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KEY POINTS
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Salivary gland infection is an infection of the glands in your mouth that make saliva.
An infection of the salivary glands may be called parotitis or sialadenitis.
Bacteria and viruses can infect the salivary glands. A gland is more likely to get infected by bacteria if the duct that releases saliva into the mouth gets blocked. A duct can get blocked by a stone formed from chemicals in saliva. You may get a salivary stone if your body does not have enough fluids and you get dehydrated. For example, you might get dehydrated if:
The mumps virus used to be a common cause of infected salivary glands. Most people are now protected against mumps by the MMR vaccine (shot).
Symptoms of a salivary gland infection may include:
Your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms and examine you. Tests may include:
Scans can help your provider check for a stone or an abscess. An abscess is a large pocket of infection.
You may not need any treatment other than nonprescription medicine to relieve your symptoms until the pain and swelling go away. Your healthcare provider may recommend acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen for pain. Read the label and take as directed. Unless recommended by your healthcare provider, you should not take these medicines for more than 10 days.
If you have a stone in a salivary gland duct, your healthcare provider may be able to remove it by pushing the stone out of the duct. You will be given numbing medicine so that this procedure won’t hurt. In some cases, a stone may need to be removed with surgery.
If you have an abscess, your provider may drain it. First, your provider will give you numbing medicine. Then your provider will open the abscess to let the pus out. Draining the abscess usually relieves most or all of the pain.
Your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotic medicine.
Most salivary gland infections go away in a few days with treatment. But some infections may come back, especially if you have a stone that has not been removed.
Take pain or antibiotic medicine exactly as prescribed by your healthcare provider. If you are given an antibiotic, take it for as long as your healthcare provider prescribes, even if you feel better. If you stop taking the medicine too soon, you may not kill all of the bacteria and the infection may come back.
You can gargle with warm saltwater rinses to keep your mouth moist and to get rid of bad tastes. Make a saltwater rinse by mixing 1/2 teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water.
Drink lots of water and use sugar-free lemon drops to increase saliva and reduce swelling.
Follow your healthcare provider's instructions for keeping your mouth moist and clean until the infection is gone.
If you are a smoker, stop smoking so you can heal more quickly.
Ask your provider:
Make sure you know when you should come back for a checkup. Keep all appointments for provider visits or tests.
Doctors aren’t sure about how to prevent salivary gland infection. Good oral hygiene may help prevent infections in the mouth. This includes brushing and flossing your teeth every day and not smoking. Also drink plenty of fluids every day.