We call the major salivary glands the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. They all secrete saliva into your mouth, the parotid through tubes that drain saliva, called salivary ducts, near your upper teeth, submandibular under your tongue, and the sublingual through many ducts in the floor of your mouth. Salivary glands produce the saliva used to moisten your mouth, initiate digestion, and help protect your teeth from decay. As a good health measure, it is important to drink lots of liquids daily. Dehydration is a risk factor for salivary gland disease.
Symptoms typically occur when eating.
Saliva production starts to flow, but cannot exit the ductal system, leading to swelling of the involved gland and significant pain, sometimes with an infection. Unless stones totally obstruct saliva flow, the major glands will swell during eating and then gradually subside after eating, only to enlarge again at the next meal. Infection can develop in the pool of blocked saliva, leading to more severe pain and swelling in the glands. If untreated for a long time, the glands may become abscessed. It is possible for the duct system of the major salivary glands that connects the glands to the mouth to be abnormal.