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The inflammatory process in the salivary gland, usually the parotid gland, occurs in both adults and children. Based on the reasons that caused it, as well as the age of the patient, the course of the disease is accompanied by various symptoms and requires appropriate treatment. The scientific name for inflammation of the salivary gland is sialadenitis (in some editions sialadenitis). The disease rarely affects the submandibular and sublingual glands; in its course it can be chronic and acute.

Reasons

The main reason that causes inflammation of the salivary gland is the action of an infectious microenvironment that has entered its cavity. The pathogens are varied, depending on their type, the disease is:

Viral, developing with mumps or simply “mumps”. This microenvironment is well transmitted through the air and causes high sensitivity salivary glands, therefore, when entering through the respiratory tract, the virus quickly penetrates the parotid gland and begins to multiply in it, which causes inflammation. The pathogen poses an additional threat to children - boys. Since its abundant reproduction can lead to damage to the structure of the testicles, which will be reflected in infertility in adulthood.

Photo 1. Location of the parotid salivary gland

Bacterial, otherwise called nonspecific. In this case, the microflora is introduced through the oral cavity or by entering the blood. The main causes of infection with the bacterial type of sialadenitis are:

• Poor hygiene oral cavity
• Reactive obturation, when there is obstruction of the abdominal organs, for example, as a result of surgery, development malignant tumor, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, stress, poor diet or exposure to diabetes mellitus. As a result of obstruction, the ducts reflexively narrow, due to which the volume of saliva secreted decreases and it accumulates at the site of production. All this creates favorable environment so that microorganisms from the oral cavity take root and begin to multiply in the parotid gland
• Mechanical obstruction, when the duct is blocked by a foreign object, such as a stone. The result here is the same as with reactive blockage - the development of inflammation.

Infection through the blood is a rarer phenomenon, which is facilitated by typhoid fever and scarlet fever. In addition, sialadenitis can occur when a person has symptoms of pharyngeal inflammation, lesions on the oral mucosa, signs of furunculosis, tonsillitis, and periodontitis. These pathologies should not be ignored; if they are present, it is important to carry out qualified treatment, to avoid complications.

Inflammation of the salivary gland is characterized by a rare phenomenon when the chronic form is not a continuation of the acute one. Sialadenitis is primarily a chronic disease, because The salivary gland, by its structure, is prone to gradual changes in tissue structure. The main reasons why it becomes inflamed in some people and not in others is:

• Genetic features
• Autoimmune disorders
• High stress situations
• Hypothermia
• Getting injured
• Weakness of the body due to serious illness

In adults old age Chronic inflammation is more common than in children and young people. This is due to atherosclerotic phenomena, due to which the blood supply and nutrition of the salivary gland deteriorates. Atherosclerosis occurs as a result of the aging of the body, when blood vessels and arteries slowly wear out and lose their tone.

Symptoms and photos

The initial stages of inflammation of the salivary gland manifest themselves very acute manifestations, most often a person’s temperature rises sharply to values more than 39 g. The main external symptom is swelling in the area next to the ears, manifesting symmetrically, which is accompanied by pain that worsens when chewing. Gradually, the swelling intensifies, and the swelling, spreading outward, becomes more expressive. The symptoms are presented more informatively in the photo.

Photo 2. Inflamed salivary glands in the mouth

As the disease develops or if there is no adequate treatment, the disease also moves to the salivary glands under the tongue and lower jaw.

The presence of additional symptoms will depend on the type of inflammatory process, and if the disease is not treated, it goes through several stages in turn:

1. Serous
2. Purulent
3. Gangrenous

At serous form sialadenitis In addition to swelling in the parotid area, dry mouth is observed. Painful sensations tend to intensify when eating food or even when looking at it, when saliva is reflexively released. The skin in the parotid zone is not changed; if you put a little pressure on the salivary gland, there is almost no saliva secretion.

Photo 3. External symptoms inflammation

If there is a transition to purulent stage, then the pain becomes very severe. The person cannot sleep and eat normally, the temperature remains stable, its value is >38 degrees. There are symptoms of restriction when opening the mouth, swelling is noticeable in the temples, cheeks and lower jaw. If you press on the area of ​​swelling, which to the touch has a dense structure with a red tint to the skin and pain when touched, then a certain amount of purulent contents is released into the oral cavity.

Gangrenous form is very active and pronounced. The main symptoms are high temperature, partial damage to the skin over the inflamed salivary gland, through which dead parts of the organ are gradually released.

In some cases, the disease results in the death of the patient when the infection spreads uncontrollably, leading to sepsis in the different parts body. Another cause of death is severe bleeding that occurs when the cervical vessels are damaged. Thus, despite the small size of the salivary gland, inflammatory process it can lead to the most serious consequences, so the disease must be treated. In this case, amateur activities are not allowed; all treatment must take place within the framework of a medical institution.

If you are exposed to inflammation submandibular salivary gland, then swelling occurs at its location. Upon palpation, an increase in size, lumpiness and severe pain are diagnosed. The progression of the disease causes pain when swallowing due to an increase in the area of ​​edema. In the sublingual area, redness and signs of swelling are noticeable; pus is sometimes released from the iron ducts.

Disease submandibular glands are often classified as calculous. Calculous means a foreign object that blocks something. In such conditions, small pebbles can block the salivary ducts. This usually occurs due to increased calcium levels. Calculous inflammatory process has symptoms:

• A sharp stabbing sensation of pain that increases when taking food
• Impaired salivation
• Dry mouth
• Swelling and tuberosity in the submandibular area
• Purulent discharge from under the tongue
• An increase in the volume of the salivary gland during periods of eating, which is expressed in discomfort and sometimes does not allow one to eat normally

The sublingual salivary gland becomes inflamed in rare cases, most often this occurs against the background of an abscess or dental lesions.

Chronic sialadenitis

Chronic disease comes in various forms.

At chronic interstitial form the parotid salivary gland is damaged. The pathology is more common in older people, especially women. Throughout long period any signs and manifestations are absent, since inflammation develops slowly, causing at the same time a narrowing of the ducts.

A sharp increase in symptoms occurs suddenly; the first sign is a dry mouth. The gland itself becomes enlarged, becomes painful and feels smooth to the touch. After the exacerbation has passed, the size of the organ does not return to normal, remaining several times larger.

Chronic parenchymal inflammation in almost all cases it concerns exclusively the parotid gland. In women, the risk of development is also higher than in men; there are no distinct age groups susceptible to the disease; it occurs in both an infant and a very old man over 60-70 years of age. Often there are no symptoms at all for many years.

The exacerbation resembles acute sialadenitis when initial stage Only a very large secretion of salty mucus is diagnosed if you press on the salivary gland. Without treatment, a feeling of heaviness further develops and increased density glands, there are no symptoms of limited mouth opening. In the later stages, the surface becomes lumpy, there is no pain, saliva is secreted with purulent symptoms, and sometimes dry mouth is present.

Sialodohit they call a condition when the pathological process has affected only the ducts that are dilating. The disease is characteristic of both men. Same for older women. The main symptom is increased production of saliva during eating or talking, which causes the skin surface around the mouth to swell. During an exacerbation, the salivary gland swells greatly and pus is released from it.

Diagnostics

Revealing acute form inflammation occurs during examination and questioning. Previously, sialography was practiced, which involved the injection of a contrast agent. However, later this diagnostic method was abandoned, since during an acute course it intensifies the inflammatory process, which causes pain to sharply increase.

Sialography is used in diagnosing chronic sialoadenitis. If the disease is present, then the x-ray will reveal narrowing of the ducts and not large number contrast. A feature of the parenchymal form is a large number of cavities with a diameter of 6-9 mm, which together contain a large volume of contrast.

Treatment of inflammation of the salivary gland

If the patient has signs of acute inflammation, then treatment is carried out in a hospital setting. The main therapy is conservative; surgery is resorted to only in situations of purulent manifestations.

How to treat acute sialadenitis

At mumps Treatment is prescribed based on the presenting symptoms. Interferon agents are mainly used, and the patient is also indicated to be treated with antipyretic and painkillers.

