excess saliva production problems [drooling], anybody?

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Hypersalivation: Causes and treatment

TLDR
Hypersalivation is not a disease but usually a symptom of another underlying condition. These other factors can range from easily treated and common causes to rare diseases.

Spoiler

Hypersalivation can be the result of:

• excessive saliva production
• an inability to effectively swallow or clear saliva from the mouth
• difficulty keeping the mouth closed

Causes of excessive saliva production, leading to hypersalivation, include:

• morning sickness or nausea during pregnancy
• sinus, throat, or peritonsillar infections
• poisonous spider bites, reptile venom, and poisonous mushrooms
• false teeth
• ulcers, inflammation, or pain in the mouth
• poor oral hygiene
• severe infections such as rabies or tuberculosis
• severe or sudden pain
• regurgitation of saliva during heartburn
• jaw fractures or dislocation

Difficulty swallowing or clearing saliva from the mouth can be caused by or associated with some underlying conditions, including Down syndrome, autism, ALS, stroke, and Parkinson’s disease. If a person also has a sensory dysfunction, they may not always realize that they are drooling.

Causes of an inability to keep the mouth closed, which can result in drooling, include poor neuromuscular control of the muscles around the mouth. Cerebral palsy is an example of such a condition.

Difficulty keeping saliva in the mouth can also be due to:

• poor head and lip control
• a constantly open mouth
• impaired tactile sensation
• an enlarged tongue or poor tongue mobility
• poor teeth alignment
• nasal blockage

Hypersalivation can also result from non-medical conditions, such as seeing, smelling, or tasting food, or even just thinking about food. It can also be caused by chewing gum or by feelings of excitement and anxiety.

Spoiler

Adelle Davis - Wikipedia
Adelle Davis recommended increased vitamin B (B-6, in particular) intake for
hypersalivation during pregnancy.

 

[Bolletje]

I have a lot of saliva in my mouth (except when I’ve been drinking, unfortunately). I usually keep it under control by swallowing the excess saliva, but sometimes I just dribble drool out of my mouth. Thankfully this usually happens in the confines of my own house and my boyfriend just laughs about it in a benevolent way.
I drool a lot in my sleep though. I once gave myself a mild concussion because I woke up, wanted to rest my head on my hand and had so much saliva on my cheek that my head slipped out of my hand and smacked into the end table. I am very proficient in dumb accidents

 

[Callistemon]

I drool in my sleep, and I sometimes salivate when I think about food. I know that’s really gross and weird but I have trouble controlling it

Salivating when you think about food very graphically is a normal thing, see also Pavlov and his dogs!

Smelling vinegar really encourages salivary hypersecretion in most people I know - and for me, even thinking about something sour can do it!

I also used to find I salivated during daytime naps, especially in my 20s but still occasionally now - happened the other day. You just wake up with the side of your face wet and a weird feeling in the corner of your mouth which channelled the saliva. And not dreaming about food, that I remember. But only ever sleeping on my side or my front, never when lying on my back. Gravity puts it in the right place then.

I wonder if it's the lips not shutting closely, rather than wild hypersecretion. In my case anyway, it just seems to be misdirected saliva because of gravity and leakage!

 

[Homulilly]

I drool in my sleep, and I sometimes salivate when I think about food. I know that’s really gross and weird but I have trouble controlling it

Salivating when you think about food is a natural response. I don’t know enough about everyone’s drooling habits during sleep, but pretty sure there are people who do that out there. I think it’s more likely to happen if you breathe through your mouth during sleep? Honestly some people just have things happen with their mouth during sleep.