Diagnosis of a swollen parotid gland

The doctor will palpate the swelling and take a blood sample to determine if inflammation has caused the swelling. In some cases, the doctor may also take a swab to determine the exact pathogen. The diagnosis of a swollen parotid gland is confirmed by an ultrasound scan. This can determine whether the swelling is caused by a salivary stone, constriction or a tumor. Swelling of the pancreas is usually caused by an inflammation.

Associated symptoms

Depending on the cause, either only one or both parotid glands may be swollen. The swelling usually occurs rather suddenly and can be clearly felt as a bulge in front of or under the ear. Pain and a feeling of pressure can be accompanying symptoms of the swelling.

The pain can radiate into the teeth and jaw joint. An inflamed parotid gland causes redness in the affected area in addition to the swelling. The skin over the salivary gland feels warm and can become tense.

Severe swelling of the parotid gland can cause difficulty opening the mouth. Patients are then severely impaired when speaking and especially when eating and chewing, and some of them experience severe pain. If inflammatory swelling of the parotid gland persists for a long time, complications can arise: the inflammation can become isolated and form a cavity filled with pus inside the parotid gland.

This is called an abscess. A swelling of the parotid gland, which is associated with pain, indicates an inflammation as the cause. The cheek on the affected side is usually reddened, warm and the affected person may have a fever.

The inflammation is caused by viruses or bacteria and can affect one or both parotid glands. A painless swelling of the parotid gland means that there is no inflammation and is called sialadenosis or sialosis. As long as the swelling does not affect the function of the masticatory muscles and speech, the swelling does not necessarily need to be treated.However, many affected people find the swollen parotid gland visually disturbing and therefore consult a doctor anyway.

Common causes of sialadenosis are various metabolic disorders, such as diabetes mellitus or hyperthyroidism, or a protein or vitamin deficiency. Often a non-inflammatory swelling of the salivary glands also occurs as a side effect of various drugs. You can read more about this topic in the next article: Diabetes MellitusSwelling of lymph nodes is a sign of infection and immune response in the body. An inflamed parotid gland causes the surrounding lymph nodes to swell. The swollen lymph nodes are clearly palpable in front of and behind the ears, under the jaw and along the neck muscle.