If detected acute nonspecific inflammation salivary gland, then treatment is aimed at eliminating the inflammatory reaction and returning the standard functionality for saliva secretion. The main therapy is:

1. Using a salivary diet to train the muscular structure of the ducts through which saliva is excreted. Diet foods include anything sour, such as lemon, cranberries, and crackers.
2. Injection of antibiotics and antiseptics into the duct cavity, for example, penicillin and gentamicin, dioxidin and potassium furaginate.
3. Using an anti-inflammatory compress based on dimexide solution, which relieves pain and suppresses the progression of the disease.
4. Physiotherapy using UHF and warming.
5. Blockades based on novocaine and penicillin for severe swelling and a sharp increase in inflammation.
6. Taking systemic antibiotics. The doctor decides which antibiotics to choose after studying the bacterial environment.
7. Intravenous injections.

Surgery is used as a treatment for purulent disease. The gangrenous course is the most severe, it requires urgent surgery under general anesthesia. If the cause of the pathology is a calculus, then it must be removed, otherwise relapses will recur.

How is chronic manifestation treated?

For exacerbations, treatment is the same as for the acute form. During periods when there is no exacerbation, the chronic form is treated:

• Massages of the ducts, when an antibiotic is additionally introduced into their cavity to combat purulent phenomena
• Novocaine blockades, electrophoresis, which increase secretion
• Daily galvanization course
• Administration of solutions that prevent the development of exacerbations
• X-ray therapy, due to which inflammation of the salivary gland is well controlled
• Removal of a gland whose functionality cannot be restored.

Which doctor treats

Specialized doctors who treat sialadenitis are: dentist or surgeon, specializing in the facial and jaw area. When a person has symptoms of mumps, the specialized doctor for children is a pediatrician, and for adults, a general practitioner. The task of these broad specialists is to carry out initial examination and refer to more specialist doctor, for example, an infectious disease specialist who provides therapy for mumps.

Preventive measures

To prevent inflammation of the salivary gland, there are no special preventive measures associated with the administration of the vaccine. The only exception is mumps, when a special vaccine is administered, which is also used to protect against measles and rubella. This method of prevention is used for children; they are vaccinated at the age of approximately 18 months. The effectiveness of such vaccination remains at the level of 95% and can almost completely eliminate the occurrence of the disease.

Standard non-therapeutic prophylaxis includes:

• Maintaining oral hygiene
• Timely cleansing of infectious foci in the mouth, often associated with caries and other dental lesions
• Monitoring stagnation in salivation and preventing it by taking special medications (pilocarpine), rinsing with furatsilin, rivanol and other antiseptics.

The human oral cavity is equipped with three pairs of large salivary glands, as well as a large number of small ducts. They are all necessary for the production of a specific secretion - saliva. Saliva contributes to our digestion, under its influence solid pieces food products soften and stick together into a so-called food bolus, which is then easily swallowed.

Sometimes the normal functioning of the salivary gland is disrupted due to the development of inflammation. Medicine calls this inflammation sialadenitis. If the infection affects the parotid salivary glands, the disease is called mumps.

As the disease progresses, difficulties arise in swallowing food; in addition, inflammation is characterized by a significant increase in size of the salivary gland, which brings serious discomfort.

Most often, inflammation of the salivary gland affects children. But cases of the disease are also common among adults. If timely and high-quality treatment is carried out, the outcome of the disease will be favorable.

Causes of inflammation of the salivary gland

Primary inflammation is caused by the penetration of a viral infection into the body. But secondary inflammation occurs due to fungi or bacteria.

Symptoms of the disease

The symptoms of this disease are varied and bring a lot of discomfort. The following manifestations are characteristic of sialadenitis:

• development of swelling near the ears or under the jaw, which causes severe pain
• protruding earlobe
• painful chewing and swallowing of food
• redness in the area where the inflammatory process is concentrated
• increase in body temperature
• nasty taste in the mouth
• dry mouth
• pain in the neck and mouth
• the appearance of pus on skin or in the oral cavity, as well as in the area of ​​​​inflamed salivary glands
• weakness
• general malaise and poor health

In some cases, the pain is so strong that the patient cannot open his mouth freely.

Sometimes this disease takes a very severe form - mumps, popularly known as mumps. The virus that causes this form the inflammatory process can cause significant harm not only to the salivary glands, but also to the reproductive and mammary glands, and the pancreas. The nervous system also suffers from mumps.

Complicating the situation is the fact that dangerous virus transmitted by airborne droplets, as well as through household items and tactile contacts. This means that the patient can infect everyone around him. If you find the symptoms of inflammation of the salivary gland described above in yourself or someone close to you, you must immediately isolate the patient. The victim should be in a separate room, he should have his own household items that no one else is allowed to use, and his communication and any contact with other people should be limited as much as possible.

Treatment of inflammation of the salivary gland using traditional medicine

Traditional medicine can effectively cope with a wide variety of ailments, and inflammation of the salivary gland is no exception. Below we present to your attention several reliable folk ways fight this unpleasant disease.

Treatment with baking soda

1. in a warm glass boiled water dissolve one tablespoon of baking soda
2. then soak a cotton swab in the resulting solution
3. using this swab you need to treat the oral cavity
4. repeat this procedure several times a day

In folk medicine, herbal medicine is actively used to treat inflammation of the salivary gland. Methods of its use for this disease are described below.

Treatment with eucalyptus oil

1. dilute two tablespoons of eucalyptus oil with 200 milliliters of warm boiled water
2. mix the ingredients thoroughly
3. Gargle your throat and mouth with the resulting solution several times a day.

Treatment with a pine needle

1. boil a liter of water in a saucepan
2. pour five tablespoons of pine needles into boiling water
3. then cook them for half an hour
4. after this, remove the pan from the stove and wait a while until the medicine is thoroughly infused
5. Next, you should strain the drug - for treatment you need the resulting liquid
6. this liquid must be taken orally twice a day

Treatment with eryngium herb

1. pour one tablespoon of eryngium herb with 200 milliliters of boiling water
2. then leave the medicine to infuse for two hours
3. the resulting infusion should be used as a mouth and throat rinse

Treatment with aromatherapy

In the fight against inflammation of the salivary gland, aromatherapy will also be your supporter. Treat yourself with essential oils of pine needles, cypress, and eucalyptus.

Herbal preparations for the treatment of inflammation of the salivary gland

It is useful to use various herbal mixtures in treatment.

Collection for rinsing and inhalation

• elderberry flowers
• Veronica flowers
• peppermint

nmed.org

Sialadenitis - literally translated from Greek, this means “inflammation of the salivary gland.” In this case, both one and all salivary glands can become inflamed at once. With this disease, the gland ceases to normally perform its functions - to secrete saliva, which leads to unpleasant sensations such as dry mouth and difficulty swallowing.

If you do not pay attention to these alarming symptoms and start the disease, then suppuration or so-called salivary stones. This means that sialadenitis is aggravated by phlegmon (focal purulent disease), sialolithiasis or salivary stone disease, which complicates the treatment itself and aggravates the prognosis of the disease.

Causes

Sialadenitis is an infectious disease that occurs as a result of pathogenic microorganisms entering the salivary glands.

The risk of inflammation of the salivary glands increases significantly with:

• dehydration and exhaustion;
• fever;
• hypercalcemia – increased levels of calcium in the blood;
• infectious diseases;
• surgical interventions on the abdominal organs;
• injury to the salivary duct (when brushing teeth or hard foods) and its blockage with the occurrence of stagnation of saliva.

The immediate cause of infection of the salivary glands with the subsequent development of sialadenitis is:

• oral bacteria;
• various bacterial infections – staphylococcal, pneumococcal, streptococcal, tuberculosis and syphilis;
• viruses– in particular, human cytomegalovirus, influenza and mumps viruses;
• actinomycosis– common fungal infection;
• cat scratch disease– appears as a result of cat bites and scratches;
• oncological diseases can also cause secondary sialadenitis.

