What is sialadenitis, its types and methods of treatment

Symptoms and treatment of chronic sialadenitis and its acute form

Sialoadenitis is an inflammatory process of the salivary glands. It is important to diagnose the acute form of the pathology, because if you ignore its manifestations, you will have to deal with the chronic form. Treatment of chronic sialoadenitis should be comprehensive. Otherwise, complications are possible: necrosis of the gland, overgrowth of the duct, phlegmon of adjacent tissues.

Classification of sialoadenitis, causes and symptoms

Sialoadenitis of the parotid gland. These are the largest glands in the human body, located above and below the auricle. Most often, the cause of pathology is a viral epidemic infection - mumps. They get sick with it in childhood. Signs of sialoadenitis of the parotid salivary gland are pronounced - pain behind the ear when swallowing food, constant dryness in the mouth, swelling of the neck and face.

Sialoadenitis of the submandibular salivary gland. It can be bacterial, viral or fungal. Pathology in these glands is diagnosed much less frequently than in parotid glands. The symptoms will be identical, with the addition of pain when opening the mouth wide and chewing food normally.

Calculous sialoadenitis is most often diagnosed at the age of 7-12 years. Inflammation, as a rule, develops in the submandibular salivary glands. The causes of calculous sialoadenitis are the penetration of infection from other pathological foci into the oral cavity.

Sublingual sialoadenitis. His symptoms are intense - the sublingual area swells, becomes distinctly red, the patient's mouth is constantly open, it is difficult to breathe, it is impossible to take solid food.

In medicine, types of this disease are also distinguished by the location of the pathological focus. This classification is carried out in relation to the chronic form:

parenchymal sialoadenitis – inflammation occurs in only one part of the salivary gland, namely, in the parenchyma;
interstitial sialoadenitis – pathology develops in the connective tissue of the salivary gland;
sialodochitis – changes under the influence of the inflammatory process occur in the structure of the duct of the salivary gland.

Serous and purulent forms of the disease are also distinguished. And if in the first case the general condition of the patient remains within the normal range, then the symptoms of purulent sialoadenitis are high body temperature, sharp pain when swallowing, severe swelling and dizziness.

How is sialoadenitis treated

Regardless of the form and type of the disease, the patient is given antibacterial therapy. If the course of the disease is mild, it is enough to undergo a course of physiotherapy and take several injections of antibiotics directly into the inflamed duct of the salivary gland. If the acute sialoadenitis of the salivary glands is of medium severity, painkillers and a course of antibiotics (10-14 days intramuscularly) may be prescribed.

Severe sialoadenitis, characterized by the formation of stones in the ducts of the salivary glands, requires surgical intervention. For small stones, the ultrasonic crushing procedure is recommended. In large cases, endoscopic surgery is performed.

What physiotherapy is prescribed:

healing massage of the salivary gland;
electrophoresis;
UHF;
galvanization.

Most often, the acute form of the disease has a favorable prognosis. With proper treatment, recovery occurs in two weeks. It is important to detect the pathology in time, therefore the primary diagnosis of sialadenitis in children rests entirely on the parents. If the child begins to complain of pain in the ear, unpleasant sensations when swallowing, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, then you should immediately consult a pediatrician. Even before the appearance of characteristic symptoms, swelling of the neck and slight redness of the face are possible - these are also alarming symptoms.

Folk medicine in the treatment of sialoadenitis

Prescriptions of folk medicine really help to reduce symptoms, but do not stop the progression of the inflammatory process. Therefore, before using decoctions, you should consult a doctor and do not refuse medical treatment. Decoctions from: