Saliva plays an important role in your digestive system. It helps break down the food that you eat. Saliva is produced and secreted by three major salivary glands in your mouth. Salivary gland blockages prevent saliva from leaving your salivary...
Trihexyphenidyl is a medication used to treat Parkinson's disease and the side effects of antipsychotic medication that causes Parkinson-like symptoms. Parkinson's disease is a movement disorder that consist of tremor, irregular shuffling gait and...
Most of us envision a child with a kerchief wrapped under his chin and tied above his head when we think of the mumps. This is because mumps is a viral infection that causes the parotid gland, a salivary gland just below and in front of the ear,...
The process of digestion begins in your mouth. The salivary glands start to function as soon as you take the first bite of food. There are three large salivary glands and numerous smaller ones located in your mouth and throat. The larger salivary...
Lemon drops have been a popular hard candy since production in Europe began in the late 18th century. Traditionally, lemon drops were sold at drugstores and apothecary shops as a medicinal product to mask unpleasant tastes. According the Nut...
Trihexyphenidyl is a prescribed medication that is used to treat Parkinson's disease. In addition, this medication may be prescribed to treat medical condition that have Parkinson-like symptoms, including tremors, irregular shuffling pain and...
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, defines potassium iodide as a medication used as a thyroid blocking agent in case of emergencies whereby a patient has been exposed to radioiodine. MedlinePlus states that thyroid glands need iodine...
Nasalcrom (cromolyn sodium nasal) is a medication used to treat allergy symptoms. According to MedlinePlus, it is an anti-allergic medication that reduces sneezing, nasal congestion and a runny nose. Specifically, it prevents the body from...
The cranial nerves are 12 pairs of nerves that connect directly to the brain, unlike most other nerves which connect to the spinal cord. The nerves going out to the body may be voluntary, such as those controlling skeletal muscles, or they may be...
Intal (cromolyn sodium inhalation) is a medication used to prevent asthma flare-ups and bronchospasms, which are characterized by trouble breathing and wheezing. According to Drugs.com, it is an anti-inflammatory medication that prevents your...
A feeding tube is a flexible, small lumen, hollow tube that is inserted into the stomach. The duration of time that the tube is in place is dependent upon the patient's needs. A feeding tube is recommended when a patient is unable to receive...
Chlorhexidine gluconate is an antimicrobial oral rinse that helps kill bacteria in the mouth. It is used to treat gingivitis, a condition characterized by redness and swelling of the gums, and bleeding from the gums after probing. Therapy can last...
AIDS, which stands for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, is a condition caused by an infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. This viral infection attacks the immune system and gradually depletes it, though cases of full blown AIDS in...
The appearance of broken blood vessels in the eyes is one of the visible symptoms of an eating disorder that includes frequent vomiting. Other physical signs include dry or blotchy skin, thinning or dry hair, and a swollen parotid gland, which is...
Of the 12 cranial nerves that exit from the brain through openings in the skull, five serve functions having to do with the mouth. Some of these are sensory nerves, which allow the brain to detect sensation in and around the mouth. Some are motor...
Radioactive iodine ablation is a proven treatment for hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid gland), but is primarily used to treat papillary and follicular forms of thyroid cancer. Administered in capsule or liquid form, radioactive iodine...
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a viral infection that causes progressive destruction of the body's disease-fighting white blood cells, eventually causing the onset of AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome). Children who are born with HIV...
Dry mouth, medically known as xerostomia, occurs when the salivary glands in your mouth don't secrete or produce enough saliva. It is a common condition, affecting 1 in 5 adults and predominantly women. Dry mouth happens to everyone occasionally,...
Abnormally decreased saliva production causes dry mouth, also known as xerostomia. Dry mouth frequently leads to other symptoms and problems, including mouth sores, burning, decreased or altered taste, and an increased incidence of tooth decay....
Cancer can occur on the roof of the mouth, the floor of the mouth, the tongue, the lips, the tonsils or the throat. There are approximately 30,000 cases of mouth cancer in the United States each year, accounting for 2 percent of all cancer,...
Saliva is an important part of the digestive process for many different animals, including humans. Saliva helps moisten food and also starts the digestive process. Saliva is produced by the salivary glands. The Colorado State Pathophysiology...
Being told to eat candy to cure a medical condition may sound too good to be true. But if you have problems with your salivary glands, sour candy may be just what the doctor ordered. Infection, decreased saliva production or stones in the salivary...
Many conditions can cause right jaw and ear pain. According to Family Doctor.org, a website produced by the American Academy of Family Physicians, ear pain is sometimes associated with jaw conditions. Because of their proximity, the ear and jaw...
Acinic or acinar cells are grape-shaped cells present in many different glands, include the pancreas and salivary glands. Although rare, acinic cells can become cancerous, resulting in acinic cell carcinomas. These types of cancer tend to grow...
Mumps is caused by a virus that infects the parotid glands which are located under the ears. It is contracted through breathing in droplets from a sneeze or cough of an infected person. In countries where a vaccine is not widely given outbreaks...
Cranial neuralgia refers to pain originating in one or more of the cranial nerves. The twelve cranial nerves exit from the brain through openings in the skull to conduct sensory, motor and autonomic nerve impulses to and from the brain, face and...
Children are susceptible to all kinds of infections. In fact, children can carry certain viruses in their oral (nose or mouth) mucosa and spread them to other children via sneezing or laughing. In some cases, the viruses can also contaminate...
Human parainfluenza virus is a common virus that causes a number of infections, inlcuding the common cold, in infants and children, as well as in those with compromised immune systems. The virus is transmitted from person to person by exposure to...
Sjogren's syndrome is a common, chronic, autoimmune disease chiefly causing dryness of the mucous membranes. Although different parts of the body can be affected, the disease primarily involves the tear and salivary glands. Ten times as many women...
The mumps, or epidemic parotitis, typically presents as severe swelling of the salivary glands. Learn more about the mumps including treatment options in this medical video.