Symptoms of inflammation of the salivary glands

Regardless of which salivary glands are inflamed, the following symptoms are observed at the onset of the disease:

• the gland is enlarged in size, which can be determined by palpating it and even visually;
• temperature rise to 37.5 - 38.5 degrees;
• pain when pressing on the affected area;
• general weakness and malaise;
• bad taste in the mouth;
• dry mouth due to decreased saliva production;
• redness and swelling in the area of ​​the salivary duct outlet;
• Excessive salivation is less common.

If adequate treatment is not carried out, then the symptoms described above will be accompanied by:

• painful sensations when opening the mouth, chewing and swallowing;
• increase in body temperature up to 40 degrees;
• suppuration of the gland itself: when pressed, purulent contents can be released from the salivary duct, mucus and pus appear in the saliva;
• swelling and suppuration of surrounding tissues;
• blockage of the salivary duct with subsequent formation of fistulas.

In addition to these unpleasant consequences of untimely treatment of sialadenitis, the disease is fraught with serious complications:

• transition to a chronic form;
• orchitis (inflammation of the testicles) and infertility are the most common consequences of mumps (sialadenitis of the parotid glands of a viral nature);
• necrosis of the salivary gland;
• meningitis;
• encephalitis;
• inflammation of the cranial and spinal nerves;
• damage to the kidneys and urinary tract.

Types of sialadenitis and diagnosis

The specific type of sialadenitis is diagnosed based on:

• patient complaints of swelling, pain in the face and neck, difficulty swallowing and chewing, dry mouth and poor health;
• information about chronic and recent previous diseases, contacts with patients with mumps;
• laboratory research ( general analysis blood and examination of the contents of the salivary ducts and glands);
• sialogram (x-ray image of the salivary glands).

Treatment and prevention of inflammation of the salivary glands at home

Treatment of chronic and acute sialadenitis includes:

• in case of a mild form of the disease, you can limit yourself to symptomatic treatment, eliminating foci of possible infection in the environment (carry out daily wet cleaning and disinfection of the home), rinsing the mouth with a soda solution;
• following a diet that stimulates salivation (more sour foods, eating chewing gum, drinking peppermint decoction);
• irrigation of the oral cavity with antiseptics (furacilin, chlorhexidine, chlorophyllipt);
• pain relief with analgesics; in severe cases of the disease, novocaine blockade can be performed;
• use of antihistamines: suprastin, loratadine;
• physiotherapeutic treatment (UHF, Sollux, electrophoresis, heating pads, warming compresses and bandages);
• compresses with Dimexide gel;
• antibiotic therapy with penicillin, streptomycin or erythromycin, if severe course diseases, antibiotics are injected directly into the salivary duct;
• if the causative agent of the disease is a virus or fungus, appropriate antiviral or antifungal drugs are used;
• surgery: opening the capsule of the gland and duct with removal of the contents or complete removal affected gland with duct.

• maintain oral hygiene;
• strengthen immunity;
• promptly treat infectious diseases;
• eliminate existing chronic foci of infection (caries, tonsillitis, pharyngitis, stomatitis, etc.).

If treatment for acute inflammation of the salivary glands was started on time, the disease is easily curable and the prognosis is favorable.

Chronic sialadenitis, unfortunately, is difficult to completely cure. In this case, it is important to prevent exacerbations of its course and the transition of the disease to severe forms.

In any case, if you suspect this disease, consulting a doctor is the first thing to do. After all, sialadenitis itself is not as terrible as its consequences and complications.

dentalogia.ru

Inflammation of the salivary gland, description, types

Inflammation of the salivary glands is an infectious disease that begins its development due to the penetration of pathogenic viruses and microorganisms through the oral cavity. It is saliva that helps moisturize the oral cavity, break down complex carbohydrates into simple ones, mineralize proteins and fats, and also remove toxic substances from the body.

They are distinguished by type:

• Sublingual;
• Submandibular;
• Parotid glands, capable of secreting concentrated saliva composed of sodium and potassium chloride. Thanks to them, fluid in the mouth is produced up to 2.5 liters per day. Of course, this prevents pathogenic microflora from entering deeper. The parotid glands, composed of parotonin (a hormone-like substance), are designed to ensure internal secretion of digestive processes, participating in protein and mineral metabolism.

Any pair of glands can become inflamed. Inflammation of the parotid gland occurs and develops mumps. When stones form in the salivary ducts - sialadenitis. Exposure to a bacterial or viral infection leads to painful, swollen glands, and obstructed ducts.

Symptoms of inflammation of the salivary gland

The symptoms are quite pronounced. It is easy to notice them even visually when the inflammatory process develops in one of the pairs of glands.

Symptoms:

1. There is soreness in the mouth, in the neck area with impact on the head, ears, and temporal part. The symptoms are similar to otitis media. The areas around the ears swell and are painful on palpation.
2. The glands increase in size, become large, dense, hyperemic, hot, which is easy to notice when palpated. Possible increase in body temperature.
3. There is heaviness, a feeling of fullness(tension) in the mouth, in the area of ​​​​inflamed areas. It can be assumed that under the influence of inflammation, masses of pus have accumulated in the glands.
4. There is a pulling stabbing pain , a feeling of twitching at the site of inflammation with the accumulation of purulent exudate, which can come out when it breaks through, forming a hole in the skin. This is an abscess that is inevitable when the glands become infected if you do not consult a doctor in time.

Depending on the form and stage of the disease, the patient develops:

• Chills;
• Weakness, nausea;
• Lack of appetite;
• Headaches;
• Increase in temperature to subfebrile levels;
• Swelling on the face, neck, in places of bulging glands, accumulations of purulent contents in cavities;
• Dry mouth up to complete dehydration;
• Muscle aches;
• Feeling tired, overwhelmed;
• Difficulty salivating;
• Pain when swallowing;
• Hyperemia of the oral cavity with decreased salivation;
• Swelling of the neck with damage to the submandibular gland;
• Change in skin color;
• Inflammation of the lymph nodes under the jaw due to damage to the gland ducts, for example, against the background of stomatitis due to gum disease;
• Breakthrough of pus as the disease progresses;
• Signs of paralysis, meningitis, encephalitis with complications, i.e. twitching of the eyelids and eyes when nerves are involved.

Symptoms usually progress 4-5 days after the viruses become active in the glands. Then the symptoms gradually decline and become less pronounced. When the inflammation process spreads to the brain, central nervous system the condition becomes dangerous, possible death.

Causes of inflammation of the salivary gland

The main reason is a viral infection (staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci), leading to inflammation of the mandibular glands located under the tongue. Inflammation under the tongue occurs in children due to unformed, unstable immunity during the off-season, colds, and general epidemics against the background pneumonia, influenza, acute respiratory viral infections, acute respiratory infections.

The development of inflammation is possible at the birth of babies, when infection as a result of penetration through the placenta occurs in the womb. In adults, the disease is rare, but tolerance is extremely difficult. The inflammatory process gives complications to other vital systems and organs.

Can provoke the development of inflammation malignancy in the body, surgical intervention or poor-quality, non-sterile dentist procedures for the treatment or removal of a tooth, which led to a decrease in the functioning of the glands, infection and the development of inflammation in them.

With the discharge of pus, manifestations severe form of mumps it is possible to develop necrotic processes that can lead to damage to the hearing system, kidneys, nerves, in the spinal cord or in the skull, as well as to meningitis, encephalitis, orchitis, mastitis in women, infertility, and mental disorders.

Diagnosis of inflammation of the salivary gland

If you suspect inflammation of the glands, your therapist or dentist will suggest you go through a series of diagnostic procedures: CT, MRI, ultrasound. A preliminary conclusion may well be made during a routine examination. The glands are painful, enlarged, hyperemic. Changes are visible to the naked eye.

Treatment of inflammation

Treatment is prescribed only by a doctor. Self-medication at home with folk remedies such as “warming” the swollen area is unacceptable. All activities must be carried out only under the supervision of a specialist. The main direction of treatment is to relieve inflammation, eliminate pathological processes, normalize all salivation processes, and clean the ducts from purulent accumulations.

Medicines, in particular antibiotics: streptomycin, benzylpenicillin with novocaine are prescribed by injection directly into the ducts of the glands.

