Unable to manage their oral secretions, affected persons are at increased risk of aspiration, skin maceration, and infection. Care may be compromised since the frequent suctioning and cleaning required to maintain proper hygiene can become very burdensome. Drooling also impedes social integration. This article reviews the use of atropine sulfate to reduce salivation and help relieve the medical and social problems of drooling. Saliva is produced by both the major and minor salivary glands.
Some persons are unable to swallow their saliva fast enough to prevent drooling.
Excessive drooling is a distressing condition that can create significant hygienic and psychosocial problems. Several factors predispose the development of sialorrhea. Incompetent control of orofacial, head, and neck musculature is common in patients with cerebral palsy cerebrovascular accidents, head injuries, mental retardation, motor neuron diseases, Parkinson's disease, and other neurologic disorders. Thorough dental and medical evaluations are important to determine the causes of sialorrhea. Detailed evaluations can help answer this question.