Saliva - 2

Body secretions are reflections of body health status and its harmony. To have vibrant and abundant good health, one should have good body secretions and excretions. Saliva is one among the body secretions secreted by salivary glands. Saliva is produced by filtration of blood/plasma by secretor cells of glands (acinar cells). It is usually slimy and a little frothy. Saliva constitutes water, salts, electrolytes, waste products of body (urea, uric acids, acetone, creatine and cell debris) and epithelial cells.

Medically,

• Act of saliva secretion in the mouth is termed as salivation

• Increased production/secretion of saliva is termed as ptyalism (profuse salivation)
  Drooling or running down of saliva is termed as sialorrhoea

• Decreased production or running out of saliva to dry mouth is termed as xerostomia

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Any state that is in excess or is deprived will usually cause problems. This is true with saliva also. Saliva problems commonly arise any time in any person due to infection / inflammations / tumours or stone formations in salivary glands. Here one often misunderstands phlegm, sputum as abnormal saliva. Actually it is not so.

They are entirely different, i.e. saliva is normal (needed) secretion secreted in the mouth for the functions to be carried in the mouth, whereas sputum and phlegm are abnormal secretions of the lower respiratory tract (trachea, bronchi or lungs).

Medically,

• Sputum is named for (abnormal) mucous expelled / ejected from lower respiratory tract (trachea, bronchi or lungs). For example, thick mucous secretions expelled or coughed out in acute / chronic bronchitis, bronchopneumonia, brochietasis, emphysema (end stage), bronchial asthma, etc.

• Phlegm is named for abnormal viscid mucous excreted in abnormally large quantities from the respiratory tract (upper or lower). For example – mucous secretions during cold

The appearance, colour, consistency and volume of these secretions will also vary depending upon the condition and diseases. For example:

• Frothy and scanty sputum with eosinophils – bronchial asthma

• Yellow or greenish thick mucous – acute or chronic bronchitis

• Mucupurulent discharges – bronchietasis

• Bloody / rusty sputum – pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.

• Golden yellow sputum – sinusitis and pneumonia

Further to differentiate –

• Saliva is very slimy, but sputum is thick (semi-solid like)

• Sputum will not come as such, one needs to cough it up or have it expectorated, whereas saliva is normal secretion secreted continuously (24 hours X 7days).

• Sputum needs attention, care and treatment whereas absence of saliva needs attention and care.

• Sputum has pus, mucous, neutrophils or eosinophils, cell debris, disease organisms, blood, etc., whereas saliva has epithelial cells, salts, electrolytes and waste products of body (urea, uric acids, acetone, creatine and cell debris)

Common salivary (gland) problems are

• Decreased saliva secretion - dry mouth (xerostomia)

• Increased saliva secretion - drooling of saliva (sialorrhoea)

• Infection in salivary glands – mumps (viral infection)

• Stones (calculus) in salivary glands or duct (sialolith)

(To be continued)

Part 1