Ptyalism, referred to excessive drooling, is a condition where an excess amount of saliva is overproduced. It can occur with any impaired control of muscles in the mouth. Due to the weakened muscles around the mouth, salivation increases and impairs swallowing. An example is “Cerebral Palsy”, impaired oral neuromuscular control that results in excessive drooling. Some syndromes that may cause these conditions to include Down’s syndrome, autism, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and etc. In infants, drooling can be quite common because of immature muscular control. However, sometimes this condition can be a result of sinus infection (sinuses filled with fluid and blocking air, common symptoms with colds), strep throat, nausea, vomiting, etc. Excessive drooling, also known as hypersalivation or sialorrhea, can a result of decreased clearance of saliva, according to Dr. Paula Barry, a physician at Penn family and Internal Medicine Longwood.

 1. Allergies and Infections: If your body is allergic to something or has an infection, some symptoms showing these infections are overproduction of saliva to get rid of the toxins out, which makes you drool. Seasonal Allergies: Itchy eyes, runny nose, sneezing accompanied with drooling. The other most common allergen is pollen — from trees, grass, and weeds. Strep throat: If you’re having difficulties swallowing because of the throat swelling and pain, this is called Pharyngitis, known as sore throat. This can either be caused by viruses or bacteria, leading to swollen throats, fever, and more. Inflammation and enlargement of tonsils can occur; thus, the patient will prefer to swallow less. During your sleep, it can come out as drool. Stll, it’s hard to diagnose whether you have strep throat on your own, so it’s recommended to speak with your doctor beforehand..

2. Finding major diseases/disorders’ medications: The treatments for major disorders/diseases are prescribed to prevent excessive drooling. For example, if Psychiatric disorder is the major cause of this condition, prescribed treatment following this disorder will be provided by the doctor.

3. Sleep disorder, medically referred to sleep apnea, can be associated with drooling since there is narrowed/blocked airway. This disorder can occur in two forms: obstructive sleep apnea and central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea is when the airway gets blocked involuntarily during sleep, and breathing stops. Air flows smoothly through the nose into the lungs normally. Central sleep apnea is when the brain isn’t sending right signals needed for breathing. This irregular breathing can lead to hypersalivation and drooling. Treatments for these disorders include primary care provider. They will determine the major causative factors, such as your sleeping habits/positions, or further evaluation from sleep medicine specialists. They can recommend sleep study to diagnose this apnea disorder, which can easily be managed with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).