chewing food;
• articulation;
• enhancement of taste;
• protection of teeth from various damages( thermal, mechanical);
• cleansing of the mouth.

Complete detailed anatomy of the salivary glands

Saliva is released in the large salivary glands. Numerous enzymes that make up the glands actively participate in the digestion process. Enzymes are proteinaceous substances, their functions are diverse and very important, from the initial chemical processing in the mouth of food to the moment the juice is produced by the stomach.

Saliva composition:

• enzymes ( amylase, hydrolase, protease, maltase, phosphatase);
• inorganic substances : sulfates, anions of chlorides, phosphates;
• cations of magnesium, potassium, sodium, calcium ;
• microelements ( nickel, iron);
• proteins ( eg, mucin, which glues food particles and helps in the formation of the food lump);lysozyme( has a bactericidal effect).

Although the food in the mouth is a few seconds, but already there, thanks to the presence of the salivary glands, the digestion process begins.

Complete splitting of food occurs in the gastrointestinal tract.

Saliva functions:

• digestive;
• excretory;
• protective;
• trophic.

Salivon is a structural and functional unit of the salivary gland

. Saliva is formed from a special secret that secretes parotid gland, small and large salivary glands. Mixed in the mouth with other elements, the saliva begins to perform its immediate functions.

In the human saliva there are hundreds of thousands of microbes that enter your mouth along with water, dust, smoke. To many microbes people have become unresponsive, the body detoxifies them, and the beneficial microorganisms of saliva also take an active part in this process.

However, viruses mutate, and through unwashed hands or poorly washed products, a lot of such viruses can enter the mouth, to which a person does not have immunity. Therefore, hygiene of the hands, mouth, vegetables and fruits is very important.

After all, any infection can cause a huge number of diseases of the mouth, enamel and gums of teeth, mucous throat, and the whole body as a whole.

In the world of interesting

As a rule, salivary glands produce about 2200 mg of saliva per day. However, the number varies due to:

1. Vasomotor overexcitation, nervous breakdown, and with strong excitement, saliva production increases at times.
2. The sharp pleasant and appetizing smell of food, the amount of saliva increases also very much, especially when a person is hungry. About this they say that "water drooled from the mouth flowed by the river".
3. Because of age, closer to 60 years, the amount of saliva released decreases.
4. Due to stale or poor-quality products eaten, the salivation greatly increases in order to get rid of the toxic substances that get into the body more quickly and more strongly.
5. Saliva secretion also changes during sleep. Thus, during wakefulness, the saliva is approximately 15 times larger than when the person sleeps.
6. Increases the separation of saliva and after when the arterial pressure was raised. Few know about this, but when the pressure starts to drop, the parasympathetic department of the autonomic nervous system is put into operation and the of saliva is increased.

All negative emotions, strong pains, overstrain of mental activity of the brain, salivation, inhibit, so-called lack of appetite.

However, even during conversations about food, at the sounds of the prepared dishes, at the sight of food, the conditioned reflex reflexes and the salivation is amplified.

Possible disorders and diseases

Gland pathologies develop very rarely, for example, on the basis of injury, traumatic contusion of the face or head, with a congenital defect of the salivary glands( for example, lack thereof):

1. The most common damage is parotid damage to the when theirintegrity. Also, pathology is possible due to damage to the facial nerve or carotid artery.
2. Sialadenite .This is the inflammatory process of the salivary glands, which, if not treated in time, can lead to stone formation in the ducts. This disease is most susceptible to the submaxillary gland. The clinical picture is expressed in soreness of the salivary glands, their thickening, puffiness. There is dry mouth and reduced salivation. Has a viral nature of lesions( staphylococcus, colibacillus).
3. Sialolithiasis ( salivary stones).The clinical picture is expressed in soreness of salivary glands, presence in the ducts of stones( sometimes up to several cm), thickening of the glands, puffiness. There is dry mouth, salivary ducts narrow, salivation decreases. With untimely diagnosis and treatment, the disease becomes chronic, the pain increases during meals. Treatment provides a favorable prognosis for early detection of this disease.
4. Parotite .It is an infectious disease and occurs mainly due to inflammation of the salivary ducts. Mumps virus first affects the salivary glands, then causes inflammation of other glands, for example, testicles in men. Often inflamed pancreas. The temperature rises, vomiting occurs. There is an intoxication of the body. Benign tumors of .Occur in the sublingual gland, parotid glands, in the thickness of the cheek( neurinoma, adenolymphoma).Treatment is surgical.
5. Malignant tumors of ( cylinder, sarcoma).When palpating a firm knobby knot is probed. It grows pretty quickly. At the initial stage, radiation therapy is possible. At a late stage - surgical intervention. Relapses are observed in half the cases of the disease. During the opening of the abscess, the pebbles may come out together with pus. With prolonged course of salivary gland inflammatory diseases or with the formation of stones, an oncological complication is possible.

About possible causes and symptoms of

Causes of inflammation:

• narrowing of parotid duct;
• viral and infectious lesions( influenza, acute respiratory infections, ARVI, measles, otitis, tonsillitis, dental caries);
• occurrence in the duct of the tube from a compressed mixture of viruses or leukocytes;
• as a complication in professional activity for those who deal with glass blowers, plays on wind instruments.

Inflammatory processes of the salivary glands are manifested by the presence of sometimes very high body temperature, sometimes an increase in subfebrile temperature.

Symptoms of inflammatory process:

• increase in body temperature;
• swelling, swelling and enlargement of the salivary gland, or the location of this gland;
• tenderness in palpation, pain when swallowing;
• the presence of pus leaving the oral cavity;
• bad breath; dryness;
• redness in the site of inflammation.

A few words about the main

In the treatment of diseases of the salivary glands is the use of those drugs that increase salivation, the appointment of antibiotics, physiotherapy, rinsing. With purulent content and the presence of stones, surgical intervention is performed.

For prophylactic purposes, it is necessary to carefully monitor hygiene of the oral cavity, the state of teeth, tonsils.

At the slightest infection, immediately rinse your throat, duly treat your teeth, immediately consult a doctor for diagnosing and prescribing professional treatment.