Ask the Doctor

Drooling at night

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I am a 45- year old Civil Servant. My problem is that my mouth is always full of saliva whenever I sleep. Although I have had some dental problems in the past, I don’t have any current health problems. Kindly let me know what could be the problem with me.

Ngozi (by SMS)

 

At night, your swallowing reflexes are relaxed just like the rest of the muscles in your face. This means that your saliva can accumulate and some can escape through the sides of your mouth. The medical terms for drooling too much are sialorrhea and hypersalivation. When a sleeper lies on their back, gravity generally causes any excess saliva they produce to stay in their mouth or travel to their throat. In side and stomach sleepers, on the other hand, gravity is more likely to pull saliva down toward the pillow, resulting in drooling. Other conditions. Medical conditions such as acid reflux and pregnancy can also increase saliva production. Allergies, tumors, and above-the-neck infections such as strep throat, tonsil infection, and sinusitis can all impair swallowing.

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