Homeopathic Remedies for Excessive Salivation

Excessive salivation is medically known as hypersalivation or ptyalism. It is not a disease in itself but is an indicating feature to some underlying health condition. Homeopathic remedies for excessive salivation like Merc Sol and Lyssin are selected as per every individual case based on the characteristic symptom. 

Saliva is produced by the salivary glands. It keeps the mouth moist and helps to chew and swallow food. It also contributes to the taste of food, and digestion also begins in the mouth with the help of an enzyme in the saliva. Saliva is also used to fight germs in the mouth.  

It is also produced while chewing, and the amount of saliva varies as per the type of food or drink taken by a person. Excessive salivation occasionally is not a reason of concern unless it is constant.  

Homeopathic Remedies for Excessive Salivation

People having complaints of excessive salivation can be well-treated with the help of homeopathic medicines. These medicines aim at treating the root cause behind increased salivation to bring excellent results. The homeopathic medicines for treating this issue are prepared from naturally occurring substances so are very safe to use without any side effects. These are suitable to treat this complaint in persons of any age group. Some of the majorly indicated remedies used for managing this issue are described here. 

1. Merc Sol – Top Grade Medicine 

Merc Sol is a top listed medicine to manage cases of excessive salivation. Firstly it is indicated when there is copious salivation in case of mouth ulcers. The ulcers (which cause a burning sensation) are irregular in shape with undefined edges and may appear on the tongue, gums, throat, inside of cheek. 

Second indication for its use is profuse salivation from stomatitis (inflamed mouth) with marked redness of the whole mucous membrane of mouth. 

Next, it is considered in cases of inflamed throat and inflamed tonsils with plenty of saliva in mouth. It is also well indicated for increased salivation during pregnancy. 

Lastly, it is indicated for excessive accumulation of saliva in the mouth from hollow, decayed teeth; dentition in babies; swollen, inflamed gums; fungal infection in the mouth (oral thrush). Along with above indications an offensive, bad smell from the mouth is prominent. The saliva may also have a specific metallic, coppery taste.

2. Lyssin – Another Leading Medicine

Lyssin is another prominent medicine for managing cases of increased salivation. Persons needing it have a constant desire to spit from plenty of saliva in the mouth. The saliva may be thick, frothy, slimy and sticky in nature. They may have difficulty in swallowing liquids with excessive flow of saliva. It is well-indicated when there is an increased amount of thick saliva with inflamed throat. Pain in the throat along with great heat is present in these cases. 

3. Baryta Carb – For Inflamed Throat, Tonsils, Salivary Glands 

Baryta Carb a very beneficial medicine for profuse salivation in case of sore throat and swollen, painful tonsils. It is also valuable for treating cases of increased saliva in case of peritonsillar abscess (quinsy). In cases needing it, the saliva runs out of mouth during sleep. There may be attending bad odour coming from mouth. Other than this, it is an important medicine for cases of swollen salivary glands including parotid and sub mandibular glands attended with much salivation.

4. Silicea – For Excessive Salivation during Teething

It works well in children having excessive salivation (drooling) teething. They may have difficult dentition and sometimes are delayed in the teething process. They may be sensitive to cold and have bad smelling sweat on the body along with this.

5. Borax – For Copious Saliva with Mouth Ulcers

This medicine is prominently indicated for excessive salivation with ulcers in the mouth and on tongue. In cases requiring it the mucus membrane of the mouth is very red with ulcers. Most times these ulcers have a tendency to bleed easily. Marked heated sensation in the mouth and great thirst for water may accompany above symptoms.

6. Kali Iodatum – For Increased Saliva with Irregular White Ulcers 

Kali Iodatum is also an excellent medicine to treat cases of profuse saliva with irregular mouth ulcers which have white surface. They look white as if covered with milk. Sometimes vesicles (fluid – filled bumps / blisters) may be present in the mouth with marked burning sensation. With the above features, a very offensive odour from mouth is often noticed.