Applicable at the initial stage of the disease in acute form, also for mumps, the development of purulent processes in the ducts of the glands. Aimed at suppressing the inflammatory process, relieving pain, and relieving swelling in the glands.

At acute course illnesses it is possible to carry out novocaine blockade (intramuscularly). Only the attending physician decides the dose of drugs. Pilocarpine solution and potassium iodide applicable to enhance the processes of saliva separation. Antipyretics: paracetamol, ibuprofen at elevated temperatures.

Effective in relieving inflammation with heat, prescribed to patients physiotherapy, electrophoresis, solux, UHF.

If the salivary glands are at the melting stage under the influence of purulent necrotic processes, then without surgical operation by autopsy and cavity drainage, emptying the ulcers is no longer possible. The operation is also prescribed based on the results of ultrasound if stones are detected in the ducts that interfere with normal salivation, or if there is an abscess of the glands due to damage by pus.

Only when inflammation is subsiding or For prevention purposes, folk remedies are applicable to treat this disease at home. Herbal medicine using eucalyptus oils, pine needles, cypress, mint, elderberry, and veronica oils is effective.

Also soda inhalations, poultices, lotions to eliminate signs of inflammation:

• Brew calendula, marigolds (flowers), leave. Soak a gauze bandage in the solution and apply to the affected area;
• Prepare a mixture of raspberries (500g), honey (500g), sugar (1kg), pine shoots (1kg). Pour boiling water, leave for up to 5 hours, keep in a water bath for up to 1 hour. Add vodka in a ratio of 1x10, take 1-2 tbsp orally. l. shortly before meals. The infusion is useful for enlarged lymph nodes, also in the off-season for preventive purposes;
• Pour boiling water (1 cup) over Yartyshnik (root), leave for 1 hour. Rinse your mouth;
• Mix lemon juice (1 tsp) with a glass of warm water. Rinse your mouth up to 5 times a day. On the 3rd day, the inflammation of the glands will noticeably decrease;
• Prepare a composition of immortelle (flowers), horsetail and raspberries, leave, rinse the mouth. For the same purposes, you can use chamomile, sage, eucalyptus leaves, oak root, and yarrow.

zubi32.com

Location of salivary glands: anatomy

Modern anatomy distinguishes 3 pairs of glands:

1. sublingual - located under the mucous membrane at the base of the tongue;
2. submandibular - located in the cellular space (upper part of the neck directly under the lower jaw);
3. parotid - lie directly under the skin on the lateral surface of the lower jaw, in front of the earlobe.

The excretory ducts of the sublingual and submandibular salivary glands open under the tongue, where the sublingual papilla is located, and the parotid duct opens in the area of ​​the upper molar. The minor salivary glands are numerous. They are located in the oral mucosa. These are molar, buccal, lingual, palatal and labial.

Functions of the glands

The salivary glands produce 2 liters of saliva per day. Salivary fluid performs several functions:

1. Digestive. Saliva is necessary for the formation of the food bolus.
2. Protective. The salivary glands produce a substance called lysozyme, due to which saliva has antibacterial properties. Saliva moistens the oral cavity, protecting the mucous membrane from mechanical damage.
3. Mineralizing. Saliva supplies tooth enamel with calcium, phosphorus and other useful substances.

Characteristic symptoms of inflammation

In severe cases, inflammation of the major salivary glands takes chronic form. This disease is less treatable and remains with the person for life. Modern medicine distinguishes several types of chronic sialadenitis:

Methods for diagnosing sialadenitis

Diagnosing acute sialadenitis is usually not difficult. Due to the vivid symptoms, the patient is able to recognize any form of the disease without outside help.

At home

You can check for acute sialadenitis at home. A sure sign of the onset of inflammation of the salivary glands is pain and swelling in the area of ​​the cheeks or lower jaw. When the duct of the parotid salivary gland becomes inflamed, the pain radiates to the temple or ear, reminiscent of the sensations of sore throat or laryngitis. When a salivary gland abscess forms, the pain will be acute.

There is also an enlargement of the salivary gland. Influenza sialadenitis may occur in patients with influenza. If a salivary gland abscess has formed, the patient will feel an unpleasant taste in the mouth. If these symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor. The duration of treatment largely depends on how much time has passed since the onset of the pathological process.

In a medical facility

First, an examination is carried out with palpation of the large salivary glands. If the patient experiences pain, then an abscess can be suspected. Then carry out laboratory test saliva and salivary gland biopsy. The doctor may also prescribe a hardware examination:

1. Ultrasound of the salivary gland;
2. sialoscintigraphy;
3. sialography - x-ray with contrast agent;
4. computer sialotomography.

To diagnose the acute form of sialadenitis, an examination of the patient is sufficient. Sialography is not used, since the administration of a contrast agent increases pain and worsens the disease.

This technique is effective for identifying chronic sialadenitis. The interstitial form of the disease will be characterized by narrowing of the salivary gland ducts, and the amount of contrast agent will be small. With parenchymal inflammation, numerous cavities 5 mm in diameter will be observed, to fill which 6-8 ml of contrast agent - Iodolipol - will be required.

Causes of inflammation

Acute sialadenitis is caused by the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the ducts of the salivary glands. This can occur due to the following diseases:

Germs can enter the salivary gland through a small wound, such as a scratch from a cat's claws. There are the following routes of infection:

• contact – microorganisms move from a nearby source of inflammation;
• lymphogenous;
• hematogenous.

Inflammation of the lymph nodes, called False Herzenberg's parotitis, also leads to enlargement and abscess of the salivary gland. It is often confused with mumps.

The second common cause of inflammation of the salivary glands is the cessation of salivary secretion. This happens:

• after operations on the salivary glands or stomach;
• after injury;
• with stagnation of saliva;
• when dehydrated;
• with hypercalcemia;
• with atrophy of the mucous membrane.

Treatment of pathology

Do not delay treatment of the salivary gland. Although the disease is not considered fatal, it can lead to complications. Timely diagnosed sialadenitis, not complicated by a salivary gland abscess, responds well to treatment and in most cases is completely cured. Therapy for the acute form of sialadenitis rarely requires more than a couple of weeks.

In adults

Therapy for inflammation of the gland greatly depends on the stage of the disease:

• The initial stage of influenza sialadenitis is treated with antibiotics, and mumps - with antiviral drugs. Physiotherapy and Pilocarpine are widely used. To activate salivation, use a weak solution of calcium iodide. For false mumps, therapy is aimed at eliminating the cause of inflammation.
• A severe form of salivary gland disease requires pain relief and intramuscular antibiotics. In severe forms of salivary gland pathology, surgical intervention is required.
• Chronic sialadenitis cannot be completely cured. To prevent exacerbations, one should strengthen the immune system and promptly treat diseases that can provoke dysfunction of the salivary gland.
• Treatment of calculous sialadenitis requires surgery. If there are several large stones in the salivary gland, it should be removed. Small stones are rejected with conservative treatment.

In children

Sialadenitis in children and adults is treated in the same way. If acute bacterial form illness, the child requires hospitalization. At night they are given compresses with a 5% DMSO solution with painkillers and antihistamines. In case of chronic sialadenitis, they strengthen the child’s immunity. Salivary gland abscess in children must be opened under anesthesia. Fortunately, this complication is rare.

Folk remedies

Acute and chronic sialadenitis is a disease that can cause dangerous complications. Folk remedies can alleviate sialadenitis, but not cure:

1. To reduce inflammation, you need to rinse your mouth with sage decoction. To prepare it, cook the herb in boiling water for 5-10 minutes. The product must be used chilled. The decoction will be especially useful for chronic sialadenitis.
2. For false mumps, you can rinse your mouth with chamomile infusion. You need to take 1 spoon of chopped herb and pour a glass of boiling water over it. This method is also effective for abscesses of the salivary glands and for treating tumors.
3. You can make compresses from the same herbs. To do this, you need to soak a piece of gauze in the broth, squeeze it out and place it on the tumor.
4. Warming can be used to reduce pain. To do this, you need to heat salt in a frying pan, wrap it in a thick rag and apply it to the tumor. It should be remembered that heating should absolutely not be used for abscess of the salivary gland.

