Salivary stone disease: symptoms, treatment, photo

Sometimes the tissues of salivary glands begin to inflame, their function is disturbed, which contributes to the development of salivary stone disease. What it is? Every person has three pairs of large salivary glands. Besides them, in the oral cavity there is a large number of small glands that secrete saliva. In them or in their excretory ducts, stones of completely different sizes can be formed. Let's try to figure out what the salivary stone disease is. Symptoms, treatment of this disease will also be considered.

Why can there be stones?

It should be noted that a large number of microorganisms are present in the human oral cavity. In healthy people with strong immunity, they do not manifest themselves in any way, as saliva neutralizes them. In addition, many obstacles hinder the penetration of microbes into the body.

The problem can arise when a person's body temperature rises or, for certain reasons, dehydration of the body occurs, as well as by stimulation of salivary glands by mechanical means. This leads to the fact that harmful microorganisms enter the large glands, which begin to multiply there, causing their inflammation. It, in turn, presses on the ducts, because of what stagnation of saliva is formed. This is the reason for the further multiplication of pathogenic microflora and the occurrence of purulent processes.

Thus, this disease is formed due to the fact that some substances that must dissolve saliva begin to crystallize.

Symptoms

If there is salivary stone disease, its symptoms can manifest as follows:

• Face and neck begin to swell due to blockage of the salivary ducts, because there is a buildup of fluid, and when the stone is found in the parotid gland, a swelling appears near the ears;
• The process of chewing and swallowing food is difficult, since the buccal muscles take part;
• If a stone is large, it is difficult to not only open your mouth, but also talk;
• At rest, pain in the mouth and cheek area begins to be felt;
• Due to the fact that the saliva practically ceases to be produced, an unpleasant feeling of dryness in the mouth arises;
• Face and neck can blush;
• When the disease passes into the stage of purulent inflammation, the state of health worsens, the body temperature rises, weakness and headache develop;
• If the parotid glands are inflamed , the earlobes are bulging;
• An unpleasant aftertaste appears in the mouth.

Symptoms of the disease, like salivary stone disease, develop gradually. The initial stage is characterized by unpleasant sensations arising during eating. After 20 minutes, the discomfort disappears, but one should not be too deceived, as the pathological process begins to develop. In the absence of treatment, it passes into the acute phase.

Acute and chronic form of the disease

Salivary stone disease occurs in acute and chronic form. In the first case, it develops suddenly and is accompanied by severe pain, general weakness, fever. In the area of the gland duct outlet, redness, swelling and soreness occur.

As soon as the acute stage passes into the chronic one, the inflammatory process disappears, but a slight swelling and asymmetry of the glands develop.

Diagnosis of the disease

If you suspect a pathology like salivary stone disease, you need to see a doctor as soon as possible, who will put the correct diagnosis. Usually, at the first appointment, he will ask the patient for a history of colds or other possible causes of the disease. Then he begins to examine the gland's area, palpates it and can find a stone in it.

In addition, the diagnosis of the disease helps x-ray salivary gland, carried out with the introduction of contrast media. This method is called "sialografiya." An iodine-containing drug is introduced into the duct, which allows you to see its structure, as well as the location of the stone.

The doctor can also appoint ultrasound, which also allows you to locate the stone. It can be very small or very deep, which is why the doctor can not find it. Sometimes a computed tomography of the gland is performed. Therefore, if you feel even a slight discomfort in the salivary gland, you should consult your doctor.

Conservative treatment

If there was a salivary stone disease, the treatment is most often performed surgically. It is used only if conservative therapy has not produced any result.

The acute form of the disease requires immediate treatment. If she switched to chronic, the course of therapy lasts about two weeks.

Conservative treatment includes:

• Use of drugs that can enhance the secretion of salivary glands;
• The course of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce temperature, reduce edema of the tissues and relieve inflammation;
• Antibacterial therapy;
• Physiotherapeutic treatment.

In addition, conservative treatment includes the ingestion of food consisting of ground and crushed products. Also it is necessary to drink as much as possible warm mors or broth of a dogrose to strengthen allocation of a saliva.

Surgery

If the salivary stone disease, whose photo Can be seen in medical reference books, goes into a chronic form, which proceeds with exacerbations, there is a need for surgical treatment. But first doctors perform galvanization of the salivary glands, which consists in the fact that the iron is affected by an electric current of low power. Sometimes this is enough to liquidate the stones. If this is not possible, then they are already conducting an operative intervention.

The operation has clear indications for its conduct:

• If as a result of a purulent process, the gland tissue begins to break down;
• There was a complete blockage of the duct of the salivary gland with the onset of pain.

Operative treatment is that first open the duct, then establish drainage. Carry out the procedure under local anesthesia, the anesthetic drug is injected in several places 1-2 cm behind the stone. Parallel to the flow of the duct, two ligatures are applied from both sides, which are used as "holders". Only after this, the mucous membrane is cut across, then the duct is opened and the stone is extracted. The wound is not sutured, but a drainage tube or tape is inserted. To prevent the inflammatory process, antibacterial drugs are introduced into the area of the postoperative wound.

Salivary gland disease: treatment with folk remedies

Treatment of such a disease with the help of folk remedies is of an auxiliary nature and should be used in conjunction with traditional medicine.

The most common method is the use of drinking soda, a teaspoon of which is dissolved in a glass of warm water. A cotton swab is moistened in this solution and the mouth cavity is wiped.

A rather effective method is rinsing with solutions of medicinal herbs, such as sage, chamomile and eucalyptus.

Features of the disease in children

Salivary stone disease in children is quite rare and occurs usually in those who have weak immunity, as well as congenital changes in the ducts of the salivary gland.

The treatment is complex and consists of removing the stone, removing the inflammatory process, using desensitizing, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory therapy and physiotherapy.

Conclusion

Salivary stone disease can be asymptomatic and do not interfere with life at all. But at the slightest manifestations of this disease it is necessary to consult a doctor, because it often acquires a chronic form, and this already provides for prompt treatment.