Drooling, also called sialorrhea, is saliva draining outside of the mouth. Drooling is common in several disorders related to the ears, nose, and throat, as well as certain neurological disorders. For infants and toddlers, drooling is a sign of teething and is nothing to be concerned about, but it’s important to be aware of the various conditions that are associated with drooling. In some rare cases, drooling is a sign of a life-threatening illness.

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baby drooling

Causes

Certain infections can cause the overproduction of saliva and drool. These include:

Other conditions that can cause the overproduction of saliva include:

When to Seek Medical Care

Drooling in infants and toddlers isn’t usually cause for concern. If you or someone you care for is dealing with excessive drooling, see your healthcare provider or seek emergency medical treatment if:

Neglecting medical attention can lead to greater complications, from difficulty swallowing to aspiration (and subsequent pneumonia), orchoking, an emergency situation.

How Drooling Is Treated

Treatment of drooling depends on the specific disorder and determining the root cause. For example, if drooling is the result of an infection, sometimes antibiotics are used (as long as the culprit isn’t a virus). If drooling is the result of severe tonsillitis, the tonsils may have to be surgically removed. Emergency conditions such as anaphylaxis are treated with a shot of epinephrine and often the administration of antihistamines such as Benadryl.

In cases where the underlying cause cannot be cured, medications such as drops, pills and liquid medicine can be utilized to treat drooling. Scopolamine patches, glycopyrrolate, and botulinum toxin are medications that can be used to decrease the amount of production from salivary glands. Severe cases of drooling can be treated with Botox shots, radiation to the salivary glands and removal of the salivary glands.

For children who are drooling with teething, chewing on popsicles and other cold objects, such as teething rings and frozen bagels, can help curb saliva production. Be sure to monitor the child to prevent choking.

For those dealing with chronic drooling, try to limit sugary food consumption, as sugar increases saliva production. Be cognizant of any skin breakdown around the mouth since redness and irritation can occur. Applying a thin layer of Vaseline or a skin barrier cream around the mouth may help to protect the skin. Use a clean cloth to frequently wipe away excess saliva and try to keep things as dry as possible. If you are a caregiver, remind the person you are caring for to keep their mouth closed and chin up.

Frequently Asked QuestionsIf you sleep on your side or stomach, saliva may drain out of your mouth onto the pillow. Try sleeping on your back to see if that helps keep you from drooling. Other causes may include nasal congestion orgastroesophageal reflux disease, so treating those conditions may help control drooling as well.Learn MoreWhy Do People Drool in Their Sleep?Drooling is normal during the first two years of life and may even occur up to age 4. That’s because babies and toddlers don’t have complete control of their mouth muscles used for swallowing.In some cases, drooling may be related to teething.Learn MoreWhat Is Drool Rash?

Frequently Asked Questions

If you sleep on your side or stomach, saliva may drain out of your mouth onto the pillow. Try sleeping on your back to see if that helps keep you from drooling. Other causes may include nasal congestion orgastroesophageal reflux disease, so treating those conditions may help control drooling as well.Learn MoreWhy Do People Drool in Their Sleep?

If you sleep on your side or stomach, saliva may drain out of your mouth onto the pillow. Try sleeping on your back to see if that helps keep you from drooling. Other causes may include nasal congestion orgastroesophageal reflux disease, so treating those conditions may help control drooling as well.

Learn MoreWhy Do People Drool in Their Sleep?

Drooling is normal during the first two years of life and may even occur up to age 4. That’s because babies and toddlers don’t have complete control of their mouth muscles used for swallowing.In some cases, drooling may be related to teething.Learn MoreWhat Is Drool Rash?

Drooling is normal during the first two years of life and may even occur up to age 4. That’s because babies and toddlers don’t have complete control of their mouth muscles used for swallowing.In some cases, drooling may be related to teething.

Learn MoreWhat Is Drool Rash?