Disease prevention

Anyone who consumes enough vitamins gets sick much less often. It is important not to delay treatment for colds and flu.

To clean the ducts of the salivary glands, you can rinse your mouth with a weak solution of citric acid. This product stimulates saliva production. To cleanse the ducts of the salivary gland, use a solution of furatsilin, potassium permanganate, sea salt or solutions of other antiseptics. For prevention, it is necessary to protect the salivary glands from injury and prevent infection from entering their ducts.

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Signs of the disease

The pathology is associated with the characteristics of a functional disorder in the process of salivary separation. It is not difficult to determine it, since the patient is faced with pronounced characteristic symptoms:

1. Shooting pains in the area of ​​the gland itself;
2. Tumor formation;
3. High temperature;
4. Difficulty swallowing and breathing;
5. Hyperemia in the affected area;
6. Palpable infiltrate;
7. Dry mouth.

When found primary symptoms You should immediately contact specialists. Different specialized doctors can identify and accurately diagnose diseases. It all depends on the age of the patient, the cause of the pathology, and concomitant diseases.

Important! At complete absence treatment or if it is neglected, there is a risk of developing purulent complications. The patient develops an abscess, the temperature rises, and the general condition worsens significantly. The abscess can break into the inside of the oral cavity, and a fistula can also appear on the surface of the skin.

What to do at home?

If you have the very first signs of the disease, you need to take simple, but very effective measures which will help avoid various complications. This way you can protect yourself from various pathologies, which will then only need to be treated through surgery.

In medicine, many cases have been recorded where negligent handling of one’s health led to the formation of a problem in the area of ​​the gland. severe swelling and it needed to be opened surgically to release the pus. In addition, the patient was prescribed long-term therapy antibiotics.

To avoid similar problems, worth following the following tips and follow them until the time of visiting the doctor. These are these simple rules:

1. Strict bed rest is required.
2. It is important to establish a balanced diet.
3. It is advisable to grind food before eating, since the patient often experiences severe discomfort during chewing and swallowing.
4. To avoid intoxication of the body, it is necessary drinking plenty of fluids– fruit drinks, juices and decoctions.
5. Dry, warm bandages and compresses based on alcohol and camphor should be applied to the site of inflammation.

It is worth following a special salivary diet to ensure a constant flow of saliva. For this purpose, patients need to hold a small piece of lemon in their mouth for a couple of minutes before eating. It is also recommended to eat crackers, cranberries, and sauerkraut. Doctors often prescribe drugs that stimulate salivation, for example, a 1% solution of pilocarpine. This is an ideal opportunity to eliminate stagnation of saliva in the gland. It will leave the ducts, taking bacteria and dead cells with it.

To reduce elevated temperature and acute pain, it is allowed to take anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs - Baralgin, Ibuprofen and Pentalgin. They have an effective antipyretic, analgesic effect and effectively reduce inflammation. If such therapy does not produce a positive result, you do not need to wait for your appointment, but immediately contact a professional.

Basic rules of treatment

Treatment of pathology should be carried out exclusively by a specialist. At home, you can provide yourself with only the most basic help, aimed at alleviating the condition and preventing the serious development of the problem. If you start treating diseases in a timely manner, it will be possible to manage with conservative methods in outpatient setting. If simple home therapy does not produce any results, the doctor will prescribe a special antibacterial treatment system. After the acute inflammation has resolved, specialized surgical intervention will be performed. A professional will open the tumor and drain the salivary gland, which is especially effective when a large amount of pus accumulates in the gland. After cleansing the gland, special antibacterial drugs are introduced into the ducts.

Important! Treatment chronic inflammation parotid salivary gland is a long-term and quite complex process. Not only a professional approach is required, but also regularity, systematicity and strict adherence to the specialist’s instructions.

With a timely visit to the doctor, it is quite possible to do without surgical intervention. After the examination, the specialist will send the patient home, prescribing traditional methods of treatment. This type of therapy takes a little longer, but produces a fairly lasting positive effect.

Treatment with traditional methods

Inflammation of the parotid salivary gland and its symptoms are quite easily and simply relieved by treatment with folk remedies. Them, like medicines, must be prescribed by a specialist who will rely on the examination performed. Treatment methods directly depend on the degree of development and general etiology of the disease. Therapy can be based on the use of compresses, ointments and special products.

Compresses for inflammation

Here are a few effective recipes preparing compresses that quickly give a positive effect:

1. Pour three tablespoons of dry celandine into a container and pour 300 ml of boiling water over them. Everything is brought to a boil, removed from the stove and infused for three hours. In the resulting infusion, gauze is moistened and applied to the swollen area for about an hour. This procedure can be carried out 3-4 times a day.
2. You need to put a little fresh cottage cheese on a napkin and apply it to the site of inflammation 3-4 times a day, changing the cottage cheese first.
3. It is necessary to carefully grind 300 grams of celandine, 50 grams of St. John's wort and the same amount of yarrow. All this is poured with vodka and after three days of infusion, it is applied in the form of a compress.

For more quick receipt For a positive effect, it is worth combining the use of compresses with self-made ointments.

Medicinal ointments

Here are a few recipes for medicinal ointments that need to be applied several times to the area of ​​inflammation:

- 100 grams of melted butter pork fat mixed with 20 grams of camphor. The mixture is applied to the swollen area for 2 hours;

- 1 part pharmaceutical Vaseline and about 10 parts birch tar. Everything is mixed and applied to the swelling;

- 10 grams of crushed dried celandine, 10 grams of fresh carrot juice and 40 grams of petroleum jelly are dismounted and the resulting composition is lubricated on the tumor approximately once a day;

— part 1 fresh juice celandine and 2 parts St. John's wort are mixed with rendered lard. The ointment helps very well with acute and painful inflammation.

These recipes are ideal for treating inflammation of the parotid salivary gland. As practice has shown, after about a week of treatment with these drugs, unpleasant symptoms completely disappear.

Treatment with propolis

Propolis is natural product, which has a lot of useful substances. To prepare the remedy, you will need to take a bottle and pour 20 grams of pre-crushed propolis into it. The raw material should be filled with 0.5 alcohol and left for a week, shaking occasionally. The tincture is taken 20 drops for the first days, then 40 drops and higher. You need to drink the composition three times a day before meals, first diluting it in milk or water. After three months, the inflammatory processes disappear irrevocably.

Garlic and oil

For cooking the required composition You will need to take 100 ml of oil, heat it in a water bath, let it cool and add pre-chopped garlic into it. The mixture is infused for a week. Afterwards, everything is carefully filtered and used to lubricate the oral cavity.

You can bury the resulting mixture in your nose, pouring about 7 drops into each nostril. You can moisten a cotton swab and insert it into your ear. When used, the product will have a positive therapeutic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect.

Healthy Products

Treatment of inflammation of the parotid gland can be carried out not only with herbs and ointments, but also with properly prepared healthy foods. Among the most effective are:

1. Kerosene. An ideal result can be achieved by rinsing your mouth with a mixture of salt and kerosene. To prepare it, you need to take 0.5 liters of kerosene and add 3 tablespoons of salt. All this is shaken well before use and warmed up a little.
2. Soda. A spoonful of soda dissolves in a glass of water. A similar mixture you need to rinse once a day.
3. Needles. You need to boil a liter of water, throw in 5 tablespoons of pine needles and cook everything for half an hour. After this, you need to infuse the product, strain and drink half a glass about twice a day.

If inflammation of the salivary gland occurs due to an infectious infection, it is worth rinsing the mouth several times a day with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Lemon juice not only promotes increased salivation but also removes bacteria that cause infection.

Prevention

Inflammation of the parotid salivary gland, like other types of diseases, is much easier to prevent than to treat them later. If you neglect your health, you can face quite serious consequences.

Modern medicine knows of cases where an untreated advanced inflammatory process of the salivary gland led to quite dangerous consequences, since the glands are located quite close to the brain.

