What causes drooling in children and how to treat it

Children’s drooling is generally a physiological salivation phenomenon, because the child’s mouth is shallow, the swallowing function is not well developed, can not swallow too much saliva in time, there will be obvious drooling phenomenon. In addition, teething children, due to the eruption of milk teeth on the sensory nerve of the gums to stimulate the role of salivary gland secretion, will also appear drooling phenomenon. These cases do not require special treatment, and the phenomenon of drooling will gradually disappear as children grow older and their systems gradually develop, teeth erupt, and the depth of the mouth increases. In addition, it may also be due to mechanical damage, oral inflammation, respiratory inflammation, neurological diseases, congenital diseases, etc., according to the specific cause of the corresponding treatment. 1, mechanical damage: children’s cheeks if subjected to frequent pinching, the parotid gland is susceptible to mechanical damage, which will cause increased secretion of saliva, there will be drooling phenomenon. This situation should be found in time to avoid stimulation of the parotid gland, do not frequently pinch the child’s face, general drooling phenomenon will gradually improve; 2, oral inflammation: such as tongue inflammation, gingivitis, herpes stomatitis and other diseases, will stimulate the secretion of salivary glands increased, and may be accompanied by pain in the mouth, affecting the child’s swallowing function, there will be drooling phenomenon. This condition requires attention to oral hygiene. Tongue infection can be treated with folic acid, iron supplements and B vitamins depending on the specific type. Gingivitis requires scaling to remove plaque or calculus and, in severe cases, anti-inflammatory treatment with cephalosporins. Herpes stomatitis can be treated with antiviral therapy with drugs such as acyclovir and ganciclovir as prescribed by the doctor. As the inflammation dissipates, the drooling situation usually improves; 3, respiratory inflammation: such as colds, tonsillitis, pharyngitis and other diseases, children may have swelling and pain in the throat, so that children have difficulty swallowing saliva and drooling phenomenon. Cold can be treated by drinking more water and using anti-cold medication according to the type of cold, such as cold spirit granules and Xiao Chai Hu granules. Tonsillitis and pharyngitis can be treated by taking amoxicillin, cefuroxime and other anti-inflammatory drugs as prescribed by the doctor, and gargling with compound chlorhexidine gargle. When the inflammation of the respiratory tract is controlled, the phenomenon of drooling will also improve; 4, neurological diseases: such as encephalitis, facial nerve palsy, cerebral palsy and other diseases may cause damage to the nerves that govern the salivary glands and swallowing function, causing abnormal secretion of salivary glands, swallowing function can cause abnormal drooling phenomenon when impaired. In these cases, it is necessary to improve the blood circulation in the brain. Nerve-nourishing drugs such as methylcobalamin, vitamin B1 and vitamin B6 can be taken as prescribed by the doctor, and medications such as ganciclovir and penicillin can be used to promote the reduction of inflammation. In addition, for children with cerebral palsy, rehabilitation treatment, such as motor training and learning training, needs to be strengthened. After the primary disease is clinically controlled, the child’s drooling situation can also be improved; 5. congenital diseases: children with trisomy 21 and congenital hypothyroidism may also have pathological drooling. Congenital hypothyroidism can be treated with thyroid tablets, while trisomy 21 is genetically related and can only be treated through rehabilitation to improve the child’s quality of life. In addition, from a TCM perspective, drooling can also occur in children with spleen and stomach heat or spleen and stomach deficiency cold. Hot spleen and stomach may be accompanied by red face, thick yellow tongue coating, red and yellow urine, and dry stools. A child with a cold spleen and stomach may have a white face, thin white tongue coating, and clear urine and bowels. You can find a professional Chinese medicine practitioner to clarify the specific symptoms of the child by looking, smelling, and treating the symptoms, and then administering tonics to regulate the child.