7. Iodum – For Inflamed Throat and Tonsils

Iodum is beneficial medicine when there is excessive saliva in the mouth with inflamed throat and tonsils. Saliva is fetid with offensive odour from mouth. Along with this there is a thick, greyish white deposit in the throat and on the tonsils. Burning pain is present in the throat. Swallowing is difficult with this. Sometimes ulcers are present in the throat.

8. Merc Cor – For Sore Throat 

Merc Cor is also a significant medicine for managing increased salivation in cases of sore throat. There is stinging, smarting pain in the throat and there may be offensive-smelling pus spots in the throat. The saliva is highly increased that sometimes runs out of the mouth at night. The saliva may have a salty taste. Sore, inflamed mouth with much salivation is also a guiding feature to use this medicine.

9. Nitric Acid – For Stomatitis or Inflammation 

Nitric Acid is an effective medicine for cases of excessive saliva with inflamed mouth (stomatitis). The saliva is fetid. In such cases the surface inside the mouth is bright red. This is accompanied with a burning sensation in the mouth. Intense stinging pain is also marked. Sometimes ulcers within cheeks or tongue are also present along with inflammation. Apart from above swollen gums, decayed teeth, ulcers on tonsils with profuse saliva is also indicative of this medicine use. 

10. Natrum Mur – For Copious Saliva during Mumps 

Natrum Mur is a well-indicated medicine for cases of excessive salivation in mumps infection (viral infection of parotid gland – salivary gland.) Here the saliva is watery with constant spitting. In addition to this, it also offers help when there is plenty of salivation with fungal infection in mouth (oral thrush) and with toothache. This medicine is also very suitable to manage dribbling of saliva during teething in children.

11. Lac Caninum – For Increased Saliva during Sleep

Lac Caninum is a very useful medicine when the salivation is increased during sleep. People needing it have an increased amount of saliva which is slightly thick. Their mouth is constantly full of saliva and during sleep saliva runs from the mouth, wetting the pillow.

12. Lachesis – For Constantly High Salivation

This homeopathic medicine is indicated when the level of saliva in the mouth is constantly high and has a foul odour. It interferes with talking, and in some cases there may be an inflammation and swelling of tonsils. Sometimes the root of the tongue is inflamed too.

Causes

Increased saliva in the mouth can arise from either increased production of saliva by the salivary glands or decreased clearance of saliva and its build up in the mouth. Difficulty in swallowing the excessively accumulated saliva can lead to increased spitting or its drooling (dripping of saliva out of the mouth without knowing).

Excessive salivation can have many reasons. Firstly it can arise from dental cavities, oral infection (dental infection, dental abscess), mouth ulcers, gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) and teething in children (dentition). Next there are certain types of medications that can lead to an increase in saliva. Few examples of such medicines include clozapine, ketamine, risperidone and pilocarpine. Salivation production can increase during pregnancy especially in women who have intense nausea and vomiting. Other than this certain toxins like mercury, copper, nicotine can also cause hypersalivation.

Apart from above, tonsillitis, quinsy (peritonsillar abscess means accumulation of pus  behind the tonsil), inflamed salivary glands, mumps (viral infection of the parotid gland), enlarged tongue (macroglossia) and intellectual disability are some other causes. 

Other reasons associated with excessive salivation includes some nutritional deficiencies like niacin or vitamin B3 deficiency that causes pellagra, rabies (a deadly virus caught from bite of an infected animal mostly a dog that causes serious infection of the brain or nerves), cerebral palsy (group of neurological disorders that affect movement, posture and muscle tone), facial nerve palsy  that cause loss of facial movement due to nerve damage, parkinson’s disease (a nervous system disorder in which there majorly appears rest tremor, slowness of movement, muscle rigidity, impaired posture and balance. As this condition progresses difficulties with swallowing can arise which causes decrease clearance of saliva and its accumulation in mouth leading to drooling), myasthenia gravis (neuromuscular disorder characterized by weakness and quick fatigue of any of voluntary muscles),  amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (a nervous system disease that causes death of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscles), stroke (reduced blood supply to part of your brain depriving it of oxygen and nutrients that results in cell death.) 

Lastly, radiation therapy and fracture/dislocation of jaw can also lead to excessive salivation.