To ensure that this disease is prevented, the following preventive measures should be followed:

1. It is necessary to constantly reinforce the body useful vitamins and minerals;
2. It is important to establish proper nutrition;
3. It’s worth taking a walk in the park, in the fresh air;
4. You need to actively engage in physical exercise;
5. It is important to carefully observe personal hygiene - brush your teeth at least twice a day and then rinse your mouth with special antibacterial solutions.

Due to the fact that most bacteria enter the body through saliva, there is a high probability of infecting others with this infection. If one of the household is overtaken by this illness, he needs to be provided with separate dishes and personal hygiene products.

Summing up

If you are unable to protect yourself from a dangerous pathology, you should immediately consult a doctor and strictly follow the instructions. Compliance with all advice and prescriptions of specialists is very important; treatment should be as clear and complete as possible. If the pathology is not treated, there is a risk of the formation of necrotic processes in the body that are dangerous to humans, that is, the death of cells in the tissues of the gland. When strongly neglected form sometimes even surgery does not help. Treatment of this inflammatory disease must begin as soon as the first symptoms appear, since the consequences of the disease can become irreversible.

Roots of human teeth

A person of any age can develop inflammation of the salivary glands, medically known as sialadenitis. The development of this disease is dangerous not only due to its mild symptoms (which makes it so difficult to identify it in the early stages and begin the necessary treatment), but also because of the consequences - if the function of the glands that produce salivary fluid is impaired, digestion suffers, and the likelihood of dental damage increases significantly ( for example, caries).

The structure of the submandibular salivary glands

The function of producing salivary fluid in the human body is performed by three pairs of corresponding glands. There are parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands (the glands are arranged in descending order of size). Also, a large number of small salivary ducts are involved in this process. A diagram of the structure of the submandibular gland can be found in the figure.

The submandibular gland is almost round - shaped like a walnut, weighs about 15 g. Its location is the submandibular triangle. Lateral surface The salivary gland is located in close proximity to the lymphatic submandibular nodes and is adjacent to the facial vein and arteries. The posterior edge of the mylohyoid muscle is in contact with the anterior part of the gland (we recommend reading:). The location of the submandibular salivary gland is from below, coming out from under the lower edge of the jaw, coming into contact with the latter in its upper part. The skin and superficial plate of the cervical fascia are adjacent to the gland on its outer side, while the hyoid and styloglossus muscles are adjacent to its medial surface.

Why does inflammation occur?

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Sialadenitis can occur in both acute and chronic forms. The peculiarity of this disease is that chronic sialadenitis is an independent pathology, only in rare cases developing from untreated acute sialadenitis, but more often they are caused by different causes.

Symptoms of the disease with photos

Depending on the form of sialadenitis, they may manifest various symptoms. Put accurate diagnosis Only a doctor can, based on the results of a comprehensive diagnosis. You can suspect the development of acute or chronic inflammation of the major salivary glands if the following characteristic symptoms appear:

• the gland increases in size (swelling is visualized or felt at its location);
• when pressed, pain of varying intensity is felt;
• feeling of dryness in the mouth;
• inhibition of the function of salivary fluid production;
• headaches appear that get worse over time;
• elevated body temperature.

If the parotid gland is inflamed, there may be partial or total loss hearing (due to the fact that the ear canal is compressed by the enlarged gland). Pain in the sublingual area and under the lower jaw, as well as discomfort when opening the mouth, are characteristic of sialadenitis of the other two pairs of glands (we recommend reading:). In some cases, the inflammatory process can develop in all major salivary glands at the same time. Some symptoms, due to their prevalence, should be considered in more detail along with a photo.

Enlargement of one of the glands

With a mild form of the disease, the patient may notice slight swelling in the area of ​​the inflamed salivary glands. In the moderate form, it is noted that the inflamed gland is enlarged, and the swelling is clearly visible. In severe forms of sialadenitis, swelling of the parotid salivary glands extends to the clavicle area (more details in the article:). If the submandibular region is inflamed, swelling of the neck is noted. Visually, an enlargement of one of the glands will look like in the photo for the article.

Change in the amount of saliva

Almost all forms of inflammation in question are characterized by a decrease in the amount of salivary fluid secreted (for chronic inflammation - during exacerbations). This is due to impaired functioning of the inflamed glands. To get an idea of ​​how this symptom manifests itself, you should pay attention to the photo.

Cloudy or thick saliva

In a patient suffering from sialadenitis, not only the quantity of saliva changes, but also its quality. In its normal state, the salivary fluid is almost transparent and liquid; the inflammatory process can cause it to become excessively thick or cloudy. Saliva may appear with impurities in the form of flakes, mucus, and pus.

Diagnosis of the disease

In order to successfully diagnose acute sialadenitis, the doctor only needs to examine and interview the patient. Contrast sialography for identifying this disease is considered an irrational method, since the introduction of a special substance leads to a worsening of the patient’s condition, in particular, the intensity of pain increases. Disease chronic course diagnosed using contrast sialography. Based on the results of the study, the specialist determines the form and type of the disease:

• interstitial - the ducts are narrowed, the amount of contrast is reduced compared to the norm (0.5 - 0.8 ml instead of 2 - 3 ml);
• parenchymal - the tissues and ducts of the gland are not visualized, there are many cavities with a volume of 0.5 - 1 cm. The amount of required contrast exceeds the norm and is up to 8 ml.

Treatment of inflammation of the salivary glands

Acute sialadenitis can only be treated in a hospital setting. As a rule, to alleviate the patient’s condition, it is enough to use conservative methods, but surgical intervention is also possible in cases where a purulent process develops. Treatment of chronic forms of inflammation of the salivary glands during the period of exacerbation is carried out using similar methods.

In a medical facility

When treated in medical institution the course of therapy will be developed based on the intensity of the disease, its form, general condition the patient’s health and the reasons that caused the development of the pathology. If the salivary glands are inflamed due to infection with mumps, then the doctor will prescribe symptomatic treatment, taking interferon drugs.

At home

Home Remedies and Recipes traditional medicine will be a great addition to conservative treatment as prescribed by the attending physician. At the same time, it is important to remember that only a specialist can make a diagnosis and develop an effective therapeutic course - you cannot replace prescribed medications and procedures with non-traditional methods, as there is a risk of aggravating your condition.

Popular traditional medicine recipes for sialadenitis:

• suck small pieces of lemon (without sugar) 3 – 4 times a day;
• rinse the mouth with saline solution (0.5 tsp of salt per glass of warm water);
• pine infusion: bring 1 liter of water to a boil, add 5 tbsp. pine needles, boil over medium heat for 30 minutes, leave for an hour, strain, take 2 tbsp. 2 times a day.

• I'll soon go crazy from this! Several years ago, I began to experience an itching sensation in the area of ​​my tongue from time to time. Over time it became more frequent and stronger. At the same time, the submandibular gland began to swell slightly. I went to see a dental surgeon. He made me do an ultrasound, x-ray, and took a sample for histology. Almost nothing was found, except for a minor formation in the salivary duct of the submandibular gland. He did not prescribe any treatment, only compresses with dimexide. I will soon burn everything out with this dimexide, because... attacks of itching become more and more severe and painful. She started taking erythromycin on her own. The improvement from it is very small. This is especially intensified in spring and autumn. In summer, if it’s hot, it almost never happens. I don't know what to do. I see no point in going to the doctor. Again, he will force you to take tests at an exorbitant price and will not help you in any way. Maybe this is because a few years ago I, a southerner who was born and lived for many years in the south, in a hot climate, moved to the north? But what to do? All this is unpleasant, painful and literally drives you crazy.

The human salivary glands are paired organs that play a significant role in initial stages digestion of food, and also affect mineral and protein metabolism in the body.

Human salivary glands

There are three pairs of salivary glands:

• parotid;
• sublingual;
• submandibular.

These glands produce up to two liters of oral fluid per day. It is very important for moisturizing the oral cavity and protecting against the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the mucous membrane, the breakdown of complex carbohydrates into simpler forms, and the removal of certain medicinal substances.

