The flow of saliva into the mouth can be blocked by a salivary gland stone, also known as a salivary duct stone, which is a rare condition.
Let’s first quickly review where the salivary glands are located and what they do in order to understand this condition.
Each side of the jaw has a few additional minor glands in addition to the three major salivary glands.
1 The parotid gland:
The largest salivary glands are the parotids, a pair of major salivary glands located beneath the cheeks, and their secretion travels through the parotid duct into the oral cavity.
2 Submandibular gland:
On each side, just below the lower jaw, are these two submandibular glands.
3 Sublingual glands:
These two glands, as their name implies, are located on either side of the tongue.
4 Minor salivary glands:
It’s interesting to note that there are over 800 tiny saliva-producing glands throughout the mouth, including those found inside the cheeks, lips, mucosal layer, some of the palate, and the mouth’s floor.
Functions of salivary glands:
Lubricant:
When saliva is secreted during eating, swallowing, and talking, it coats the entire mouth from the inside and acts as a lubricant, preparing food for further passage through the esophagus and into the stomach.
Digestive:
Since saliva contains amylase, an enzyme that helps break down starch into simpler sugars for easy absorption, digestion of food starts in the mouth. Almost 30% of starch digestion takes place in the mouth cavity.
Antimicrobial function:
Because the food and beverages we consume are frequently contaminated with microorganisms like bacteria and viruses, saliva is the first chemical secreted by the body to handle and, to some extent, clear the organisms. Saliva also has immunological effects that aid in the prevention of tooth decay.
Adding Taste to food:
Saliva plays a crucial role in the sense of taste because it acts as a carrier for the chemicals that food contains and delivers them to the taste buds, allowing us to distinguish between various flavors.
Incidence:
Salivary stones tend to affect men more frequently between the ages of 30 and 60.
The submandibular gland is known to be the site of the majority of stone occurrence (nearly 85%), the parotid gland (occurrence: 5–10%), and the sublingual gland (occurrence: 0-5%).
Causes :
Nobody is aware of the precise reason.
insufficient production of saliva
- Salivary stones have been known to form as a side effect of some medications, including anti-allergic (antihistamines), anti-hypertensive, anti-depressant, and some chemotherapeutic (cancer) medications.
- A salivary gland injury
- persistent glandular infection
- Salivary calcium levels that are higher than normal because of hyperparathyroidism
Symptoms:
When the stone reaches the ideal size to produce symptoms, it causes pain and swelling of the gland. This is brought on by increased salivary secretion, which can happen when someone is hungry, when they see, smell, think, or taste food, or when they chew. As a result, the stones frequently go undetected because they do not produce symptoms until they are large enough to obstruct the duct.
Complications:
- Inflammation in the gland
- a gland’s affected by an infection
How to Diagnose:
X-ray, CT scan, or ultrasound will assist in making a quick diagnosis of this condition, but additional tests are required for a proper diagnosis and to rule out other conditions with comparable symptoms.
Treatments:
One can ask a doctor to prescribe an alternative medication as a first step in treating the causes, such as chronic long-term medication use or dehydration.
Stones are removed using sialendoscopy, a newer, less invasive technique. Since all symptoms are caused by duct obstruction, this is the main goal of treatment.
The removal of the salivary gland is typically advised in cases of recurrence, but surgeries can be challenging due to the possibility of damaging nearby nerves that control sweating and facial movements. It is therefore best to talk with your surgeon about this before undergoing any procedures.
Scope of homeopathy:
If the stone is small, there is still a chance that it will be reduced in size or pass naturally; however, a mid-sized or large-sized stone may need to be treated surgically. Recurrent stone formation may be partially alleviated by the use of homeopathic medicine.
Homeopathic Medicine:
Conium, spongia, iodum, bromine, and calcium flour.
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