The saliva is often bitter and can lead to nausea, vomiting or even weight loss. Besides the increased saliva, women with ptyalism often have a coated or thickened tongues or distended cheeks from swollen salivary glands. It can affect the sense of taste or interfere with swallowing. Nearly one-third of women in the study said it disrupted their sleep and 27 percent said it affected their speech. While it's not clear what triggers ptyalism, diet seems to play a large role.
Many women find dairy products make their symptoms worse.
For others the culprit is starchy foods. The first step in treatment is making changes in your diet to help reduce symptoms. Most women find that eating fruit can do a lot for alleviating symptoms. Sucking on hard candy or using mouthwash can also help by disguising the bad taste of the saliva. There can also be an emotional component to the problem, and counseling may help.