Also, the parotid glands play the role of endocrine glands and influence mineral and protein metabolism, due to the presence of a hormone-like substance - parotinin - in their secretion.

Saliva helps correct articulation, the unhindered passage of a bolus of food into the pharynx, and improves taste perception food and increases the body's resistance to infections with the help of lysozyme.

A little anatomy: glands of the oral cavity.

Oral fluid contains proteins, more than 60 enzymes - amylase, mucin, glycoproteins, as well as immunoglobulins. In addition, salivary fluid contains phosphatase, which takes an active part in phosphorus-calcium metabolism and helps in the mineralization of bones and teeth.

Not only the qualitative but also the quantitative composition of saliva is very important for health. Low saliva production can cause various inflammatory diseases oral cavity, demineralization of tooth enamel, and its excess production leads to dehydration and exhaustion of the body.

Besides large glands in the human mouth there are many small salivary glands, which are grouped on the tongue, lips, cheeks, hard and soft palate. When any of the salivary glands becomes inflamed, the disease sialadenitis occurs.

Inflammation of the salivary glands

Most common etiological factors the development of inflammation in the salivary glands is the penetration of an infectious agent through the ducts or hematogenously. Most often the parotid salivary gland becomes inflamed and then the disease is called mumps. Its infection occurs when the infection is introduced through the oral cavity, blood or lymph. Sometimes mumps can be caused by a foreign body in the ducts of the gland, such as stones. Let us consider in more detail the causes and symptoms of the development of parotitis.

Causes of inflammation of the parotid gland

The cause, as a rule, is an acute viral infection, which in most cases affects the parotid gland; extremely rarely the submandibular and sublingual glands.

This disease belongs to the group of childhood diseases and often occurs in the form of epidemic outbreaks among preschool groups. Most often it is transmitted by airborne droplets, but there are cases domestic infection virus. The main age of patients is 5-10 years.

A timely visit to the doctor can save you from many problems.

It rarely occurs in adults, but it is more difficult for them to tolerate and more often causes complications in the various organs and systems. Men are primarily at risk, as the disease leads to infertility and testicular atrophy.

Clinical picture

From the moment of infection to the full clinical picture, it takes about 2.5 weeks.

The disease can manifest itself in mild, moderate and severe forms. There are also complicated and uncomplicated forms. During the first 9 days, a person remains infectious.

A mild form of the disease is characterized by:

• minor impairment of general condition;
• often the process is one-sided;
• the gland is not very enlarged, a transparent secretion is released from it, it is almost painless on palpation;
• on the affected side there is swelling, which is almost invisible from the outside.

All manifestations usually disappear within a week and do not cause any complications.

Moderate form of mumps

After incubation period a period of harbingers begins, which lasts several days. During this period, headache and malaise gradually develop, and the temperature rises to low-grade levels. There is weakness, aching joints, and muscle pain. Dryness appears in the mouth.

Mumps, although not considered fatal, the disease should not be neglected; fatal cases are known.

The inflammatory process affects both parotid glands, they swell, become painful to the touch, swelling of the neck appears, and one side is more enlarged. Due to swelling of the neck and glands, the patient's ears rise and resemble the ears of a pig. That is why the disease is popularly called “mumps”:

• as the process develops, the body temperature rises, but it does not reach high numbers, but is limited to 38°C;
• the oral cavity may be hyperemic, salivation is reduced;
• after 4-5 days the clinical picture begins to subside and recession begins.

Severe form

The period of precursors has pronounced symptoms of a violation of the general condition: headaches, chills, weakness, loss of appetite, fever above 38°C, and symptoms of intoxication. The inflammatory process involves not only the area to which the parotid glands are located, but also the entire neck. In some cases, the swelling may reach the collarbone.

The parotid gland is very enlarged in size and painful on palpation. It strongly pushes the earlobe upward and forward, due to which the external auditory canal narrows. Swallowing and opening the mouth becomes difficult and painful.

When the remaining large salivary glands are involved, the swelling greatly increases the size of the neck. Against the background of these changes, phenomena often occur. The salivary duct of the parotid gland is well palpated in the form of a large cord. The secretion of saliva in the oral cavity is significantly reduced or completely stops.

With the development of purulent-necrotic processes in the lobules of the gland, pus may be released from the duct, and there is a high probability of developing an abscess. Severe mumps very often leads to serious complications. The most formidable of them are:

• meningitis;
• encephalitis;
• damage to the cranial and spinal nerves;
• damage to the auditory nerve;
• various mental disorders;
• infertility;
• orchitis;
• mastitis;
• damage to the renal apparatus.

Most often, parotitis ends full recovery However, with insufficient or inadequate therapy, there may be deaths. In addition, inflammation of the salivary glands can be a result of influenza infection - the parotid gland is most often affected, but other salivary glands can also be involved in the process. Very often the process is bilateral; sometimes the parotid and submandibular glands can be affected on only one side. In addition to the basic clinical picture, there may be pain when moving the tongue, as well as an increase in the number of sublingual folds.

Postoperative and postinfectious sialadenitis most often affects the parotid glands. It can develop in any severe disease due to hematogenous or lymphogenous transfer. The cause of inflammation in the gland is usually bacteria, E. coli. This form of the disease is dangerous because in its extreme manifestation it can lead to the development of necrosis of the salivary gland or abscess of the retropharyngeal space. Also, occasionally purulent melting of the walls of blood vessels occurs and bleeding develops.

Inflammation can be caused by the presence of a foreign body embedded in the ducts of the salivary glands. Periodic enlargement of the salivary gland and a decrease in saliva secretion may be of concern. Gradually, the signs of inflammation subside and may not appear for a long time, then they appear again. This periodic course can last until the full picture of acute sialadenitis with purulent-inflammatory phenomena in the lobules of the gland develops. The inflammatory process often spreads to nearby soft tissues and other parotid glands. Spontaneous removal of an interfering foreign body is often observed. However, most often it is necessary to resort to surgical methods to eliminate the cause of the disease.

General principles of treatment of inflammation of the salivary glands

In uncomplicated cases with mild and moderate forms, treatment is usually symptomatic and aimed at preventing the development of complications. As mandatory events it is necessary to include daily wet cleaning of the premises with disinfectant solutions, ventilation.

The proverb “Cleanliness is the key to health” is especially relevant for diseases of the salivary glands.

Mouth rinse recommended soda solutions, citric acid, which helps increase salivation and flush out stagnant contents from the salivary glands. Peppermint also enhances salivation. Your diet should include foods that increase saliva production.

• bed rest for periods of elevated temperature, especially this point applies to adult patients;
• warming saline or alcohol compresses, ointment dressings;
• Warming physiotherapeutic procedures are also indicated: UHF, Sollux;
• It is recommended to rinse the mouth and irrigate with various antiseptics - Furacilin, eucalyptus, Chlorophyllipt, Chlorhexidine.

In severe complicated forms of sialadenitis, it is necessary to use antibacterial therapy. Its goal is to eliminate inflammation and restore normal functioning glands. 50 thousand units of benzylpenicillin and 100 thousand units of streptomycin with 0.5% procaine are injected through the duct into the salivary glands. Besides:

• for analgesia, relief of inflammation and improvement of microcirculation, compresses with Dimexide are prescribed;
• Physiotherapeutic procedures are also necessary: ​​warming compresses, heating pads, UHF;
• if the symptoms do not subside, prescribe intramuscular injections antibiotics, sulfa drugs and hyposensitizing agents;
• sometimes they resort to active drainage of the salivary glands, which allows stagnant contents to be pumped out and signs of inflammation to be relieved.

In case of necrotic course of the process, it is indicated surgery in order to open the capsule of the affected salivary gland and eliminate destructive processes. The prognosis of the disease is generally favorable.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=UZ2mJGi753c

Inflammation of the parotid salivary gland is called sialadenitis. The cause of the development of pathology is an inflammatory process that involves internal tissues. Sialadenitis of the parotid salivary gland is most often diagnosed; the sublingual and submandibular glands are affected much less frequently.

Types of inflammation

Depending on the infectious agency, two types of sialadenitis are distinguished. This:

• viral;
• bacterial.

