Salivary glands are exocrine glands that produce saliva. The purpose of the process is to facilitate the swallowing process. The salivary glands have other functions as well. Diseases of the glandulae salivariae are rather rare.
What are salivary glands?
Salivary glands are the exocrine glands of the body. They produce saliva, making it possible to swallow food. Without saliva, the enamel of the teeth, the interior of the mouth and the throat would be exposed to great stress. In addition, the salivary glands are essential for digestion, as the saliva produced contains starch-cleaving enzymes. The salivary glands can be affected to a small extent by diseases such as Sjögren’s syndrome. Swelling, cysts or tumors also occur in some cases. The causes of the diseases vary. Treatment is usually simple because, in contrast to diseases of vital organs, only individual glands or small sub-areas are affected. As a result, the chances of cure are good even for serious diseases such as tumors.
Anatomy and structure
The salivary glands are responsible for the production of about 90% of human saliva. Three pairs of salivary glands existed. The first pair are the parotid glands, also known as the parotid gland, which are located on both sides in front of the ears. The second pair are the mandibular glands, also called submandibular glandula, which are located on the inner side of the jaw. The third and final pair are the sublingual glands, which are located in the floor of the mouth under the tongue. They are also referred to as the sublingual gland. In addition to the three major pairs of glands, the human body has approximately 1,000 smaller glands. They are located in the area of the lips, in the oral cavity and in the pharynx, and supply around 1,500 ml of saliva per day in an adult human. Production increases sharply, especially before or during meals. Saliva itself is predominantly composed of four elements. In addition to water, it contains electrolytes, proteins and enzymes. While other enzymes are added in other mammals, in humans it is mainly substances that facilitate the swallowing process.
Function and tasks
The salivary glands have the task of making food slippery with the help of saliva and, under certain circumstances, enriching it with certain substances. These are necessary for the subsequent digestion process. Flavors are also prepared for transport by the addition of proteins and various enzymes. In addition, saliva is needed to protect the mucous membrane in the mouth. This and the cleaning of the same are important functions of the salivary glands. Thus, the salivary glands are responsible for killing pathogens. The salivary glands are also important for the tooth structure. The saliva produced neutralizes acids that could damage tooth enamel. The minerals also harden the teeth. Finally, the salivary glands serve to excrete endogenous and exogenous substances. Depending on the situation, the excreted saliva contains antibiotics, heavy metals, viruses and other substances. Iodine and the body’s own antibodies are also excreted in this way. Thus, the functions of the salivary gland are diverse and indispensable for the human organism.
Diseases and ailments
The salivary glands can be affected by various diseases. The oral salivary gland may have salivary stones. So can various pathological changes such as sialadenitis. This is an inflammation of the salivary glands, which results in painful swelling. Cracks in the excretory ducts lead to uncontrolled saliva flow into the tissue. This can result in salivary cysts. The causes of sialadenitis vary. On the one hand, there is the chronic-active form, which is triggered by bacteria, and on the other hand, autoimmune sialadenitis, also known as Sjögren’s syndrome. The disease is characterized by swelling of individual salivary glands. This is accompanied by pain when swallowing and fever. Treatment is relatively simple and focuses on the administration of medications that promote saliva production. In most cases, Sjögren’s syndrome is not problematic. Chronic active sialadenitis is further divided into acute, chronic nonspecific, and chronic sclerosing forms.In the last variant, large parts of the salivary gland tissue may be affected. This hardens, as a result of which the flow of saliva is considerably inhibited. To prevent further injury to the pharynx and esophagus, appropriate medication must also be administered in this case. In addition to these diseases, various tumors of the salivary glands can occur. The pleomorphic adenoma, for example, occurs frequently. This is a benign salivary gland tumor. Warthin’s tumor also occurs comparatively frequently. In addition, there are a number of malignant tumors, such as adenocarcinoma-NOS. If a disease of the parotid glands occurs, it is called a parotid tumor. In the course of the disease, there is a blockage of the salivary glands, which impedes the flow of saliva.
