What Causes Excessive Drooling In The Elderly? There could be many reasons for this condition but you should know that Drooling In Seniors is quite common. Many people only drool during sleep because they are unable to swallow properly, however, it is embarrassing to drool in front of people during day time.
The causes of excessive Drooling In The Elderly includes Excess Saliva Production, side effects of medication, and stroke. You should consult your doctor to know the real cause, he will suggest you the best possible treatment as per your condition. If you want to know more details on What Causes Excessive Drooling In The Elderly, then read this article till the end!
What is Excessive Drooling?
Source: Sleepadvisor.org
Excessive Drooling which is also known as Sialorrhea or hypersalivation in medical terms means more flow of saliva. There are two types of this condition, the first one is Anterior sialorrhea (drooling) in which the saliva comes out of the mouth. It is quite embarrassing because it could reach the clothes and looks so unhygienic.
Another one is Posterior sialorrhea, in which excessive saliva runs down to the airways (tracheas). It leads to aspiration which is a chronic lung irritation that in severe cases could result in pneumonia. Usually, many people suffer from both of them, especially older ones. Keep reading to know ‘What Causes Excessive Drooling In The Elderly’!
What Causes Excessive Drooling In The Elderly?
In old people, the muscles in their mouths become weak and due to the excess saliva, they tend to have more drool. It is possible that they have problems with their throat, however, some people drool due to the habit of sleeping with their mouths wide open. Have a look at some of the causes of drooling in the elderly:
Source: Parkinsonslife.eu
Snoring:
People who snore at night are more likely to drool than people who don’t, these people breathe through their mouth which stays open throughout the night causing more drooling.
Hypersalivation:
People who are suffering from Hypersalivation drool more due to excess saliva production. This could be happening due to the underlying infection in your mouth. Other causes of this condition might include cavities, gastroesophageal reflux, and exposure to toxins.
Stroke:
When someone is having a stroke, it is hard to keep the lips closed and it weakens the muscles around the mouth so this could also be a cause of excessive drooling in the elderly.
Side Effects of Medicines:
Old people take medicines due to many other issues but some medicines could cause excessive drooling, especially those which are used for Alzheimer’s disease or psychiatric disorders.
Nasal Congestion:
Another one on our list of ‘What Causes Excessive Drooling In The Elderly’ is Nasal congestion. In this condition, when the nose gets blocked, people try to breathe from their mouth which might lead to excessive drooling.
How can you treat excessive drooling?
Now that you know ‘What Causes Excessive Drooling In The Elderly’, let’s talk about its treatment. For a permanent solution, you should know the underlying cause of this condition so it is important that you consult your doctor. Meanwhile, you can read below what you can do to treat this condition temporarily:
Medications:
Several medications can decrease excessive salivation. One of these is glycopyrrolate (Cuvposa), which blocks the nerve impulses to the salivary glands so that they make less saliva, but has some very serious adverse effects, such as mouth dryness, difficulty urinating, blurred vision, constipation, irritability, and hyperactivity.
Home remedies:
There are many proven home remedies available to get rid of excessive drooling. If you are sure that you have a cavity or any infection, you can try salt water gargles. However, in order to follow any remedy you must know the specific cause which differs from person to person so it is a good idea to see your physician.
Injections:
Injections of the botulinum toxin (Botox) are fairly popular, and if you have excessive salivation, your doctor might advise you to get one. Major salivary glands are injected with this medication, which paralyzes the local nerves and muscles and prevents the glands from secreting an excessive amount of saliva. However, the results do not last long and you need to go back for more injections after some time.
Surgery:
After analyzing your condition, the doctor might suggest surgery which is performed on the major salivary glands. As per your condition, your glands will be relocated or in severe cases, they get removed. After that, you will be able to swallow the saliva easily as it is released in the back of the mouth.
Scopolamine (Hyoscine):
It is a patch that is worn behind the ear and functions by obstructing nerve signals that are sent to the salivary glands. Unfortunately, it comes with a long list of adverse effects, including drowsiness, impaired vision, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, and difficulty urinating.
Radiation therapy:
Drooling In Seniors is also treated by radiation therapy which is performed on major salivary glands.
Wrapping Up:
So now you know that there are numerous causes of excessive drooling in the elderly and as we have mentioned that it is always a good idea to consult your doctor to know the underlying cause of your condition.
We have also shared some temporary solutions above and we hope that you found this article informative. Share this valuable information with your friends and comment below to let us know your thoughts!
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do you stop the elderly from drooling?
There are many ways but the treatment depends on the condition of the patient care, the doctor might suggest speech therapy which helps in strengthening mouth muscles, and prescribe some medications to help stop drooling in older people.
When should I be worried about drooling?
If it is getting out of control and you are facing embarrassing situations in front of people then you must try to stop it and consult the doctor right away because there are numerous causes of this condition and your doctor will help you find the one.