Viral sialadenitis

The disease is formed as a result of the penetration of the mumps virus into the human body. The disease is known as "mumps". Transmission is carried out by airborne droplets. After entering the body, the virus penetrates the tissue of the parotid salivary gland, causing inflammation. In the generalized form of mumps in men, the testicles are affected, which can subsequently cause infertility.

Important! In some cases, viral sialadenitis develops against the background cytomegalovirus infection.

Bacterial (nonspecific) sialadenitis

Formed as a result of infection through the oral cavity. Provoking factors may include:

• Poor oral hygiene.
• Reactive obturation. The resulting narrowing of the duct causes a reduced volume of saliva secreted. The accumulated secretion becomes a convenient environment for the proliferation of pathogenic microflora, which is constantly present in the oral cavity.
• Mechanical obturation. Develops as a result of blocking the lumen of the duct. Pathogens actively multiply in the collected saliva, causing inflammation.

The bacterial form of sialadenitis develops as a result of infection of the ducts of the oral cavity

The second option for infection is transmission through the blood. The cause may be severe infectious pathologies, in particular scarlet fever. The third way of infection of the salivary gland is through the lymph. The cause is inflammatory pathologies of the face, oral mucosa and pharynx. To be honest, periodontitis, furunculosis or tonsillitis.

The chronic form of sialadenitis develops as independent disease. The reasons may lie at the genetic level. Sometimes inflammation is a response to an autoimmune pathology or some other general disease. Quite often, a chronic form of inflammation is recorded in the category of elderly patients, which is due to a deterioration in the blood supply to the organ.

Symptoms of inflammation of the salivary glands

General symptoms the disease looks like this:

• dryness of the oral mucosa due to lack of salivary fluid;
• shooting pains;
• pain accompanying chewing, swallowing food and opening the mouth;
• swelling and hyperemia of the skin in the projection of the salivary gland;
• unpleasant taste of saliva;
• possible appearance of purulent contents;
• painful formation in the area of ​​inflammation;
• a feeling of fullness, which indicates the accumulation of pus;
• increased general body temperature and weakness.

The most severe inflammation of the parotid salivary gland is caused by the mumps virus entering the body.

Mumps - mumps - is especially dangerous, since other glands of the body, for example, the pancreas, can be involved in the pathological process. Symptoms of inflammation include: acute onset with an increase in body temperature to 39–40 degrees, swelling in the area of ​​the parotid salivary gland, pain that intensifies during chewing.

Acute sialadenitis of the parotid salivary gland occurs in several stages, each of which is accompanied by certain symptoms.

• Serous sialadenitis. It is typically characterized by dryness of the oral mucosa, soreness in the ear area, and the development of slight swelling. The lobe is slightly raised upward. Increased pain is recorded during eating. The increase in body temperature is slight.
• Purulent stage. Characterized by increased pain. There is an increase in body temperature above 38 degrees, increased swelling, and restriction when opening the mouth. When pressing on the area of ​​inflammation, purulent masses flow. The gland is dense and painful.
• Gangrenous inflammation. An abscess forms over the inflamed gland, serving as an outlet for dead tissue.

In the absence of an adequate condition drug therapy death due to the development of sepsis cannot be ruled out. The reason may be internal bleeding, caused by the melting of the walls of large blood vessels in the neck.

Symptoms of chronic inflammation depend on the current form of the disease:

• Chronic interstitial sialadenitis. Most often it develops in the parotid glands (about 85%). It is diagnosed in most cases in elderly patients. It remains asymptomatic for a long time. The development of the clinical picture is due to a deterioration in the condition caused by a narrowing of the ductal lumen. A sign of exacerbation is the appearance of a feeling of dry mouth and an increase in the size of the gland. It becomes painful when touched.
• Chronic parenchymal sialadenitis. Mostly women suffer from it. In the initial stage of development, when pressure is applied to the gland, a significant volume of salty-tasting liquid is released. Later, a feeling of heaviness and compaction develops. It is possible that saliva may be released with admixtures of pus and mucous lumps. In the later stages, the gland is painless, lumpy, and discharge of pus is observed.
• Sialodochitis is inflammation of the ducts. Typical sign– increased production of salivary fluid during eating and talking, as well as the formation of congestion in the corners of the mouth. During the period of exacerbation of the pathology, impurities of pus are present in the saliva, the gland becomes swollen and dense.

Diagnostics

Acute sialadenitis is diagnosed by examining the patient and collecting existing complaints. The sialography procedure is used in rare cases, since the introduction of a contrast agent causes increased pain.

Differential diagnosis is necessary for the correct choice of treatment method

To confirm chronic sialoadenitis of the parotid salivary gland, contrast sialography is used. It allows you to determine the current form of the pathology. Narrowing of the lumen of the duct is typical for the interstitial form of inflammation. In this case, the volume of contrast agent penetrated into the gland tissue does not exceed 0.8 ml.

Healthy organ holds approximately 2–3 ml. In the parenchymal format of sialadenitis, numerous cavities with a diameter of up to 10 mm are recorded. The tissues of the gland and the ducts themselves are not determined. The capacity of the cavities is 6...8 ml of contrast.

Treatment of the disease

Treatment of sialadenitis should be carried out subject matter specialist. Incorrectly selected therapy can cause complications. Uncomplicated forms of inflammation are treated on an outpatient basis (at home). The patient will be advised to:

• compliance with bed rest;
• gentle diet - food should be crushed, which reduces pain when swallowing and chewing;
• Drinking plenty of fluids helps reduce the symptoms of intoxication.

Local treatment gives excellent results. Any dry bandages with a warming effect can be applied to the area of ​​the inflamed parotid salivary gland. Compresses based on alcohol and camphor oil. In addition, the patient will be recommended to visit a physiotherapy office. The most commonly prescribed procedures are UHF and Sollux.

To ensure the outflow of saliva from the inflamed gland, artificial stimulation is necessary. Any foods with a sour taste, for example, lemon slices, cranberries, sauerkraut, help with this. The body, in response to irritation of taste buds, automatically increases the production of saliva.

In order to activate the process of salivation, you can use medications, in particular, a solution of pilocarpine hydrochloride. At what point the patient should stimulate the secretion of saliva will be decided by the attending physician, based on the current symptoms.

Important! Stimulating the secretion of saliva helps to avoid stagnation and promotes the removal of dead tissue cells from the inflamed gland.

When the body temperature rises and the pain accompanying sialadenitis is relieved, the patient is allowed to take drugs from the NSAID group - Analgin, Pentalgin, Baralgin, Ibuprofen and others. The drugs have analgesic, anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effects.

In the absence of a therapeutic result and a deterioration in general health - there are no improvements within 3 days - or signs of suppuration of the gland appear, the patient is prescribed antibiotics.

If necessary, surgical therapy is performed: opening and draining the inflamed gland, in the presence of a significant volume of purulent masses. Antibacterial drugs injected directly into the site of inflammation.

If suppuration develops, the patient is recommended to undergo surgical treatment - opening and drainage of the gland

Treatment of inflammation of the parotid salivary gland is a long and complex process. In case of exacerbation, the patient is prescribed drugs from the group of antibiotics and medications that stimulate the production and discharge of saliva.

X-ray therapy shows a good therapeutic result for the chronic form of sialadenitis. When diagnosing stones in the ducts of the gland - the calculous form of sialadenitis - it is prescribed surgical treatment.

Prevention of the development of sialadenitis

Specific prevention– introduction of a specialized vaccine – sialadenitis does not exist. The exception is mumps. Vaccination is carried out with a three-component drug that is effective against three diseases at once - mumps, measles and rubella. All children aged 1.5 years are vaccinated. Lasting immunity is developed in approximately 96% of vaccinated children.

Nonspecific prevention is as follows:

• regular oral hygiene;
• sanitization of all foci of inflammation in the mouth;
• prevention of saliva stagnation;
• rinsing the mouth during infectious pathologies.

Inflammation of the parotid salivary gland is treated by a dentist. If there are signs of mumps development, the child should be shown to a pediatrician. In this case, adult patients turn to a therapist.