Salivary gland infections

Salivary gland infections affect the glands that produce spit (saliva). The infection may be due to bacteria or viruses.

There are 3 pairs of major salivary glands:

• Parotid glands: These are the 2 largest glands. One is located in each cheek over the jaw in front of the ears. Inflammation of 1 or more of these glands is called parotitis, or parotiditis.
• Submandibular glands: These 2 glands are located just under both sides of the lower jaw and carry saliva up to the floor of the mouth under the tongue.
• Sublingual glands: These 2 glands are located just under the front most area of the floor of the mouth.

All of the salivary glands empty saliva into the mouth. The saliva enters the mouth through ducts that open into the mouth in different places.

Causes

Salivary gland infections are somewhat common, and they can return in some people.

Viral infections such as mumps often affect the salivary glands. (Mumps most often involves the parotid salivary gland). Mumps is a rare problem today because of the MMR vaccine.

Mumps

Mumps is a contagious disease that leads to painful swelling of the salivary glands. The salivary glands produce saliva, a liquid that moistens food...

Image

 

Read Article Now Book Mark Article

Bacterial infections are most often the result of a:

• Blockage from salivary duct stones

  Salivary duct stones

  Salivary duct stones are deposits of minerals in the ducts that drain the salivary glands. Salivary duct stones are a type of salivary gland disorde...

  

  Image

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article
• Poor cleanliness in the mouth ( oral hygiene )

  Oral hygiene

  Tooth decay and gum disease are caused by plaque, a sticky combination of bacteria and food. Plaque begins to build up on teeth within 20 minutes af...

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article
• Low amounts of water in the body, most often while in the hospital
• Smoking
• Chronic illness

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• Abnormal tastes , foul tastes

  Abnormal tastes

  Taste impairment means there is a problem with your sense of taste. Problems range from distorted taste to a complete loss of the sense of taste. A...

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article
• Decreased ability to open the mouth
• Dry mouth
• Fever

  Fever

  Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...

  

  Image

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article
• Mouth or facial "squeezing" pain , especially when eating

  Facial "squeezing" pain

  Face pain may be dull and throbbing or an intense, stabbing discomfort in the face or forehead. It can occur in one or both sides.

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article
• Redness over the side of the face or the upper neck
• Swelling of the face (particularly in front of the ears, below the jaw, or on the floor of the mouth)

  Swelling of the face

  Facial swelling is the buildup of fluid in the tissues of the face. Swelling may also affect the neck and upper arms.

  

  Image

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article

Exams and Tests

Your health care provider or dentist will do an exam to look for enlarged glands. You may also have pus that drains into the mouth. The gland is most often painful.

A CT scan, MRI scan or ultrasound may be done if the doctor suspects an abscess  or to look for stones.

Abscess

A tooth abscess is a buildup of infected material (pus) in the center of a tooth. It is an infection caused by bacteria.

Image

 

Read Article Now Book Mark Article

Treatment

In some cases, no treatment is needed.

Treatment from your provider may include:

• Antibiotics if you have a fever or pus drainage, or if the infection is caused by bacteria. Antibiotics are not useful against viral infections.
• Surgery or aspiration to drain an abscess if you have one.

  Aspiration

  Aspiration means to draw in or out using a sucking motion. It has two meanings:Breathing in a foreign object (sucking food into the airway). A medic...

  

  Image

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article

Self-care steps you can take at home to help with recovery include:

• Practice good oral hygiene. Brush your teeth and floss well at least twice a day. This may help with healing and prevent an infection from spreading.
• Rinse your mouth with warm salt water rinses (one half teaspoon or 3 grams of salt in 1 cup or 240 milliliters of water) to ease pain and keep the mouth moist.
• Stop smoking if you are a smoker, to speed up healing.
• Drink lots of water and use sugar-free lemon drops to increase the flow of saliva and reduce swelling.
• Massaging the gland with heat.
• Using warm compresses on the inflamed gland.

Outlook (Prognosis)

Most salivary gland infections go away on their own or are cured with treatment. Some infections will return. Complications are not common.

Possible Complications

Complications may include:

• Abscess of salivary gland
• Infection returns
• Spread of infection ( cellulitis , Ludwig's angina )

  Cellulitis

  Cellulitis is a common skin infection caused by bacteria. It affects the middle layer of the skin (dermis) and the tissues below. Sometimes, muscle...

  

  Image

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article

  Ludwig's angina

  Ludwig's angina is an infection of the floor of the mouth under the tongue. It is due to bacteria.

  

  Image

   

  Read Article Now Book Mark Article

When to Contact a Medical Professional

Call your provider if:

• You have symptoms of a salivary gland infection.
• You've been diagnosed with a salivary gland infection and symptoms get worse.
• Get medical help right away if you have a high fever, trouble breathing, or swallowing problems.

Prevention

In many cases, salivary gland infections cannot be prevented. Good oral hygiene may prevent some cases of bacterial infection.