What causes drooling in sleep?
Dear Dr. Gott I drool when I sleep on my left side but not when I sleep on my right. Neither my primary physician nor dentist can come up with an answer. Can you? Dear Reader: The salivary glands produce 1-1/2 liters of saliva daily. Frequent drooling, even on one side of the face only, can be caused by a number of conditions. Infection, abscesses in the tissue between the tonsil and throat, neoplasm, cerebral palsy, stroke, Parkinson’s, and an abnormal increase in the tone of the muscles that open and close the mouth are a few possibilities. Others include your emotional state, nasal obstruction, head posture and some medications such as tranquilizers, anti-convulsants and those for myasthenia gravis or other muscle fatigue. You should return to your physician for an exam that includes possible dental problems, lip ulcers, airway obstruction. Good luck. • Write to Dr. Gott c/o United Media, 200 Madison Ave., 4th fl., New York, NY 10016.
