Drooling is the unintentional loss of saliva from the mouth. In the adult population it can be associated with neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease (MND) and stroke. Contrary to popular belief, drooling is rarely caused by hypersalivation but is more often related to neuromuscular and/or sensory dysfunction in the oral stage of the swallow.

Causes

Complications

Drooling in the adult patient has various repercussions, ranging from physical difficulties such as dehydration, foul oral odour, perioral skin maceration and increased risk of aspiration pneumonia, to social ramifications such as embarrassment, isolation and increased dependency. As such, drooling can have a negative effect on quality of life, so much so that many patients rate drooling as their worst symptom.

It is helpful to complete rating scales every day for 5 days, where possible at the end of the day. Longer measures (10 days) are particularly helpful if the individual's drooling varies from day to day. It is helpful if two individuals in different settings, without discussion, can complete an assessment.