5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Banfi P, Ticozzi N, Lax A, Guidugli GA, Nicolini A, Silani V.A review of options for treating sialorrhea in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Respir Care. 2015;60(3):446-54. doi:10.4187/respcare.02856Khudan A, Jugmohansingh G, Islam S, Medford S, Naraynsingh V.The effectiveness of conservative management for retropharyngeal abscesses greater than 2 cm.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2016;11:62–65.3. Bavikatte G, Sit P, Hassoon A.Management of Drooling of Saliva.Br J Med Pract. 2012;5(1):a507.Lakraj AA, Moghimi N, Jabbari B.Sialorrhea: anatomy, pathophysiology and treatment with emphasis on the role of botulinum toxins.Toxins(Basel). 2013;5(5):1010-31. doi:10.3390/toxins5051010Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.Drooling.Additional ReadingHockstein, N.G., Samadi, D.S., Gendron, K.,& Handler, S.D. (2004). Sialorrhea: a management challenge. American Family Physician. 2004 Jun 1:69(11):2628-2635.Medline Plus. (2014). Drooling.

5 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Banfi P, Ticozzi N, Lax A, Guidugli GA, Nicolini A, Silani V.A review of options for treating sialorrhea in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Respir Care. 2015;60(3):446-54. doi:10.4187/respcare.02856Khudan A, Jugmohansingh G, Islam S, Medford S, Naraynsingh V.The effectiveness of conservative management for retropharyngeal abscesses greater than 2 cm.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2016;11:62–65.3. Bavikatte G, Sit P, Hassoon A.Management of Drooling of Saliva.Br J Med Pract. 2012;5(1):a507.Lakraj AA, Moghimi N, Jabbari B.Sialorrhea: anatomy, pathophysiology and treatment with emphasis on the role of botulinum toxins.Toxins(Basel). 2013;5(5):1010-31. doi:10.3390/toxins5051010Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.Drooling.Additional ReadingHockstein, N.G., Samadi, D.S., Gendron, K.,& Handler, S.D. (2004). Sialorrhea: a management challenge. American Family Physician. 2004 Jun 1:69(11):2628-2635.Medline Plus. (2014). Drooling.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Banfi P, Ticozzi N, Lax A, Guidugli GA, Nicolini A, Silani V.A review of options for treating sialorrhea in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Respir Care. 2015;60(3):446-54. doi:10.4187/respcare.02856Khudan A, Jugmohansingh G, Islam S, Medford S, Naraynsingh V.The effectiveness of conservative management for retropharyngeal abscesses greater than 2 cm.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2016;11:62–65.3. Bavikatte G, Sit P, Hassoon A.Management of Drooling of Saliva.Br J Med Pract. 2012;5(1):a507.Lakraj AA, Moghimi N, Jabbari B.Sialorrhea: anatomy, pathophysiology and treatment with emphasis on the role of botulinum toxins.Toxins(Basel). 2013;5(5):1010-31. doi:10.3390/toxins5051010Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.Drooling.

Banfi P, Ticozzi N, Lax A, Guidugli GA, Nicolini A, Silani V.A review of options for treating sialorrhea in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Respir Care. 2015;60(3):446-54. doi:10.4187/respcare.02856

Khudan A, Jugmohansingh G, Islam S, Medford S, Naraynsingh V.The effectiveness of conservative management for retropharyngeal abscesses greater than 2 cm.Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2016;11:62–65.

  1. Bavikatte G, Sit P, Hassoon A.Management of Drooling of Saliva.Br J Med Pract. 2012;5(1):a507.

Lakraj AA, Moghimi N, Jabbari B.Sialorrhea: anatomy, pathophysiology and treatment with emphasis on the role of botulinum toxins.Toxins(Basel). 2013;5(5):1010-31. doi:10.3390/toxins5051010

Nicklaus Children’s Hospital.Drooling.

Hockstein, N.G., Samadi, D.S., Gendron, K.,& Handler, S.D. (2004). Sialorrhea: a management challenge. American Family Physician. 2004 Jun 1:69(11):2628-2635.Medline Plus. (2014). Drooling.

Hockstein, N.G., Samadi, D.S., Gendron, K.,& Handler, S.D. (2004). Sialorrhea: a management challenge. American Family Physician. 2004 Jun 1:69(11):2628-2635.

Medline Plus. (2014). Drooling.

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