Don't underestimate 'sleeping drooling', if it happens frequently, check these 6 diseases in time

Xiao Liang, 25, is a programmer. Due to the high workload, he often has to work overtime. Even if he is tired after get off work at night, he will stay up late to play games for a while.

This also caused him to wake up very sleepy every day and could only wait for the lunch break to catch up on sleep.

But Xiaoliang has a very distressing problem, that is, every time he wakes up from a lunch break, he will find a small pool of saliva on his desk. Unfortunately, one time, a female colleague sitting next to him accidentally saw it. Liang could only smile awkwardly, then silently wiped it off with a tissue.

In order to solve this drooling problem, Xiaoliang decided to seek the help of a doctor. After the doctor learned that Xiaoliang usually drools in the same direction , he asked him to do a brain CT first.

Unexpectedly, this investigation revealed that Xiaoliang's cerebral blood vessels showed signs of blockage. Fortunately, it was discovered early, avoiding the risk of cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage for Xiaoliang.

Why is the very common "sleeping drooling" a sign of cerebral infarction? Is drooling before bed a disease?

1. Where does human saliva come from?

I don't know if you have thought about a question, that is why people's mouth secretes saliva? What is the use of saliva?

Saliva, medically known as "saliva". Since salivation is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, the process of salivation is as involuntary as the heartbeat.

The glands in the mouth that secrete saliva are the salivary glands. Salivary glands can be divided into major salivary glands and minor salivary glands. There are three pairs of major salivary glands, namely sublingual, parotid and submandibular glands, while there are numerous minor salivary glands, which are distributed on the oral mucosa.

Our salivary glands secrete saliva continuously every day. In addition to keeping the oral environment moist, saliva also has the functions of sterilizing, cleaning the mouth and helping digestion .

In general, healthy adults secrete about 1-1.5 liters of saliva per day, with an average of about 30 ml per hour. Saliva production increases when we eat or when nerves in the brain are stimulated.

Breathing through the mouth, tension and fatigue, and unequal sleeping postures may all cause drooling during sleep.

2. People who often drool while sleeping should investigate these 6 diseases as soon as possible

Generally speaking, "sleeping drooling" is more common in children, because their lips are weak, and the mouth does not have the function of controlling drooling and swallowing. If adults suddenly and frequently experience "drooling before going to bed", they need to be alert to the disease the reason.

1. Oral diseases

Inflammation of the mouth and throat, such as stomatitis, sialadenitis, gingivitis, and pharyngitis , can stimulate the secretion of salivary glands, which can easily lead to overflow of saliva.

In addition, misshapen teeth, loose teeth, and discomfort with wearing dentures may also cause drooling during sleep. After straightening your teeth, your drooling problem will improve.

2. Facial paralysis

Facial paralysis refers to the paralysis of the muscles on one side of the face. Due to the asymmetry of the muscle strength on both sides of the face, it is difficult to retain saliva on the side of the facial paralysis, and it is easy to drool whether you sleep or not.

If it is accompanied by symptoms such as crooked corners of the mouth , it may be facial paralysis, and it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately.

3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease

Abnormal gastric acid may cause increased saliva reflex secretion, and some patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease may have symptoms of drooling. In addition, common symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease include acid reflux, heartburn, and chest pain .

4. Parkinson’s

When suffering from Parkinson's disease, due to poor swallowing function, it is often impossible to swallow saliva in time. In addition, due to some nerve damage, the secretion of saliva also increases, resulting in drooling.

5. Cerebral thrombosis

If a cerebral thrombosis occurs, some muscles that control the throat may become dysfunctional, and people cannot actively control their muscles while sleeping, so they drool.

If it is accompanied by symptoms such as skewed corners of the mouth, saliva often flows in one direction, and eyes are not closed tightly , it is time to be vigilant.

6. Arteriosclerosis

If there is atherosclerosis, it will lead to ischemia and hypoxia in the brain and muscles, which will cause the facial muscles to relax, and the swallowing function will also decrease, so it is easy to drool.

In particular, middle-aged and elderly people such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia and diabetes should be highly vigilant.

Three, to improve sleep drooling, there are 3 suggestions

In daily life, if you want to improve the situation of drooling while sleeping, you can do the following first:

1. Change your sleeping position

Sleeping in a supine position can reduce drooling, balance the development of various organs in the body, and even make breathing easier. Try not to sleep on your stomach, you can use a U-shaped pillow on your neck to reduce discomfort.

2. Keep your mouth clean

Keep your mouth clean every day, pay attention to rinse your mouth as soon as possible after meals, brush your teeth in the morning and evening, use fluoride toothpaste, use floss at least once a day to clean your teeth, and wash your teeth regularly.

If you find that you have a malocclusion problem, it is recommended to correct it in time, otherwise it may cause uneven force on the teeth, thereby increasing the risk of tooth loosening and gum damage.

3. Medication replacement

If you find that the drooling is related to the medicine you are taking, you can communicate with your doctor to see if you can change to other medicines, but remember not to change or stop the medicine yourself.

The problem of drooling during sleep can be big or small, and it should not be ignored, because it may be a sign of certain diseases. If the above points have been done, but the drooling in sleep still does not improve, it is recommended to seek medical examination as soon as possible to find out the cause and receive relevant treatment.

References:

[1] " [Xiaojia asks the doctor] Always drooling while sleeping? Expert: Maybe the body is calling the police ". China Family News. 2020-11-14

[2] " Don't be careless if you drool while sleeping! Beware of these 4 diseases ". Tencent Medical Book She Knows. 2021-01-29

[3] " More drooling during sleep is related to these 7 factors ". Hainan Daily. 2019-08-08

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